The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-11
Ghs gntetIigettfer,
oaissi so.. % aud ~ ToaFieoaia s7ssl.
TlE RRPTILR GERANIUAI.
A Shiny Horror of tbs Vegetable Worl
HidsouS and RSpulAlys.

AilaHta Contribution
"a snake geTaniump
ayes, that is what ! call II" said III
doctor,
/ stooped down to examine the aowel
Hidsous, repulsiye, and yet strangely a
tIsCtiYe, the snake geranium seemed I
hold me under q spell.
= To detcElbe this tlower one would hay
10 paint life and motion. Mere color
not enough. AS Looked the evil thin
elsred al me with sinister intelligence
There was nothing remarkable about th
stalk aud the leaves OF the plant. Th
blossom was what Tiyeted my gass. Black
Sinuous, aud alimy, 1t looked NOR
like % snake than anything else, As
changed my point oil view the thin
Ousnged ils aspect. LIS scales were a pnI
pliSh black, then dirty brown. Two lit
lie CLASSY beada glitteTed in tle monster
head with prismatic hues, and looket
straight into my eyes, Was mistaken
could have sworn that this awesolnI
bloom turned and twisted with the IN
canny frsakishnsss Of reptile.
you know something Of botany" salt
the doctor, Show do yon classify itT
ut 10 not to be classiisd," l answered
ut is o monstToslty, There Is nothinG
like 1t, Isl poisonous| -,
II think 81" was the reply, 1.-THE old
African who found 1t called It q 'p!zsr
plant, but renamed It,"
had seen nearly everything worth
seeing in the floral world, but this sinGu
lar plant blooming unnotlcsd in an OBJ
sCure corner Of U country doctors garden
AmRZsd me beyond expression.
From the frst the blUkening odor Of the
flower has been terribly oppressive, In
fact, II had prevented u close examina'
ton. Suddenly my brain seemed be-
numbsd, cold chill seized me, and, With
q lace Of deathly pallor, reeled and would
have fallen TO the ground but for the doc
tors strong arm.
/ was half siCk, or rather In q dazsd,
halfstupefsd state, for days after my re-.
turn to town. One evening negro called
ut my house with note from my friend,
the doctor, and covered basket. The
messenger was gone before | could read
the mole. ! glanced AZ tho paper and
then opened the basket. / did not know
whether to laugh or DO angry. Comfort
ably fixed in a big jar, the snake Rerna-
mum gave q tllrty tHist and snapped Ito
wicked ey's in my face
10 have this floral horror In my house
was out Of the question, and yet l wac
proud Of tho monster. ! made servant
carry II TO o sunny nook In the back yard.
She returned with chattering teeth.
"De lawd hab mussy" she exclaimed,
"dat tlng'g alive. Hlt'll bite, Bho's yer
bawn!p
/ did not contradict her. In fact, /
agreed with her.
Sometimes l carried my friends to see
my pet. I invariably had the satisfaction
Of hearing them swear, and generally l
had To send them home In q carriage. One
Whit Of the snake geranlum was enough
to make total'wreCk Of the strongest
man.
A little girl living next door took won.
deriul fancy TO the flower. Frequently
she came over when was absent and
spent IN hour at a time iOndIing the plant
and looking at II. OF all the persons who
saw It she was the only one not affected
by Its peculiar odor. Sometimes ] fell
into deep study over the mutual attach.
ment existing between my monster and
the girl. call 1t mutual because 1t was
impossible to view my snake geranlum
without giving 1t credit for lie and intel
IVerce. The girl was queer little Crea.
ture, with midnight hair and yslvety
evea. She had . certain implsh beauty
thBt made me shudder. Between the girl
and the gerapium l came near being
deviled to death.
As the weeks passed on the Nrl Gontin-
ued her visits. She grew thinner ami
paler, and her eyes grew larger and black
or, More than once overheard the Ger.
wants whispering that the snake g0ranium
was killing the child. This alarmed me,
and one day l told my young nelRhbor
that the plant waa poisonous and that she
must not 20 near It. She rather shrank
from he, and with sorrowtul look sped
homeTatd without saying q word.
/ came home Unexpectedly one day,
and found the girl paying q sprrepti!ious
yipit to the flSer. ! Wept to her full Of
wrath, but was disarmed by what saw,
The poor thing had tainted, and wrig
cling ard EQuiIming over the side oil tho
Ter, within a few inches OF the girls face,
Eab tire giabCNcal gerauium!
/ took my visiipE hone and told her
mother all about 1t. Wsspoke With Eome
severity to the little offender, but We
thought 1t Wss for her good. 1never once
thought OK deStroyiug my monDter,
No words can express the horror ] felt
the next merninH when heard that my
Virl neighbor was dead, She had been
found lifeless and cold in bed at an early
hour Her appearance, was told, wa
khat Of person who had been poisoned.
On the PILLOW WIS o slimy mark that re-
gembled q seIpept'B tai.
When | heard this rushed trantlcslly
out 10 the corner containing MY geranlum.
One Of the servants OWNED my propose
and followed me. In The jarwe saw the
stalk Of the plant with few leaves at
tsChed 10 1t, but The horrible blossom,
where was II
The snake geranipn was gone. could
not utter 0 word. had no inquiries to
make, and wanted TO hear no explains.
tons, ran back TO the house, but
heard the old negro cry out:
Wits gonel Hit done Crawled obsr In
| to de neg yard, ! see hits track"
@~z~SeS4gssz==
| A Mop,s MAD FURY AT A WOMAN
Made Madrn tho Street, They Torture lIei
and Coffin Her Alive.