Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1885-06-11
A London Mystery.
BY JOSEPH HArToN.


Gardens in lazy mood on Friday
afternoon to listen to lecture on
"Snakes."
Congratulate me, old chap T. ex-
claimed an impulsive voice at the
gate, ard I turned to find Reggy
Gardner at my elbow. cCan't stay
now-just off to the lawyers" he said
as he hailed a passing hanson.
What is it all about, Reggy p
Il am going to be married. She's
the loyliest woman in the world.
Come and lunch with me at the club
tomorrow and then go home to my
mothers-you'll see her there"
As the hanson drove off looked
after my bright, cherry, lucky young
friend, just entering life with newly
inherited fortune. Reggy Gardner
was typical young Englishman--
d-shouldered, sturdy, fair-haired,
grey-eyed and beaming with health.
~
/ was about to seek the intellectu-
al refuge Of the lecture,room when
the face Of q woman arreesed my at
tention.
It was q cold, cruel, beautiful coun-
tenance, classic in its severity, with
blue eyes and lips that had no red in
them. The nose came down in
straight line at the low forehead, and
was chiseled at the nostrils. The
mouth was rather a contradiction Of
the other part of the face. II was
sensual, yet without a touch of the
generosity that sometimes modifies
the sensual 80 much that we only call
it sensuous. They were fixed on the
anaconda, which had just uncurled
itself, and which was crawling to-
ward couple Of fowls that were re-
treating before it. Suddenly from an
expression Of intense expectation, the
cold, cruel face was lighted up with
anger. The next moment fan was
dashed against the glass to urge the
birds into the jaws Of the serpent.
Madame was tired 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 unre-
strained and active ally Of the SER
pent, intent upon forcing the tragic
destiny Of the imprisoned birds.
Then all Of a sudden there was a
hurried movement of the snake, a
hutter Of feathers and an expiring
cry. The anaconda had begun TO
feed.
Madame gave little sigh of salts
faction, and casting frigid glance
at me moved away. Then / found
she was not alone. Her cavalier was
3 foreigner, who looked like a faded
parsonage matriculating for Taussaud.
Ny thoughts, however, were not Of
him but of her, and as | strolled home
wondering at the combination Of an
gel and demon which is sometimes
found in female beauty, / called this
lady "Adrastia." as the resemblance
to an Italian picture Of the goddess
flashed upon me. A head full Of
strange beauty, the hair a cluster Of
writhing serpents, face Of lovely for
biddingness, with the agony of the
serpent's tooth in it, and yet about
the mouth the calm, cruel, death-like
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
recalling shadowy "reminiscences of it.
Adrastia never looked 50 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. olytem-
nestra might have worn a similar ex-
preston when she murdered Aga