Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-30


New York there is sandwiched a tall
narrow old building; so narrow is the
entrance that the staircase had TO be cut
down to half its width when business
enterprise decided the owner to invest
in an elevator. Branching off from the
sage, which connects the front building
with an extension at the back; and up
on the top floor of this extension is a
nest of studios, always occupied and con-
servatively guarded by a batch of ar
lists. It's a well-known place to the
cult and the rooms are pleasant memo
ries to more than one man who has be-
come famous. The crowd up there are
always jolly, rarely successful and gene
rally poor. The conveniences are pri-
mitive where they exist at all and con-
SeQuently the rents are in a state of
steady decline.
The lower floors of this extension are
generally occupied by tailors, button
makers, trimmers and folk of that ilk,
who rarely stay long owing to the IN
ceasing attentions of the BohemianS
above These attentions are sometimes
resented and a fight ensues-generally
to the detriment of the tailors-and
livens things UP bit in the quiet old
rookery Occasionally the landlord pro-
tests on one preteXt or another, but the
men are clannish and he is meek and
usually yields with what grace he can.
Into this atmosphere of poor art and
worse tobacco I in turn came to take up
my abode and met with an incident of
such weirdness that had ] not been
somewhat prepared for its occurrence by
a series Of startling though less impor-
tant events, ! would have doubted my
absolute sanity. Even the greatest
catastrophy, however, loss its force to
shock US If we have been in the secret,
as it were. Following on from cause to
effect, any way, here's the story;
Returning to my den the night fol-
lowing my instalrnent, | walked along
the narrow extension passage, and hnal-
~ coming to the foot of the stairs lead
ing to the upper floors, was
just swinging carelessiy up them
when something bright in the
light of the gas jet caught my eye
and l stopped snort one foot and one
hand raised, simply petrified with as
tonishement, and then-yes, | confess it,
fear-for there curling down the banis-
tiers within six feet Of my nose was b
huge serpent, its head raised, its beady
little eyes glittering and its forked tom
que darling in and out Of its mouth l
think It was ten seconds before re-
covere5-it seemed at least ten minutes
Then / made a wild spring backwards
my hat falling into my arms IS I did
SO. | landed somehow on my feet and
Selling my hat hard felt one, /
flung II with all my force at the brute S
head, and without waiting to see II 1t
had taken effect, rushed bowling down
the passage.
God! l never thought that passage
was so long. expected every nloIle e.llt
to feel the brute seize me. HOW l got
down to the front door without break
ing my neck 1 don't know, but | did,
and got into the street; and, as luck
would have it, right into the arms OF
big Irish policeman, one OF the very
finest.
IAN fwat is the matter wild ye?"
"a serpent!" I gasped, loose on the
"A sarpint is it? Is that ali?"
rs that all! Why, man, it might
INA, ma! You'n git over it all right.
Where de We live, sonnie?''
Say, officer, quit foolng I'm not
drunk. I'm an artist. My studio is up
on the top floor of the extension, and /
tell you there is a big snake-looks like
a boa constructor or python to neon
the banisters-"
Where's yer hat?"
II threw it at him just as he was go
ing to grab me"
"Well, dunno, let's see; come an
show him to me-"
So we went up again. the officer first,
and cautiously being evidently inn
pressed l after him, decidedly more
cautiously and more impressed. AS we
advanced we stopped at each gas jet
and soon got plenty Of light to guide us.
Arriving at the foot of the stairs we
found my hat, but no snake.
well, where is her
How do / know. Do you suppose he
left me his card? OF course he's sneak
ing round here somewhere
Well, we hunted every nook and cram
ny, opened closets, examined even the
walls and ceiling, but all in vain; he'd
gone mysteriously as he came.
The finest took off his helmet, mopped
his brow. twisted his club, then: Say,
now you quit fooling. Where was yez
ter night7'
''At the theatre"
'.rheaytre. nit! No. Stree. Yer a.