Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-02-09

sort of chap, and jolly sight better off
than we were. We didn'C know at what
place the old lady ment to come to FOR a
few days wnen she arrived in London,
ours or Joe's; but the very day lot hold
OF chat precious box she wrote and said
she was coming to us. 1t put US about
bit, because we had only the one bedroom
we didn't have any children then-but
1t was worth our while to make shift for
few nights anyhow, so we got the room
ready Tor her. Well, one, two, three days
passed, an we didn't hear anything about
the precious box, and when came home
the third night-the old lady from Houn-
slow was expected every minute-I made
up my mind to break it open. So we
locked the bedroom door, and I got q
hammer and chisel, and presently the lid
sprung open. and in an instant-like a
streak of lightning there slicked out of
the box from among the wool, and off the
table and on the ground. the most holri-
BILE little snake I've ever seen or read about.
Tt wasn't very large-not longer than
full length tobacco pipe, and about as
thick as my thumb, and with its eyes like
two sparks, and its fangs darling out of
its mouth. 1t wriggled along, while. struck
all of heap, we stood looking at it. and
then down it went clean out of sight
through a mousehole just by the fireplace.
ut was an awful disappointment, and
placed US in nice sort of predlcament;
and, to crown it, just at that identical
moment cab drove up to the door, and
the missus' mother arrived with her boxes.
We were taken so aback for the moment
that we didn't know what was best to do.
We had written to the old lady that we
had got better room all ready for her,
and we couldn't do anything else than
show her to it, but I made hasty ar
rangement with my wife that as soon as
she had got her things off. and was in the
other room having bit of supper,
would take up floor board or two aud
have the varmint out somehow or other.
But here we were baked again. She did
not want any supper, she said; she was
very tired, and would go to bed at once
and give no more trouble than to light
and the missus and me were in pretty
funk about that cussed snake. We hadn't
the least idea in the world what were the
ways and habits of such creatures, so l
went and borrowed Of friend of mine
book on nat'ral history to try and find out
something about 'em. There was lot
in the volume about snakes that we didn't
understand. and lot more we didn t
want to know about. But we dropped on
one bit information that was staggerer.
Snakes Of all kinds, it said. were fond Of
heat. anu in the winter time, if they we're
in the neighborhood of fire, they we're al
ways attracted toward it, or they would
creep anywhere they could find warmth.
Everything seemed against US. AS I've
already told you. the mousehoie it escaped
down was close by the hearth, and the
missus was in rare fright on her moth
er's account. The dread that haunted
her was that as soon as the old lady had
put out her candle and it was dark the
snake would make its way out to warm
itself at the fire, and that, as soon as that
died out, feeling cold again, it would 60
crawling about the rom in search of a
| place where it could coil up snug for the
| night, and very likely glide in under the
bed-clothes. If we had had another bed
room we could have explained matters to
her, and had her out; but she was a queer
| tempered old soul. and very likely If we
had said anything toiher about poisonous
snakes under the f)or-boards she would
have declared that it was a cock-and-b bull
story to get rid of her. and 60 off in a
huff, which was the last thing we wanted;
so persuaded the missus TO chance it,
The only bit of comfort We got out of
reading the book was that it told US some
small snakes were poisonous, while Others
we're harmless. Which sort our joker was,
of course we didn't know, and we could
only hope for the best. We sat up all night
In the next room listening to the least sus.
plcious sound, and 1 got an awful stiff
neck kneeling down at the old LADY,
room door, with ear to the keyhole. But
as far as we were aware the snake didn't
come up.
| ''But next morning we had scare. /
hunted over the newspapers, as usual, to
see if there WAS any advertisement con
corning the box, and sure enough, there
was one this time. recollect the words
of it as if had only just read 'em: ITO
cab. drivers-A small mahogany bnx was
left in cab that conveyed gentleman
from - square, Clerken we'll. to London
bridge railway station. If returned with.
in two days of the present d ate reward
of ten shillings will be paid for its recov-
cry. The box, which is locked. contains
a small snake of deadly poisonous spe-
cies. Therefore the person who NAV have
the box in his possession is earnestly
warned against attempting to open it. -
Well, of course, after that we couldn't do
any other than tell the old lady all about
it, and get her out of the room as soon as
possible. She cut up rough about it, Just
as expected she would. 1t was no thanks
to US. she declared, that she hadn't been
! bitten to death by the horrible reptile
We hadn't told her about it the night be-
fore, because we hoped it would come out
while she was sleep and kill her, and we
shouldn't have said anything about it
now only we we're afraid that murder
would leak out, and we should be hanged
for it. She wouldn't stay another hour
in our house. but had cab fetched
there and then, and took her luggage and
went off to my wife's brother Joe's place,
and there she died before she had been
there month, leaving him all she had to
leave" ''And what after all. became of
| the poisonous snake 7" 1 asked him.
i-sWhat became of 1t ?" repeated the old