The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-11-30

"Thats unlucky," said he, "for In
on tramp from tho North. and / dom
know the country. / expected to pul
up at the hotel by night, but l dom
know just where il lies"
"But what can do? can't die here
all alone!" she cried historically, con
viction of the nnmitigated cruelty Other
fate beginning to overcome the incrcdu
lity with which nature interposcs tc
prevent the first shock of horrible re.
ality from crushing the mind.
To her, even her, Antoinette Livings.
ton, the belle of her avenue at home
and the petted queen of circle ol
wealth and culture, it was apparently
appointed to die of q snakes bite in Il
desert place, with tramp to close her
eyes. A wave of fself-pity overwhelmed
her; her eyes flooded with tears, and
she began to Sob And then, growing
calmer, she found herself wondering
when they would miss her at the hotel
and begin to send out searching-parties
and how long il would be before They
would find her, and whether she would
be very much disfgured! She had read
horrible stories about the effects of rat
tlesnake-bites! How would her father
feel when he arrived at the hotel from
the city in the morning and found her
missing? Or, perhaps she would have
been brought home by then. What a
commotion it would make among the
guests at the hotel, and how pretty Belle
Stacy would look in tears-she ALWAYS
did. Mr.. Haywood would undoubtedly
admire her and it might lead to some.
thing. The tramp was speaking; she
had nearly forgotten him.
"Sucking the poison ont ofthc wound
sometimes cures persons. We can at
least try that"
She caught at the suggestion with an
eagerncss almost convulsive, and raised
her arm to her mouth. But because the
wound was on the outside of it, she
could not, try as she might, quite touch
it with her lips.
Her efforts as she twisted her mouth
and pinched her arm, would have been
laughable had the emergency been any
less serious.
"You had better let me do it,
She looked at him in involuntary
amazement at the unparalleled audacity
of the suggestion.
"It's no time TO be notional. It's life
or DEATH" said the tramp rather impa-
tiently.
The logic of the situation was indeed
incxorablc; she extended her arm. lie
knclt before her and took the snowy
treasure in his big, rough. brown fin
gers. The slender, bluc-veined wrist
he held as tcnderly as if it had been an
egg-shell. The dimplcd elbow rested
in the palm of the other hand. Miss
Livingstun, despite her terrified prcoc-
cupation, could not help starting as he
put his mouth to the flesh. She had not
thought that the lips of so rough man
could be so soft, or that their touch
would be so like kiss. There was
something at once laughablc and pathet-
ic in the attitude of the strangely assort-
ed couple during the next few minutes.
Miss Livingston kept her face resolutc-
ly averted, and looked intcntly at dis
tant mountain-top, but her eyes were
really in her arm. Her occasional fur
tive glances at the face so closely press
ed TO il were n study in their mixture OF
rcpugnance, even to loathing, with in
tense anxiety TO have him go on.
And yet if she had been in q mood To
take II dispassionatc inventory of her
tramp's appearance, she must have ad-
mitted that, although rather formidably
big and brawny, he would not have
been at all bad looking fellow if he
were at once well shaved and had bet
ter clothes. lie had been knceling be-
fore her on both knees, but now chang
cd his posture TO one knee, and almost
instantly sprang to his feet. crying with
an excitement that showed how strong
had been his reprcsscd feelings:
"Thank God! I've got something
that will save YOU. What fool was
not to think of it beforc." and he pulled
flask out of his hip-pockct. and shook
it cxultantly in her face. His heel as
he changed his posture, had touched the
flask and reminded him of its existence
Miss Livingston looked at him appre.
hcnsively. What was he going to do to
her? He speedily made it clear.
"That's full of whisky, good pint
Whisky IL the only sure cure for rattle.
snake poison. All you've got to do is
to drink this till you arc intoxicated
and then you're cured"
She had been through some very nov.
ell experiences that afternoon, and done
things which she would never have
thought it possible she should be
brought to do; but this was rather toe
much. If she had heard this brawny
yagaboAd Alright, he coolly proposed
that she should drink hersefinto state
Of insensibility, alone with him in this
remote spot. He poured some liquor
into the tin cup which he took from the
bottom of the flask, and extended il tC
her. She shook her head, and merely
said,
"Thank yon, won't try it,
What was the use of arguing 4 qucs
lion of propriety with a tramp?
81 see you're afraid of me-" he said
81 can't wonder at that, but il is a CASE
of necessity. If you don't drink, YOU
arc dead in an hour! There's AT least {
bare chance that Pm an honorable fcl
low, but there's no chance at all il yor
don't take the whisky. This is the tim,
of year when the poison is strongest
and that was a big fellow. Your arm Il
swelling already"
She glanced at the still writhng rep
tile with a shudder, and then at hel
arm. II was indeed swelling. and tht
iang-marks had grown black. Pitifu
Heavens, must sho choose between thi
imminent, horrible death, and an abso
lnte surrender of herself 10 this va
gram y ihfltl f7it luNt AMI iUIntt
her back on him, looking away TO tn,
mountan-tops. She walked few step
TO and fro, and then turned and aske,
: him in strained voice.
but won't this that you've been do
ing draw out tho poisonq'
''Therc's not much chance. bccaus,
You see the bite is in among big veins
and the poison got at once into III,
4 Il - 4
! ter than doing nothing"
She looked at the cup which he hcl,
, toward her rs If almost decided 10 tax,
il, and then turned away again an,
stood a long time. What thoughts wer,
, in her mind any woman can guess.
; is not for me TO describe them. Finally
she turned slowly around once NOR
and looked fixedly into his face, as
studying it for her life-as indeed sh,
was. The dark blue eyes rested on III,
, brown ones of the man with gaze II