The Van Buren press., 1896-03-14

[ Ia an actress. and a WAITE EfieflI 8f tllE
/ vpesterner. the recipient Of many gal
Iant attentions from him. and It may
/ be admitted not averse to those demon
strations of regard. Ordering the eah-
man to await his return the colonel
rang and was admitted. IN the actress
little paxloE he stood UP far Inspection
why. Col. jack. know you've been
UP to some mischief. What On earth
will people think If yoa come here 40
Iate9 Bar there. i know stop, don't
make any excuses. Y0u can stay half
an hour. then you must 60 for I've got
70 rehearse in the morning and don't
know my lines
The colonel sank into an easy chair.
waved his hard at the box and said.
Kate, maybe you'd like to look IN
side Thought I'd never get here with
1T. But perhaps I'd better take it
You naughty fellow! Now sit still
How DfeaH Of me to seoId You when you
never forget 10 bring ne something
nicel Let ae have THAT box this min
ute. colonelI''
The colonel edged toward the door,
sayines Kate. my dear you'd better
let me ont. It's deueed late and you
ran fast ns we'll open the package after
I've got away. Good-"
NO. Stree Don't know what's in
here? I'm going tc open it now now
and here. and gou can fill that vase with
water. know you've brought me
49,. tale r-..5u-f~s~s E..sl lsfrfe.a arad
beaming ON her caller she proceeded to
unite the hox. As she did so she chat
tered merTily, and finging the cover
into a corner a fair head bent low to
inhale the fragrance she foHdly ez-
peeted. but
eMeFsffal heavens, oucht' then
series Of stTrieks that brought terror to
the colonel and the cabman down be-
low. The unweIcorne reptile, box and
all, described a circle. and IN their
descent brought to the floor in frag-
ments q choice piece of Derby ware, a
birthday gift from the colonel. The
gator found temporary shelter under
the couch. The shriekiug actress ex-
ecuted an impromptu pas seul, and
with whirl Of skirts sought safety at
the other end of the fiat. Between her
sobs and means she managed to make
It warm for her frolicsome visitor.
you wretch! 7 hate youl Don't
come near mel Stop! II you leave
ehis room ri die. Don't dare to touch
me. Hold my hands. Cant you see I'm
going To faint2 Oh, where Is that
monster. know it's walking rigii. in
here. Don't, don't try to make any
apology. If you cared the least little
bit for me you'd go in and kill that
awful snake, or whatever it is"
The colonel vowed at once to put an
end to the cubs life. He started for the
dog. Another shrek, and two round
arms were around his aeek. The little
woman sobbed:
"Jaek. Jack, you mustn't go near it..
| saw those fearful fangs, and know
| 1t would poison you. Maybe I'm poison
ed, too. Call the police. Go upstairs
and awaken that maid. No, don't do
anything. just get me that brandy
/ and l-l-e=t NEE eryi"
The brandy and the colonel's feryent
assurance that all danger was mag
mary, that the alligator knew MN and
answered TO it's name, that it had been
raised with little children and was a
/ pet, and a few other white lies, brought
/ the hysterical woman back to her
senses. She afterward insisted that the
colonel hypnotized her. AT any rate,
he induced her to let him quarter that
hideot., creepy thing" as she called it,
| in the kitchen for the night. There
the colonel placed it in a washtub
| turned the water on so that ''the cussed
| little brute can take a BATH" be ex.
! planned, and after seeing that the col
ored maid was on hand to act as d fender
between alligator and actress, the col
onel drove away.
About noon on the following LAY, as
the colonel was watching the ticker In
/ the downtown office where he makes
his deals, two solemn-yisaged negroes,
cne bearing a basket, the other square,
| formal-looking note, entered. The col.
ored boys spotted their man. One
/ showed the note at him: the other GIN
eerly put the basket down, breathed
! frc#ty, moTed away, and said:
''Col. Jack, we's done 'xae'ly lis we'H
been tole by Miss Kate, shuah, sahi"
"Yes. sah," broke in the note bearer.
Miss Kate she's tole us JUS chase you
Whar We cid hear you was N nebber
to brung dat croccydile back no moh +"
Oats JUS so, said messenger No. /,
IN we's gwine git five plunks 4 we
don bring him up dere."
Then the colored boys, tipped by the
colonel told how the actress colored
maid, Sue. had gone into the kitchen at
daylight, found the gator peering at
her over the edge OF the tub, and fallen
on her knees praying for deliyerance
from the enemy of ''us bracl folks. ="
| They also related that the crawling
youngster, in some way, got out of the
fiat and crawled or slid or fell down
stairs. When the colored elevator boy.
Milton. discovered it, he sent Ihe ear
humming up to the roof, got out, went
down the back stairs, and alarmed all
the tenants by yelling: "Snakes n the
house. Snakes' Seen 'em myself" OF
course the pretty actress shouldered
the blame and bribed the janitor and
his assistant To hunt for the man who
had caused all the commotion and To
leave with him the Florida waif.
Two hours later colonel and alligator
were bound for suburb in Jersey
he found an old fellow whose family
consisted Of dogs and cats, and usually