The morning call., 1891-09-19
A SCARED BRIDEGROOM.
He Takes His Brides Hair for a
Snake and Frightens Her.

L
Hotel in Boston the other day, and the sub
ject of conversation for ten minutes had
been baked beans, says the St. Louis Globe
Democrat.
Speaking of snakes" said the man who
is now clerk of the city of New Orleans, Il
dc not believe any man ever had more
frightful experience than had the night
vas married.
married a New Orleans Creole, the
prettiest girl I'd ever seen, thought then,
and I've never changed my mind. She had
been brought up after the manner Of high
bredr Ceole girls, and when we were mar
ried had precious little more than a bow
ing acquaintance with her.
"She was just out of convent. too, and
scared 10 death of man and of me, II
seemed to me. in particular. To marry any
was bad enough; but to go away, as pro-
posed, up to my plantation, way up in the
back country, was worse yet
But she said she cared enough about me
even then, little as she grew me, to do IL,
and off we went. We drove up to the farm,
and though it was pleasant enough, before
We got up there | began to think myself
that perhaps it was mistake to take that
poor girl Off up there to that lonesome
place, where the servants all slept off down
at the quarters, Ind there wasn't another
house within miles.
''Now. whether Uncle Peters story was
true or not, L began to remember how he
had t0ld me the very last time was up
there of a pair of black snakes there were
around the place that everybody had seen,
but that no one had been able to attack.
had laughed at him at the time. but the
nearer got to the house the more thought
of it. aud TO wish l had not brought my
wife there.
I'VE had dinner alone together that night
for the first time, and | tried my best to
make the poor girl realize what nice fell
low was, but it was all in vain. There
was cloud over everything, ana 1 could see
hers big black eyes rolling bit toward me
and the darkening windows, and l knew the
child was growing more and more afraid
every minute.
Il tried to jest and laugh it Off 1t was
no use. Once she asked ME if l regretted
the step | had taken, and l could only
assure her | was the happiest man ON the
earth in half-hearted way that made me
hate myself.
'At last, after miserable evening spent
in a sort OF sicky attempt to teach my wife
some additions TO her stock of broken En-
glish, it came time for Us to retire. l had
eyed the corners and recesses of the crude
plantation house all the evening expecting
to see a pair of gliStening needle points and
the flash of forked tongue, so it was quite
as much for mental comfort as physical
that ] ordered fire in our room. Peter
hauled in a huge log and in half hour
there was blazing fire in the great open
fireplace.
"When came finally into the room after
a most unsatisfactory talk with Peter my
wife had already curled herself up in quiet
little bunch at the back of the big four
poster. Size lay there very quiet, but
could see narrow rim of light underneath
Dc md tal-
Ing me with her big black eyes and her little
rabbits heart humping all the time with
fear.
81 tptoed about as if / quite believed her
little play, and before l got into my place
beside her l believe l had scanned every
nook and corner of the room. Then | crept
in, still keeping up the little farce that she
was asleep, but keeping one eye on her and
one upon the tllckering shadows on the
floor.
For five minutes l lay and hardly
breathed. l looked toward my wife. |
could see the glistening drops on her lashes,
and the poor child was saying her pray
ers, slipping the beads of pearl and tur-
qunise rosary through her white fingers.
Five minutes mere and then the tired
one really slept the sleep she so brayely
simulated. | could hear her gentle breath
ing. soft as a kittens before 1t had learned
to purr. l looked toward her. Her beauty
charmed me, and for moment l forgot all
that had feared for her. She smiled lit
tie in her sleep and murmured something
which [ bent forward to catch.
my heavensl What did l see? Therel
There below her pillow, winding under the
sheet, touching almost the white neck!
There it was, that black shape that | had
dreaded SO.
"Oh, how l begged God to be good to me.
To save her the shock was now impossible.
But TO save her flom worse. All! there
must be some wayi
"Where was the monsters head? | could
not tell. 1t might be under my own pillow
il might be so close to her warm body that
the slightest movement on her part would
cause it to! Oh, mol no. that could not
be. | must take the chance and take it
quickly before she could wake and face her
death.
"Softly. softly. hair breadth by hair
breadth. l raised myself on my elbow. As
well as / could l freed myself from the COW
erings of the bed. Then | set my teeth, and
with one powerful twist grasped that black
horror between us and flung it as far as
could throw.
SAT my first movement my wife sprung to
her feet upon the bed, screaming with fright.
tried TO prevent her, but she flung herself
upon the floor, begging for mercy from God
and from me. l tried to put her on the bed,
but she only begged and pleaded the harder fol
life, calling upon her dear mother to witness
that here she was in the wilderness the vic
tim of strange man who was bound to mur-
der her. Ira sed my arms to place her on the
bed by force. Then nature helped me. With
last piteous cry the stream of broken En-
glish ceased she fell in my arms in dead
faint.
Il remember how thankful ! was as
| lifted her out OF harms way. None
too gently l threw her down-for
now was my time to II turned
again. l looked in fascinated hor.
rOr No wonder this poor little stranger
girl imagined | wanted to kill her. In the
midst of her sleep l had flung her out of
bed by such braid of long black hair as l
had never dreamed she possessed"