The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-12-23
THE BLUE DRYAD. (!
By G. H. poue11.
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CTOFFLES was her name, familiar
y .abbreviation, and Mephistophelean
was her nature. She had all the usual
vices Of the feline tribe, including
double portion of those which men are
20 fond of describing as feminine. Vain,
indolent, selfish, with highly-culti-
vated taste for luxury and neatness in
her personal appearance, she was dis
tinguished by all those little irritat-
ing habits and traits for which nothing
but an effeminate heart--a thing in
Aher case conspicuous by it's absence
can atone.
We live in comfortable. old-fash-
ioned house facing the highroad. Isay
we, but in fact for some months had
been alone. and my husband had just
returned from one of his sporting and
scientific expeditions in South Amer
lea. He had already won fame as a
naturalist. and had succeeded in bring
ing home alive quite a variety of beasts,
usually of the reptile order whose ex-
treme rarity seemed to me merciful
provision of nature. But all his pre-
vious triumphs were completely
cclipsed. soon learned. by the capture
alive. on this last expedition, of an
1abominably poisonous snake, known to
those who knew it as the blue dryad,
or more Familiarity, in backwoods slang,
as the "half-hour striker" in vague ref
erence to its malignant and fatal quail
tiles
Being in extremely delicate health at
the time, need hardly say that knew
(,nothing Of these grewsome details un-
til afterward. Henry (that is my hus-
band) after entering my room with
robust and sunburned appearance that
did my heart good, merely Observed
as soon as we had exchanged greeting
that he had brought home q pretty
snake which wouldn't do the slightest
harm"-an evasive assurance which lac
cepted as became q nervous wife of an
enthusiastic naturalist. believe ]
insisted on its not coming into the
house. Fortunately the weather was
very hot, SO it was decided that the
blue dryad. wrapped in flannel and
securely confined in basket, should be
left in the sun and the furthest cor
ner of the veranda, during the hour or
30 in the afternoon when my husband
had to visit the town on business.
He had gone off with cousin Of
mine. an officer of engineers in India,
stationed. think. at Lahore, and home
on leave. remember that they were a
long time. or what seemed to me a
long time, over their luncheon; and
the last remark of our guest as he came
out of the dining-room remained in
my head as even meaningless words
will run in the head of an idle invalid
shut up for the most part Of the day
in q silent room. What he said was,
in the positive tone Of one emphasizing
curious and surprising statement:
"D'you know, by the way, it's the one
animal that doesn't care a rap for the
cobra" And then. my husband SEEM
ing to express disbelief and desire to
II change the-subject as they entered my
boudoir; ats a holy fact! Goes for it,
so smartl Has the beggar on toast be-
fore you can say Jack Robinson!"
The observation did not interest me,
but simply ran in my head. Then they
came into my room. and only for few
moments. as was not to be tired. The
engineer tried to amuse Stoffles, who
was seized with. such a fit of mortal bore
dom that he transferred his attentions
to Ruby. the Gordon setter. devoted
and inseparable friend of mine. under
whose charge I was shortly left as
they went out.
suppose may have been asleep for
ten minutes or so when I was awak-
ened by the noise of Ruby's heavy body
jumping out through the open win
dow. Feeling restless and seeing me
asleep, he had imagined himself en-
titled to short spell of guard. Had
the door not been ostensibly latched he
would have made his way out by 1t,
being thoroughly used to open doors
fact, proved fatal to him. That it was.
unlatched. saw in a few moments,
for the dog on his return forced It
open with push and trotted up in
disturbed manner to my bedside.
noticed tiny spotof blood on the black
side of his nose, and naturally supposed
be had scratched himself against
bush or piece Of wire. "Ruby," said.
st"what have you been doing?" Then he
whined as If in pain. crouching close to
my side. and shaking in every limb.
I should say that was myself lying
with shawl over my feet on a deep
sofa with a high back turned to
look at Stoff]es. who was slowly peram-
bulating the room, looking for flies and
other insects-her favorite amusement
Ion the wainscot. When / glanced
again at the dog. his appearance filled
me with horror: he was standing, OBJ
viously from pain. swaying from side to
side and breathing hard. AS watched,
his body grew more and more rigid.
With his eyes fixed on the half-open
door. he drew back as II from the ap-
proach of some dreaded object. raised
his head with pitiful attempt at a bark.
which broke of into stifed howl,