Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-01-12

~
}S II M feline tribe, in.
A,NySSy. bIMA cluding double
w MgMy portion of those
%$>-Elzzw which men are so
- fond of describing
as feminine. Vain, indolent, selfish,
with highly cultivated taste for lux
ury and neatness in her personal ap-
pearance, she was distinguished by all
those little irritating habits and traits
for which nothing but an affectionate
heart-a thing conspicuous by its ab-
sence-can atone.
We live in comfortable old fash
ioned house facing the highroad. |
say 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
America. He had already won fame
as naturalist, and had succeeded in
bringing home alive quite variety of
beasts, usually of the reptile order,
whose extreme rarity seemed to be a
merciful provision of nature. But all
his previous triumphs were complete
~ eclipsed, I soon learned, by the
capture alive, on this last expedition,
of an abominably poisonous snake,
known to those who knew it as the
Blue Dryad, or more familiarly, in
backwoods slang, as the s'half-hour
striker" in vague reference to its
malignant and fatal qualities. This
precious reptile was destined for the
Geological Gardens.
Being in extremely delicate health
at the time, need hardly say that I
knew nothing of these grewsome de-
tails until afterward, Henry (that is
my husband), after entering my room
with robust and sunburned appear
ance that did my heart good, merely
observeil-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 I accepted as became the ner-
.vous wife of an enthusiastic naturalist.
I believe I insisted on its not coming
into tho house. Fortunately the
weather vas very hot, so that it was
decided that the Blue Dryad, wrapped
in flannel and securely confined in o
basket, should be left in the sun and
the farthest corner of the veranda, dur
ing the hour or so 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, I think, at Lahore, and
home on leave. I remember that they
were long time, or what seemed to
me long time, over their luncheon;
and the last remark of our guest rs he
came out of the dining-room remained
in my head as even meaningless words
will run in the head of any idle in
valid shut up for the most of the day
in silent room. What he said wa,
in the positive tone of one emphasiz-
ing curious aud surprising statement,
"D'you know, by the way, it's the Ie
animal that doesn't care rap for the
cobra" And, my husband seeming
ito express disbelief and desire to
Ichange the subject as they entered my
boudoir, "It's holy fact! Goes for
it, so smart! Has the beggar on toast
before you can say Jack Robinsonr"
The observation did not interest me,
but simply ran in my head. Then
they came into my room, only for o
few moments, as I was not to be tired.
The engineer tried to emuse Stotnes,
who was seized with such fit of NOR
ital boredom that he transferred his at
itentions to Ruby, the Gordon setter,
% devoted and inseparable friend of
mine, under whose charge Twas short
ly left as hey went out.
I suppose I may have been asleep
for ten minutes or so when I was
awakened by the noise of Ruby's
heavy body jumping out through the
open window. Feeling restless and
seeing me asleep, he had imagined
himself entitled to O short spell off
guard. Had the door not been osten-
sibly latched he would have made his
way ont by it, being thoroughly used
to open doors and such tricks-a ca
pacity which, in fact, proved fatal to
him. That it was unlatched I saw in
q few moments. for the dog on his re-
] turn forced it open with push and
trotted up in disturbed manner to
my bedside. I noticed tiny spot of
blood on the black side of his nose,
and naturally supposed he had
scratched himself against bush or a
piece of wire. "Ruby, said, 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 I was myself lying
with o shawl over my feet on deep
sofa with high back. turned to
look at Stoffles, who was slowly per-
ambulating the room, looking
for flies and other insects-her
favorite amusement on the
wainscot. When I glanced again at
the dog, his appearance filed me with
horror; he was standing, obviously
from pain, swaying from side to side
aad breathing hard. AS l watched,
his body grew more and more rigid.
With his eyes fixed on the half-open
door, he drew back as if from the ap-
proach of some dreaded object, raised
his head with pitiful attempt at
bark, which broke off iuto stided
howl, rolled over sideways suddenly,
and lay dead. The horrid stiffness of
tn. body, almost resembling q stuffed
creature overset, made me believe that
he had died rs he stood, close to my
side, perhaps meaning to defend me.