The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-11-30

NTOFFLES was her name, familiar
y abbreviation, and Mephistophelean
vas her nature. She had all the usual
vices of the feline tribe. including
double portion of those which men are
so fond of describing as feminine. Vain,
:ndolent, selfish, with highly-cultl-
yated taste for luxury and reafness IN
her personal appearance, she was dis
tinguished by all those little irrltat-
ing habits and traits for which nothing
but an effeminate heart-a thing IN
her case conspicuous by its absence
can atone.
We live in comfortable, old-fash-
ioned house facing the highroad. 1say
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
ica. He had already won fame as
naturalist. and had succeeded in bring
ing home alive quite variety OF beasts
usually of the reptile order, whose eX-
IRENE rarity seemed to me mercltul
provision of nature. But all his pre-
yious triumphs were completely
cclipsed. 1 soon learned. by the capture
alive. on this last expedition. OF an
abo1ninablv poisonous snake. known to
those who knew it as the blue dryad,
or more faniliarly. in bacEwoods slang,
as the "half-hour striker" in vague ref
e-ence 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 aftcrward. Henry Chat is my hus-
band) after entering my room with
robust aud sunourned appearance that
did NV heart good merely Observed
as soon as we had exchanged greeting
that he had brought home pretty
snake which wouldn't do the slightest
harm''-an evasive assurance which lac
ccpted as became nervous wife OF an
enthusiastic naturalist believe I
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 furthcst cor
rer of the veranda, during 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, think, at Lahore. and home
on leave. remember that they were q
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
nv head as even meaningless words
will run in the head of All idle Invalid
shut up for the most part Of the day
in a 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 rap for the
cobra?'' And then, my husband seem
ing to express disbelief and a desire tc
change the subject as they entered my
boudoir; Its a holy fact! Goes for it.
so smart! 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 fe"
moments, as was not to be tired. The
engineer tried to amnse Stofles, who
was seized with such a fit ofmcrtal bore
dom that he transferred his attentions
to Ruby, the Gordon setter, devoted
and inseparable friend of mine, under
whose charge was shortly left as
they went out.
1 suppose I may have been asleep for
ten minutes or so when l 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 a short spell off guard Had
the door not been ostensibly latched he
would have made his way out by it.
being thoroughly used to open doors
and such tricks-a capacity which, in
fact, proved fatal to him. That it was
rnlatched, I saw in few moments,
for the dog on his return forced 1t
open with push and trotted up in a
disturbed manner to my bedside. ]
noticed tiny spot of blood on the black
side OF his nose, and naturally supposed
he had scratched himself against a
bush or piece of wire. Ruby" I said,
what have you been doing?" Then he
whined as if in pain, crouching close to
my side, and shaking in every limb.
l should say that was myself lying
with a shawl over my feet on a deep
sofa with a high back. I turned to
look at Stofaes, who was slowly peram-
bu.ating 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, 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 if from the ap-
proach of some dreaded object, raised
his head with pitiful attempt alta bark,
which broke off into stihed howl,
rolled over sideways suddenly, and lay
dead. The horrid stiffness of the body,
almost resembling a stuffed creature
cverset. made me believe that he had
died as he stood, close to my side, per-
haps meaning to defend me. Unable
10 resist the unintelligible idea that
tic dog had been frightened to death, I
followed the direction of his last gaze,
AID at first saw nothing. The next mo-
1nent l observed round the corner of
the reranda door sE,all, dark. and
slender object, swaying gently up and
down like a dry bough in the wind,
It had passed right into the room with
he same slow regular motion before
realized what it was and what had
happened. My poor. stupid RUBY must
have nosed at the basket on the YER
anda till he succeeded somehow in open
mo If and heeD l,itte1, j., rcturn for.