Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-08


 ken, and from this circumstance Otter judged that, although it was the custom of this dreadful reptile to crush the life out of all who were thrown to it with bite of its fangs, yet like that of other an imals, his appetite was limited, and it was only occasionally that he consumed what he had killed.
 The sight of these remains were so un- pleasant and suggestive that even Otter, who certainly could not be called squeam- fish, hastened to descend the rock. As he passed round it his attention was attract ed by the skeleton of n man who, from va rious indications, must have been alive within the last few weeks. It was clad in priests cloak, of which Otter, who was trembling with cold, hastened to possess himself. AS he picked up the robe with one hand he observed beneath it a bag of tanned OK hide that doubtless had once been carried by the owner of the cloak.
 "Perhaps he had food in this, thought Otter, though what he who comes to visit the water dweller should want with food I cannot guess. At the least it will be bad by now, so will leave it and be gone Only a vulture could stay for long in this house of the dead. Then he start ed forward.
 For few yards more he had light to guide his steps, but very soon tho dark ness became complete. Still the cave was not difficult to travel, for everywhere the rock was smooth and the water shallow. All that he needed to do was to walk straight on, keeping touch of the side of the tunnel with one hand. Indeed he had but two things to fear-that he should fall into some pit, and that he might suddenly encounter another crocodile, flor doubt less,' thought Otter, ''the devil was mar ried.'
 But he fell into no hole and saw no crocodile, for, as it chanced, the water dweller of the People of the Mist was a bachelor
 When the dwarf had travelled up steep slope for rather moro than half an hour, to his intense joy he saw light before him and hurried toward it. Presently he reach ed the farther mouth of the cavern that was almost closed by blocks of ice, among which little water trickled. Creeping through an aperture, he found himself upon the crest of the impossible precipice at the back of the city, and that before him a vast glacier of green ice stretched upward on which tho sun shone glo- riously.
 Expressed His Regrets. A funny story of modest man is told by Mir Aubrey de We're in The Century Magazine.
 After 50 years seclusion within the walls of his college certain venerable fellow of Cambridge university thought it was time for him to sec little of the world, and he accepted an invitation from an early pupil who was entertain ing large party in Q great country house.
 At dinner he sat next to the young lady of the house. Their conversation fell upon baths, and she happened to mention that she took shower bath every morning to invigorate her sys- tenn, adding, hen he inquired what a shower bath was, that it resembled a very small round room; that the bather took his or her stand in the center of it, and upon pulling a string was drenched by sudden flood of water from above Next morning he rose at his usual hour-6 o'clock-and being of an in | quisitiye temper thought it well to ex- plore carefully what he had never seen before, large country house. On pulling open door he found him. self at the entrance of very small cir iI1ICIils OIIS OL tLOSS HI W IAIlA housemaids store away old brushes and household articles past their work. In the center of it stood plaster cast of the Venus of Medici
 The venerable man recoiled, closed the door and walked in the park till summoned by the breakfast bell. He took his seat, and his host asked wheth- CT he would have tea or coffee.
 But he had reflected on what good manners imperatively required, and his | answer was:
 My lord, can neither partake of tea nor coffee nor any other reflection until have first rendered my humblest 1 apologies to the interesting young lady whom I now see dispensing the choco- late and on whose sanitary ablutions this morning as she stood in her shower bath was so unfortunate as unwilling | ly to intrude. |"