The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-12-14
o. Ne~o~o~ oSeSe
: THE BLUE DRYAD. :
o
! BY G. H. poue1l. &
~oo~Ge o~0~S q

CTOFFLES was her name, q familiar
abbreviation, and Mephistophelean
vas her nature. She had all the usual
vices Of the feline tribe. including a
double portion of those which men are
so fond OF describing as feminine. Vain,
indolent. selfish, with highly-cultl-
waited taste for luxury and neatness in
her personal appearance, she was dis
tinguished by all those little irritat-
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 q comfortable, old-fash-
ioncd house facing the highroad. lsay
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
lea. 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-
treme rarity seemed to me merciful
provision of nature. But all his pre-
vious triumphs were completely
eclipsed, soon learned, by the capture
alive. on this last expedition, Of an
abo1ninably poisonous snake, known to
those who knew it as the blue dryad,
or more familiarly, in backwoods slang,
as the "half-hour striker" in vague ref
erence to it's malignant and fatal quail
tiles.
Being in extremely delicate health at
the time, I need hardly say that I knew
nothing of these grewsome details un-
til aftcrward. Henry (that is my hus-
oand) after entering my room with
robust and sunburned appearance that
did my 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
cepted as became nervous wife OF an
enthusiastic naturalist. believe l
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 furthest cor
ner 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, 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 as he came
out of the dining-room remained IN
my head as even meaningless words
will run in the head Of an idle Invalid
shut up for the most part OF the Gay
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 desire to
change the subject as they entered my
boudoir; cts 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 few
moments, as was not to be tired. The
engineer tried to amuse Stofaes, who
vas seized with such fit ofmcTtal DoTe-
,1om that he transferred his attentions
20 Ruby, the Gordon setter, devoted
and inseparable friend of mine, under
whose charge l was shortly left as
hey went out.
suppose I may have been asleep for
ZEN minutes or so when I was awak-
aned by the noise of Ruby's heavy body
jumping out through the open win
Tow. Feeling restless and seeing me
.:slcep, he had imagined himself en-
titled to 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
end such tricks--a capacity which, in
:act, proved fatal to him. That 1t was
,nlatched, saw in a few moments,
for the dog on his return forced 1t
open with a push and trotted up in
disturbed manner to my bedside. l
rcticed tiny spot Of blood on the black
side of his nose, and naturally supposed
.;e had scratched himself against a
bush or piece of wire. 'Isuby." said,
What have you been doing??' Then he
whined as if in pain, crouching close to
ny side, and shaking in every limb.
I should say that I was myself lying
with shawl over my feet on deep
sofa with a high back. I turned to
lock at Stofaes. who was slowly peram-
bulating the room. looking for flies and
other insects-her fayorite amusement
on the wainscot. When I glanced
again at the dog, his appearance filed
re with horror; he was Standing, OBJ
;;ously from pain, swaying from sideto
side and breathing hard. AS watched,
h:s body grew more and more rigid.
With his eyes fixed On the half-open
,;:or: he drew back as if from the ap-
I "Olcn Oh SOluc OtSGQSO OUJCSt, SsASSN
:ishead with pitiful attempt ata bark,
which broke off into 4 stified howl,
rolled over sideways suddenly, and lay
dead. The horrid stiffness Of tie body,
almost resembling a stuffed creature
overset, made me believe that he had
died as he stood, close to my side, per-
aaps meaning to defend me. Unable
% resist the unintelligible idea that
;?!:e Cog had been frightened to death, I
co:lowed the direction of his last gaze,
ard at first saw nothing. The next mo-
lncnt I observed round the corner of
tie veranda door a small, dark. and
slender object. swaying gently up and
down like dry bough in the wind.
:; had passed right into the room with
r. 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
.,r,l, t:I1 bo cI,rree1a6 c~,-nLoI,. in onep-