Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-04-24
A LONDON MYSTERY.
Joseph Hatton in Louisville COurier-Journal.


Joseph Hatton in Louisville COurier-Journal.
Twas strollIng into the Geological
Garden in a lazy mood on Friday
afternoon to listen to lecture on
"Snakes."
Congratulate me, old chapp ex-
claimed an impulsive voice at the gate,
and l turned to find Reggy Gardner
at my elbow. Cant stay now Just
off To the lawyers" he said, as he
hailed a passing hanson.
''What is it all about, Reggy2
II ayn 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'll see her there.
AS his hanson drove off | looked
after mp bright, CHEEKY, lucky friend,
just entering life with a newly IN
herited fortune. Reggy Gardner was
a typical young Englishman--b broad
shouldered, sturdy, fair haired, gray
eyed and beaming with health.
Snakes, as [ suppose you know,
decline to accept food which they
have not killed themselves. The ser
peAt mind seems to obtain unmlxed
satisfaction from the terror of its
victims. Neither the anaconda nor
the common baa kills its ducks and
rabbits, doves and guineasPigs at
once.
They are like wicked lawyers who
keep their clients about them, pretend
ing that they never mean 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 ter
ror develop and grow into madness.
The melancholy cries of u couple OF
fowl could be heard in the serpent
house at thu Zoo. The crowd Of look
ers on were breathleSsly watching the
Tutoring OF dove which one of the
serpents had Just seized and the death
agonies of rabbit which the rattle
snake, polcd up by the keeper, had
kindly bitten. Pitiful tragedies
were being acted in every cage. On
the score of science people 60 on Fri,
day To see the reptiles fed. Professor
Huxley does not lecture in the snake
house or he would probably say some
bitter thinks TO the morbid audiences
which collect there. | was about to
seek the intellectual refuge of the lee
ture-room when the face o. woman
arrested my attention.
1t was cold, cruel, beautiful "oun-
tenance, classic in It's severity, wI,h
blue eyes and lips that had no red in
them. The nose came down in a
straight line from the low forehead,
and was chisled at tho nostrlls. The
mouth was rather contradiction to
the other part Of the face. II was
sensual, yet without touch of the
generosity that sometimes modifies
the sensual so much that we only call
il Sensuous. Madame's eyes were not
looking at me. They were fixed on
the anaconda, which had just uncurl-
ed itself, and was sliding toward q
couple Of fowls that were retreating
before it. Suddenly, from an expires
sion of intense expectation, the cold,
cruel face was lighted up 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 ran through me.
This is no place for ladies', | said
aloud to the keeper, that she might
hear me, but she continued an un-
restrained and active all y of the ser
pent, intent upon forcing the trag G
destiny of the imprisoned birds.
Then all of a sudden there was a
hurried movement of the snake, q
tlutter OF feathers, and an expiring
cry. The anaconda had begun TO
feed.
Madame gave little sigh of salts.
faction, and, casting a frigid glance
at me, moved away. Then | found
she was not alone. Her cavalier was
foreigner, who looked like faded
parsonage matriculating for Tussaud.
My thoughts, however, were not of
him, but of her, and as | strolled
home, wondering ut the combination
of angel and demon which is some
times found in female beauty. called
this lady "Adrastia, as the resem-
blance to an Indian picture of the god
dess flashed upon me. \ head full of
strange beauty, the halr cluster of
wrlthlng SerpsntS, face OF lovely
fOrbiddingness, with the agony of
the serpents tooth in it, and yet
about tho mouth the calm, cruel,
deathlike expression of n 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 recalling shadowy rem~
iniscence of it. Adrastia never looked
SO glad when the victims she slew
deserved the death it was her duty to
provide as did this lady in the London
snake house when the anaconda
swooped down upon its living food.
CytemneStra might have worn a
similar expression when she murder
ed Agamemnon; and yet | called the
woman of the Zoo Adrastia. And
gave her, in my imagination, fitting
head dress of snakes and serpents.