The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-07-10

crawls along, sighting its victim, be-
fore it makes the final spring. Fifty
no, a thousand-times | saw that close,
fiattened head rise, and the leer, awak-
ening TO brilliant distension, charm me
into death. l believe l must have nod
ded over then, for | slept.
was awakened by the clash of steel
Where was |? The room was quite dark,
save for one white band extending from
the portfolio window. A very silent
band. And extending yet toward me.
sprang.
Great God in heaven, the snake
There arc moments of your life that
are millennial. This side of the veil
that fences in time from the eternities
the breath of all the bloom inside there
can crowd itself into 60 heart beat pet
ais and flower into one lilied moment
And the livid, acrid breath, sweating
from those old death sword disks that
defend Eden, can blow into your face
in one moment, too n vapor damper
than Dante. And yet you live.
lived after that crawling, wet mo-
ment, when something brushed against
my arm. Was it the ships evening sig
nal that had awakened one? No.
sprang and stared into that white
band unfolding before me. Unfolding,
though, like scrolls of angels from heav-
en-, not earth. My stateroom was in
full moonlight. 1t must have been s
O'Clock, night, that struck. | had slept
all day.
What was that which had touched
my arm? l stared out into that white
band Of moonlight across my room. BY
George, there was something unearthly,
but most divine, in the onhowing light,
a message from heaven too full of white
blessedness to close Its doors quite upon
the upreaching Threats of poor, dark hui
mainly. l kept staring out into that
moonbeam and listening.
"Well, old fellowl Good for you"
Caithness' jolly voice rolled in. 'Pon
my word, IL voice has an atmosphere.
you've been at it all day, torporesque
too. Where's the girdle?"
"Was it you who brushed my arm?"
/ said, going cautiously toward the
portfolio corner.
"No. / haven't been here before for
an hour. Schmalenstopfer and decided
to let you go it, Yes, the internal liv-
ing is all right
A sharp click, as of the cooking Of a
pistol, interrupted his words. The sweat
broke upon my forehead. Ye gods be
praisedl An undertook that we had not
noticed in the belt had Jared and shak-
en-, too, with the tread of the glorious
South Staffordshire across the room,
and the creature within was for the
time prisoner. But Caithness and 1
gave one another one look, for we knew
that the snake had moved inside that
girdle.
"Are you going to be on picket duty
much longer?" says Caithness. "Dil-
Ions, what are you up to? You haven't
had a bite. The 'Jemappes' has never
left her stateroom today. I've got to
leave you and your charge, old fellow.
I'm booked for poker with Cassner and
his crowd. hear we shall sight Malta
in couple of hours"
"I'll join you soon," l called back
hastily, my plan working at my very
soul "Had never left her stateroom to-
dayl" Was she alive? Iquickly got my
self together, presentable, and taking
the girdle under my overcoat, with a
horrible qualm, went on deck. The
moonlight had gone before me, though,
and lay, white splendor, on water and
sail. The crowd had not yet come up
from dinner, and the promenade deck
was deserted. No! Ha, way off toward
the stern of the ship 1.-the figure,
graceful still in its sad abandonment of
suffering, bent low in the black shadow
of the swinging, Tapping sail. 1t took
me second and quarter to reach her
side.
She heard my step and lifted upon
me white face like the flower Of a
moonlit field whose guests are the
ghosts of only yesterday. She read my
eyes. She stretched out to me her white,
trembling hands, but did not speak.
And then-the long, marble silence
and control shattered in the sweet,
white moonbeam that had brought some
one. Some one to her, her face bent up
ON her hands, and the angels and only
heard the dropping of woman's tears.
A woman's heart was made to hide
, naught save the heart of her lover in
her own and unsolder all his burdens
in that heat.
81 think you will let me help you."
I said, choking down mighty, big gulp
in my throat and getting misty around
my eyes, confound it, with my % feet
of shadow. 81 have the girdle." / sat
down beside her and told her all quick
ly. lifted the coat beneath whose folds
the hideous burden lay. But held back
her hand as she reached for that burden.
Jove, I'd have chaperoned 90 snakes to
have had the bliss of that one moment.
"You will give it to me-" she said,
reaching for the girdle.
"If you will tell me ALL If you will
give me your solemn oath that you will
mott She knew what ] could not say.
"The word of lady is enough. l be-
lieve you"
And she told me all. Born in India,
the daughter of a celebrated snake