The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-05-12

noon alone on the Groqust Iawn-al0ne
for the first time since my stormy WOO.
ing was Interrupted, Don being still
busy in the sheep yards and sheariBg
shed, had been playing slngly against
| Lizzie and her. and now Lizzie had
been called away to the nursery to con-
suit with d needle woman who was ut
work there. We were both anxious
| (though for very different reasons) to
leave off playing when our chaperon
| had departed but 1t was not easy to do
so in the middle of game, especially
rs she had Instructed her partner to
| play for both Of them until she returned.
| so We knocked the balls about for few
minutes in embarrassed silence, and
then had an alteration as to which
hoop Lizzie had been through and then
We both got q little huffy. and played,
| first with indifference. and then with a
malicious energy, which resulted Mt last
in my sending her partners ball into
the thicket of Portugal laurels in the
shrubbery.
"Oh. I beg your pardon p exclaimed
with compunction, as she solemnly
marched off to look for it. "Let me
| find it for you
"Do not trouble YOURSELF" she re-
plied sharply. and Immediately dashed
| 10 between the laurel and q very prickly
rosebush, whose long sprays caught her
| muslin dress and tore it. ] saw her
straw hat amongst the big, dark
branches, and her little hand searching
| under them for Il moment or two: and
lthen she started up suddenly with g.
quick cry. and bounded into the path
again.
What Is the matter Have you hurt
yourself ?" asked anxiousiy.
Her hat fell to the ground, and she
stood before me with the blazing sun on
her pretty head, and wide-eyed horror
in her face. "Wait minute for me I"
she painted breathlessly, II want you
to help me i have been bitten" Be.
fore ] could collect my senses to under
stand what she meant. she had sped like
flash Of light into the house, and
dashing into the laurel bush, saw what
had happened. big black snake was
gliding away from the spot where she
had been kneeling.
What was to be done? stood still for
u moment paralyzed; then ] sent up q
hurried prayer for help. and simultane-
ously "cooyed' three or four times with
all the force Of 81 powerful pair Of lungs,
for Hut1 tat ttttte5 Hi w5oi shed TheH + tittF-
risd after her. and met her coming
through the door Of my brother s dress
ing room with one Of his razors in her
hand Her face WIS white and set as
she seized my hand and hurried me into
the smoking which was near US,
aud turned the key in the lock, ]
knew what she wanted and / set my
teeth in agony that no words could ex
press, and which | can never think Of
now without q shuddsr.
"Look - she said. piteously, with II
little sob in her throat. and / looked
end saw one OF the fingers Of her left
hand tied round tightly with piece Of
string below the first joint, and the end
Of it already liyid and swollen and
showing the uumistakabie punctures Of
the snakes fangs. She laid her other
hand on my arm, and looked up at me
with beseeching face that nearly un-
manned me.
"Help me-" she whispered eagerly;
"now-now, before the others comsW
shining. "It Is no use to suck tit
only wastes time,' rs / seized her finger
and put it in my mouth. Don't,
don'tl / want to be on the safe side. /
don't want to die. o pray, pray holp
mol" now sobbing passionately. ''or
else / must try and do il myself. I
won't cry out, / won't mind it, ! will
turn my head away" She laid her
finger on the edge Of the table, and /
took the razor from her, and with all
the courage / could muster, excised the
wounded part. She bore the cruel ope-
ration without q murmur.
An hour afterwards the commotion in
the house Was over. but the shadow Of
death was on it. Rachael was in her
bed, white and faint and breathing
heavily. twitching with weak fingers at
tho bed clothes. and staring with dull
eyes into the faces around her. | knslt
In my roc :. close by, with my head on
my outspr ID arms. weeEahg like
child, as IL lay heart would break, and
listening to tho creaking OF the doctors
boots, and the wbisking OF skirts and
whispering OF awed voices on tho other
side Of the thin wall. There WAS moth
ing else that was privileged to do, now
that ! had done that dreadful thing
which they told me might be the saving
Of her precious life.
As the twilight fell. the voices in the
sick room took louder and more cheer
full tone, and presently ono Of them
called softly: 'Jerry, 1 want you"
Lizzie met me in the passage with Il
tremulous, tear stained. smiling face
'"The doctor says she will be- all right
now, and that she has to thank you for
it," she whispered. Don't stay here
any longer, go and have Is cigar with
Dom"
I seized her hand and kissed it, and
looked at her with my wet eyes full Of
emotion, too glad for speech, and the
Frightening intelligence Of her coun-
tenance was curious to note. II thought
you did not care for each other" she
said, archly, but" she added dryly,
II suppose was mistaken"
'Don't suppose anything. Lizzie.
there's good girl. But let me know
when / may see her." replied ear
nestly.
"All right understand III let you
KNOW" she said, nodding her head Wig
orously with an air of mystery and inn
portance apd then / went, not to have
O. cigar with Don, but to walk about the
dark garden alleys, alone with my
thoughts.
Our patient improved steadily all
night, SO much 30 that the family as
sembed at breakfast as usual. Then Il
great hunt was made for the snake lat