New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-14

The stranger folding up the placard. re-
placed Il In his pocket IT,, with auicS S,c moS De-
tached what had seemed to be the inner lining
OF his overcoat from the coat itseif-sp!ittlns
the garment. as It were and making II INTO
two. AS he did SO. there fell from all sizes
Of him another horde Of crawling creatures.
They dropped like Jumps OF jelly on 10 the MOOT.
and remained for some seconds q wrigenns
mass Then. like their forerunners, they began
to make ncursions toward all the points OF
the compass Mr.. Hewitt. already In con-
dition Of considerable agitation, stared at these
ungainly forms In a state . o. nina WHO"
More Of my pretty things, you perceive I'm
very fond Of reptiles. always have been.
Don't allow any Of them to touch you. Iney
might do you an injury Reptiles sometimes
do" He turned little away from MI. Howit':
II heard some particulars OF this anair At
Exeter. 1t seems that these two men, holt ano
Colston were not only partners In the pro-
fession Of law. they were also partners III
the profession Of swindling. Tnorougnpaceo
rogues, both OF them. Unfortunately, there Is
not a doubt Of 1t. But 1t appearS that the man
Rolf was not only false to the world at large.
ne was false even to his partner Don't you
think. Mr. Hewitt, that 1t Is odd that ma"
should be false to his partnerE
The inquiry was unheeded. Mr.. HOW'LL was
gazing at the crawling creatures which seemed
to be clustering about his chair. 49,. ,.u,
Ring the bell" he gasped. King the oen'
Have them taken away. 49,,
Have what taken away? My pretty play
things? My dear sir. to touch them woulo pe
move from your seat, think may guarantee
that you will be safe. You did not notice my y
question. Don't you think 1t oad 'na' d "'a"
should be false to his partner!
The stranger eyed the other intently. There
was something In Mr. Howtts demeanor
81 thought YOU would think that it was odd:
II apnears that one night the two men agreed
that they would divide the Spots; Iney PR, ,,
ceeded to do SO then and there. Cois.o", WIZ" .n's
Of ox,tl seated
making up partnership account. Roit, steai-
ing up behind him. stupefied him with cnioro-
FORM
, ut wasn't chloroform."
Not chloroform? May ask how you know
II guessed It. 49,,
Rather a curious subject on whicn 10 nazaro
a guess for a stranger. don't you think 30 |.
was not choioform Whatever it Was It stupe-
fed Colston. Rolf: when he perceived Cois'oh
was senseIess produced a knife-like THIS
The stranger iourished in the air a big steer
blade, which was shaped like hunting -kniie
AS he did 80. throwing his overcoat from MN
on 10 the floor he turned right round toward
Mr.. Hewitt Mr.. Hewitt stared at him. voice
less II was not much at the sumcientiy
ugly weapon he was holding In MS mana az
which he stared as at the man nimsen. ne
stranger indeed presented an extraordinary
spectacle The upper portion OF his BODY was
enveoped in some sort OF oiiskinMsuch as
sailors wear IN dirty weather. ms oilshn ~as
inflated to such an extent that the upper half
OF him resembled nothing so much as huge.
ill-shaped bladder. That 1t was inflated was
evident with something. too. that was conspiSS
,,ousy alive The oilskin writhed ana twisteu'
surged and heaved. In fashion that was any
thing but pleasant to behold
You look at me. Seeshere.
The stranger dashed the knife he held INTO
his own breast. or he seemed to- He cut the
oilskn open from top to bottom. And there
gushed forth. not his hearts blood out an
amazing mass OF Kissing, Struggling tw'S.i"s
serpents They fell. all sorts and sizes. IN
confused. furious frenzed heap, upon the moor.
In a moment the room seemed 10 be awe Win
snakes They dashed hither and thither, IN
and out. round and round IN search el.hea ~, "
refuge or revenge. And. as the snakes came
on the efts, the nevis, the lZards ana the
other creeping things, In their desire 70 escape
them. crawed up the curtains. ana the ooors'
and the walls. . -,
Mr. Hewitt gave utterance to sort OF
strangled exclamation. He retained sCncie En-,
presence OF mind TO spring upon the sea. Vi mis
chair and to sit upon the back OF IL. me
stranger remained standing. apparently wnciiy
unmoved In the midst OF the seeming patoe-
monlum OF creepy things -
DO YOU not like snakes. Mr.. Hewitt! 90:
They appeal to me strongly This Is part OF
my collection. / rather pride myself on tne IN
genuity OF the contrivance which enables me 10
carry my pets about with me, Wherever
I NAV go At the same time. you are wise IN
removing your feet from the floor. Not all OF
them are poisonous. Possibly. the more poison
ones may not be able 10 rTach you VIZ e'
tended IL toward Mr.. Hewitt This Is the knife
u,,th which when he had stupefed him. Andrew
Rolf slashed Douglas Colston ABOUT the heao anu
face and throat. like this
The removal Of his ovcrcoat, and still more.
the vomiting forth OF the nest OF serpehts mao
decreased the strangers ouiK oy more tnai
one-half Disembarrassing himself or the rem
nants of his oilskns. he removed his SOIL feIt
hat and. tearing of his huge black beard. stood
revealed as a tall. outstanding muscularly punt
man whose head and face. and neck were al
most entirely concealed By strips OF plaster:
which crossed and recrossed each other In all
possible and impossible directors
There was silence. The two men stared AT
each other. With gasp Mr. Hewitt found
his voice.
Douglas
Andrew"
IL thought you were dead
81 am risen from the grave
Il am glad you are not dead.
Why" III.
Mr.. Hewitt paused as II 10 moisteh n's
II never meant to kill you
I'm that case. Andrew. your meaning was
unfortunate. | do mean to XIII you-no"'
Don't kill me. Douglas
"A reason. Andrew"
"If you knew what have suffered since l
thought had killed you. you would NOT Wish 10
take upon yourself the burden which nave
had To bear 49,. -
MY nerves. Andrew are stronger than yours
What would crush you to the ground would not
weigh on me at all Surely you knew that
before" Mr.. Hewitt hdgeted on the back or
his chair 1T was not that you did not mean
mo like some frenzied cur. Then. afraid OF
your handiwork. you ran TO save your SKIN
You dared not walt to see II what you mad
meant to do was done. Why. Andrew as soon
as the effects OF your drug had gone SAT up
l heard you running down the stairs l saw
your knife lying at my side all stained with my
own biood-see Andrew, the stains are on 1t
still! | even picked up this scrap OF paper
which had fallen from your pocket on to the
floor" a.
He held out piece OF paper toward Mr.
Hewitt
at Is the advertisement OF an hotel-Hotel de
la Couronne dor. St Heliers. Jersey. l said
TO myself | wonder II that Is where Andrew Is
gone ! will go and see And II find him. !
will kill him. l have found you, and oehoId
your heart has so melted within you that
already you feel something of the panss OF
death"
Mr. Hewitt did seem to be more dead than
alive. His face was bloodless He was SILVER
ing as II with cold
"These melodramatic and indeed slightly
absurd details"-the stranger waved his hand
toward the efts and nevis, and snakes, and