St. Paul daily globe., 1885-05-17
REGGY GARDENERS DEATH.

/ was strolling into the Geological gar
dens in lazy mood Friday afternoon to
listen to lecture on snakes
Congratulate me, old chap r' eX-
claimed an impulsive voice at the gates, and
l turned to find Reggy Gardner at my elbow.
Cant stay now just off to the lawyers
he said as he hailed passing hanson.
''What is it all about, Reggy?"
81 am going to be married. She's the
loveliest woman in the world Come and
lunch with me at the club tomorrow, and
then go home to my mother's-you'H see
her there"
AS his hanson drove off looked after
my bright, CHEEKY. lucky friend, Just enter
ing life with a newly-inhented fortune
Reggy Gardner was typical young English
man, broad-shouldered, fair-haired, gray
eyed, and beaming with health.
Snakes, as | suppose you know, decline
to accept food which they have not killed
themselves. The serpent mind seems TO
obtain unmiXed satisfaction from the terrofS
of its victims. Neither the anaconda nor
the common boa kills its ducks and rapoltS'
doves and guinea-pigS at once.
They are like wicked lawyers who Keep
their clients about them, pretending that
they never mean to swallow them. estates
and all. Now and then, long before the
fatal blow is struck. the victims discover
their danger. and then it is dreadful TO
watch their terror develop and grow INTO
madness. The melancholy cries OF cou-
nIe of fowls could be heard in the serpent
bdnse at the Zoo. The crowd Of lookers-on
were hreathless watching the fluttering OF
dove which one of the SerpentS had Just
seized and the death agonieS OF rabbit
which the rattle-Snake, poked up, by the
keeper had kindly bitten Pitiful tragedies
were being enacted in every cage. On the
score of science people go Fridays to see
the reptiles fed. Prof. Huxley does not
lecture in the snake-hOuSe; he would prob
ably saw some bitter things TO the morbid
audiences which collect there. was about
to seek the Intellectual refuge OF the lecture
room, when the face OF woman arrested
my attention.
1t was a cold. cruel. beautiful countenance,
classic in its severity with blue eyes, and
lips that had no red in them. The nose came
down in straight line from the low fore
head. and was chiseled at the nostrils The
mouth was rather contradiction to the
other part of the face. 1t was sensual, yet
without touch of the generosity that some
times moditieS the sensual so much that we
only call it sensuous. Madame's eyes were
not looking at me. They were fixed on the
anaconda, which had just uncurled itself,
and was sliding towards couple OF fowls
that were Just retreating before 1t. Sud
denly from an expression OF intense eX-
pectation. the cold, cruel face was lighted
I'D with anger. The next moment a fan
was dashed against the glass to urge the
birds into the Jaws of the serpent. Madame
was tired of waiting for the end. A thrill
OF indignation shot through me.
This is no place for ladies, y I said alond
to the keeper. that she might hear me; but
she continued an unrestrained and active
allv of the serpent. intent upon forcing the
tragic destiny of the imprisoned BIRDS
Then. all of a sudden, there was hur-
ried movement of the snake, t1uttering OF
feathers. and an expiring cry. The ana
eonda had begun to feed.
Madame gave a little sigh OF satisfaction,
and. casting frigid glance at me- moved
away. Then | found she was not alone.
Her cavalier was a foreigner, who looked
ike a faded parsonage matriculating for
Tussaud. My thoughts, however, were not
OF him. but of her, and as | strolled home,
wondering at the combination OF angel and
demon which is sometimes found in female
beauty, L called this lady ''Adrastia,'' as
the resemblance to an Italian picture of the
strange beauty. the hair a cluster Of writh-
ing serpents. the face of lovely forbidding
ness. with the agony of the serpent'S tooth
in it. and vet about the mouth the calm,
cruel. deathlike expression of a Nemesis.
The two faces were like and unlike; and
the living one took the place of the other
in my mind. eclipsing the picture, yet re-
calling ShadOwy "reminiscences OF it. Ad-
rastia never looked so glad when the vic
Tins she slew deserved the death it was her
duty to provide as did this lady in the Lon
don snake-hOuse when the anacondra
swooped down upon its living food. ely
5emnestra might have worn similar eX-
nressiOn when she murdered h5unIoInIIOn,
and vet | called the woman OF the Zoo
kdrastia. and I gave her, in my Imagination,
= fitting headdress of snakes and serpents.
~
Pail Mall -swarmed with cabs and car
riages. 1t was the height of the London
season. We had lunched eozily at the club.
forgot Adrastia under the influence of the
Reforms dry champagne and Reggy's gush
about Mrs. Trentham. For the lady who
had won the young fellows heart and fancy
was widow. I reminded Reggy that a
certain character in fiction had uttered a
warning concerning widows which had
passed into proverb. He simply said,
with the blood rushing into his face
Dickens is a vulgar snob " and then, as
quickly, Il beg Dickens pardon, old boy,
and yours; and we drove off to Mayfair.
Reggv was hard hit. I did not attempt to
chaff him about his passion, so out of tone
with the present keeping of society, which
never goes into raptures over anything.
1--WE met her at Homburg, and after
wards at Como, said Reggy's austocratic
yet amiable and pleasant mother; ''she was
travelling with her uncle, Count de
fourier"
1T is rather short engagement" re-
piled, ''but we live in rapid age"
Il hope he will be happy" rejoined his
mother but l thought there was something
of doubt in the way she gave expression to
her hopes.
Our conversation, necessarily brief, was
interrupted by the arrival of Reggy's be-
trothed, Mrs. Trentham. There was a
movement of curiosity among the people.
Mrs Gardner rose from the tea table to
receive the latest caller with especial honor.
Reggy looked at me triumphantly as he
said: "COme@and be introduced"
[ advanced as one in dream. I was
under a spell. pulled myself together as
well as | could.