Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-30

ed down the corridor, I following. She
went directly to Meltons door, opened 1t
and entered perhaps two feet ahead of
me.
l was so surprised at her strange man.
ner that 1, naturally, went in after her.
She walked calmly toward a great 'di-
van in the corner, stopped an instant,
then stopped and picked UP the violin
and bow that lay on the floor. AS she
stopped I 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 a shock that made me stag
ger.
On the couch, propped by pillows, sat
Melton, stiff, rigid, his eyes glazed and
staring, and round him coIled and SLOW
ly tightening and crushing him was Buzz,
the baby boa. Even as l looked the
brute's head went gliding round the
mans throat for a last final grip, and
the man sat inert, unconscious of his
terrible danger. I gave one wild gasp,
then sprang to a chair, tore down an
old sword and started toward them,
but with q fierce gesture Bessie waved
me back, and the next instant drew the
bow across the fiddle. God! was I mad2
This child who could not play a note
seemed to draw the very soul out Of the
old fiddle, and, swaying from side to
SIDE as I had seen Melton do, she
moved before the serpent.
And that horrible brute paused, SEEM
ingly puzzled, while I watched behind
her in a state of excitement impossible
to analyze, though recognized even at
that moment that had | attacked the
reptile 1 could not have got chance
at him without risking Melton's life, not
only with the sword but by rousing the
snake. Well, that girl played on and
on; the same wild, dirge music that
Melton used to improvlse, throbbed
through the air, and her slender body
vibrated with it as she swayed back and
forth. The head Of the snake was pro-
truding from the under side OF Melton's
jaw, its attention diverted from it's prey
to that slight, swaying figure. 1t
seemed like eternity while the brute
poised motionless so; then slowly he be-
gan to unloose those terrible coils. FIRST
there ran a sinuous undulating motion
all through the glittering body, then
fold after fold was Embossed, till only
one remained, and from this fixed base
the great brute's body curled gracefully
out toward the music. But the man sat
as stiff and rigid as ever, though he
was practically free.
AS 1 saw the snakes ugly, stealthy
head drawing Slowly toward the girl l
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. l sidled along, well out al
reach of Mater Buz, who, however. was
far too intent with Bessie to notice me-
then when | was well behind him |
measured my distance, raised the sword
and-swish!-Buz's head flew clean
across the studio, hit the wall with a
soft bash, and fell to the floor with q
flop 1 never did like that brute since
met him on the stairs. Well, we were
quits now, anyway. The body gave one
or two convulsive wriggles, then ths
fiddle gave several screeches of ths
most vfllainous discord | ever heard
and the next moment Bessie was on he1
knees at Melton's side Arthur. sweet,
heart, wake up! Oh, God! Arthnrf
Then slowly, as if in answer to the car
of love, Melton came back with a shud.
dering sigh from-where?
Well it was very interesting. and
stood staring with my mouth rathet
more open than intelligence warrants
the dead snake in one hand and tn,
sword in the other-until became con,
scious that-well, really, perhaps We,
rather de trop; so I sneaked out on lin
toe and shut the door.
Ihey are married now, and apparentI,
Melton mas reformed; anyway, tn,
81 a - oEel, anu they live in
little Hat up Harlem way. AS to e,ach
~ what happened that afternoon. NO
body really knows, and I doubt if any
body ever will. Melton declares that ~
he remembers was sitting on the diva
and hddling to the late Buzz who wa
poised in front of him; he recol1ect,
thinking vaguely how bright the brute
into his. iVoAe'
AS for Bessie, she declares she fal
asleep while posing for me, and did ~
nddling in dream. So ais far &c
can see, it seems to have been a t nss
OF love and hypnotism all around.