The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-08-22

And Mr.. Pond did what he was sorry
for long after. He shook the child
angrily, and insisted upon descrip-
tion of the angel who was supplanting
father and mother in the heart of the
boy. But Davy would only sob and
say, as he had often done before, that
his angel was "boo'ful, an Davy loves
him."
1t was circus day in the new town
to which Davy's folks had moved, and
Mr.. Pond tried to interest the child in
the street parade, but his sick senses
were wholly inadequate to the task.
The disappointed man bore the little
white-robed form back from the low
window opening on the lawn, and laid
him on the pillow with sinking
heart. He knew now, what neither
doctor nor parson could have made
him believe, that the hours of the
boys life were numbered. If the
prancing horses, the gay bands of mu-
sic, the wonderful animals, could not
charm away his sickness, then moth
ing could help him, and the father
cursed, in the feeble fashion of impo-
tent humanity, the unknown evil that
was destroying his child.
While the child lay painting on his
pillow, there was lively scene under
the big circus tent where great many
things were going on at once. 1t is
only with one part of the circus that
hi opfn hoC 20 do nd hot L
as the side show. 1t was the tent of
the beautiful and renowned Nine.
Selika Houssan, the oriental snake
charmer. This lady was advertised in
mammoth posters as the Queen of
Snake Charmers, and she drew great
crowds, for this was really the part of
the show that answered fully to all its
advertised attractions. Nine. Hous-
san was young and beautiful, and
handled her snakes in the most fear
less and expert manner. She stood
within railing, and close to her was
glass case filed with baby snakes,
that looked like silver ropes as they
twinned about blanket in which they
were wrapped. She wore snakes on
her wrists, clasping them like brace
let's. Big boa-constrictors wreathed
themselves about her white neck and
shoulders. She would lift their fiat
heads, and they would dart their forked
tongues against her cheek, when she
said in her pretty voice, ''kiss me. "
Then she would lay them on the shelf
that ran outside of the railing, the
crowd would fall back in panic, but
the reptiles hung there slightly NOV
ing their protruding heads, but not
offering to slip away.
"Now," said the madame, taking out
of its box beautiful, brilliant striped
snake of the variety known to natural
lists as the "Colubres Eximius," or
house-snake, 81 show you my so uni
que pet, my beauty. lie loves me;
he knows what say. See. how smart
he is?--the nice fellowl"
Madame put the snake through his
PAGES, and he was indeed a pet and
prodigy. He saluted her with so many
varieties of Oriental kisses that the
young fellows wanted to strangle him.
Then he playfully bit her finger, and
Nun oCOAhCNy bulhCus
"Now you shall hear him sing"
said madame, and. at her prompting,
he gave little chirping sound that
answered very we'll for a song, and
was curiously sweet and fascinating.
"Now shall show you something
80 very strange, SO uncommon, said
the snake-charmer, and she tied a
piece of bright blue satin ribbon
around the arched neck of the dappled
snake. "You watch, you see. What
you call Transformation scene-so."
The ribbon turned from bright blue
to pale color. Soon it was intensely,
purely white.
"What does it?" yelled the crowd.
sit is-how you call it?--electric
snake.
Then to questions by the more curl
GUS of the crowd she informed them
glibly that the pet had come to them
when they were performing in Guiana;
that it was native of the Brazils, and
that its classic name was "Irigono-
cephalus mutus, and that the natives
of that part of the world regarded it
as sacred. All of which was a rodo-
montade oHt of madsme's textbook on
the education of snakes. But the peo-
pie swallowed it all and felt that they
were getting their moneys worth.
Next madame laid her pet on the
shelf while she turned the baby snakes
loose.
The crowd lost sight of the ribbon
decorated pet in the excitement of
seeing the new excitement, and so did
madame herself, and it was not until
she had finished her performance for
that time and reached out for the
pythoness and the anaconda, that she
missed it.
There was an instant clearing of the
place, people tumbled over each other
in their haste to get away, but never
again did the eyes of Madame Houssan
rest upon her so unique pet He
had vanished from her horizon forever.
The doctor, who had given Davy up,