Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-01-30

She went directly to Melton door,
opened it and entered perhaps two feet
ahead Of me.
was so surprised at her strange
manner that |, naturally, went in after
her She walked calmly toward the
great diyan in the corner, stopped an
instant. then stopped and picked up the
violin and bow that lay on the floor.
AS she stopped l looked beyond her
and saw what her figure had hitherto
hidden. and at the sight my heart
seemed for one instant to stand still,
then thump my ribs with shock that
made NE Sta2ger.
On the couch, propped by pillows, sat
Melton, stiff, rigid, his eyes glazed
and staring, and round him coiled and
slowly tightening and crushing him
was Buz. the baby boa. Even as l
looked the brute's head went gliding
round the mans throat for last final
grip, and the man sat inert, uncon-
scious of his terrible danger. | gave
one wild gasp, then sprang to chair,
tore down an old sword and started
toward them, but with fierce gesture
Bessie waved me back, and the next
instant drew the bow across the fiddle.
God: Was l mad? This child who
could not play a note seemed 70 draw
the very soul out of the old fiddle,
and. swaying from side to side, as l
had seen Melton do, she moved before
the serpent.
And that horrible brute paused,
seemingly puzzled, while watched be-
hind her in state Of excitement i'm
possible to analyze, though | recognized
even at that moment that had l at
tackled the reptile could not have got
a chance at him without risking Mel
toms life, not only with the sword, but
Nv rolsing the snake Well, that glrl
PLAYED Oh and on; the same wild, dlrge
music that Melton used to improvlse,
throbbed through the air, and her slen-
der body vibrated with it as she sWayed
hack and forth. The head Of The
snake was protruding from the under
side Of MellOn's jaw, It's attention d.
verted from its prey to that slight,
sWaylng figure. 1t seemed like eter-
nifty while the brute poised motioniess
So; then slowly he began to unloose
those terrible coils. First there ran a
sinuous, undulating motion all through
the glittering body, then fold after fold
and from this fixed base the great
brutes body curled gracefully out to-
ward the music. Dut the man sat as
stiff and rigid as ever, though he was
practically free.
AS / saw the snakes ugly, stealthy
head drawing slowly toward the girl
| cautiously slipped past her, glancing
at her, to let her know my purpose
as | did so; but she never even saw
me; her eyes were just like Melton S,
fixed and staring, while her face was
drawn and CHASTITY. | sided along,
well out of reach of Mater Buz, who,
however, was far too intent with Bes-
sic to notict me; then when | was
well behind him I measured my dis
lance, raised the sword and-swlsh!-
Buz's head few clean across the stu
dio. hit the wall with soft bash, and
! fell to the floor with a hop. | never
did like that brute since | met him on
the stairs. Well, we were quits now,
anyway. The body gave one Or two
conyulsive wriggles, then the fiddle
gave several screeches of the most vii
famous discord | ever heard, and the
, next moment Bessie was On her knees
at Melton's side. Arthur, sweetheart,
wako up! Oh, God, Arthur" Then
slowly, as is in answer to the call OF
, love, Ne ton came back with shud-
| dering sigh from-where?
Well. it was very interesting, and
I stood staring with my mouth rather
more open than intelligence warrants
! the dead snake in one hand and the
sword in the other-until | became
conscious that-well, really, perhaps |
! was rather de trop; so l sneaked out
1 on tiptoe and shut the door.
They are married now, and appar-
entity Melton has reformed; anyway,
; the snake habit is over, and they live
| in a little fat up Harlem way. As to
exactly what happened that afternoon,
nobody really knows, and l doubt if
anybody ever will Melton declares
that all he remembers was sitting on
The divan and fddliry to the late
"Ruz," WHO was poison in front Of
him: he recollects thinking vaguely
how bright the brute's eyes We're, and
how steadily they looked into his.
AS for Bessie. she declares she fell
asleep while posing for me, and did the
flddling in a dream. SO, as far as l
can see, it seems to have been case
OF love and hypnotism all around.