Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-02-17

| iAACJ kOb hOAht was TQuU and his
guest was apparently happy. but behind
that happiness was a strain Of anxiety
evinced by sundry furtive chances which
he cast around him, and in the front
hall he embraced the ,stairpost with
tears, confiding 20 1t that it was his
only salvation against a hungry horde
OF gigantic germs which were, even
then, camped upon his trail. BY urgent
insistence Smith made him drink large
quantities of water, and presently put
him TO bed, secure that nothing worse
than very bad head would be there
suit OF that evenings Indulgence. But
he saw, too, that il was only question
OF a short time before his friend would
go to pieces if a stop weren't put to his
course, and he sat down and meditated
deeply upon the subject. Suddenly his
recently acquired rsttlesnake project
ed its wicked head and shining eyes
into his thoughts and he slapped his
thigh as does a man when he hits upon
a happy thought or mosquito.
by thunder. I'll do it," he cried.
It'll scare seven kinds of moonlight,
sunlight and starlight out of him, but
it'll serve him right and it'll cure him,
too. IL anything will"
Even then Bixby was snoring with
that thick, sticky snore that means
dead to the world" in the room ad-
joining Smiths and connected with 1t
through double Mushroom. Above
the head of the sleeper were two pull
ieys fastened to the ceiling, formerly
used for the manipulation of mosquito
net To rig up tackle of fine but strong
thread on these pulleys took Smith less
than five minutes, and he worked with
perfect security that nothing could
awake his guest, who didn't so much as
stir or groan when Smith stepped on his
chest. A few minutes work with the
rattlesnake and a needle followed, and
then the reptile, fastened head and toll,
rose and scared above the bed of the
sleeper. Smith ran the thread into the
washroom, made the snake fast to the
ceiling and went TO bed, knowing that
he would wake up before his guest. The
last thing he heard that night was the
snoring of Bixby; 1t was still going ON,
though in a higher key when he awoke
in the morning.
All the probabilities were that the
guest would sleep heavily for an hour
more at least, SO. Smith had breakfast
alone and leisurely and then went up
stairs with a large pitcher of ice and
siphon of seltzer to call Bixby. 1t was
something of job to arouse that gen.
tleman, but he finally responded to
Smiths knocks in a drawing snarl. It
would take him some time, Smith knew,
to get his eyes open, so the host slipped
around to his tackle and waited. To
his great disappointment ixby snoozed
again. There was an alarm clock in the
room. Smith went quietly in and set it,
and in three minutes its buzz was whir-
ring in the sleeper's ears Paving the
air and with his features twisted into
an expression of extreme disgust. he
fought against it for a moment; then
he opened his eyes and looked straight
up at a flying serpent which gently
wiggled its tail at him. What Smith
rather expected was that he would then
leap from the bed with n shrek and
rush out, but it didn't happen so. For
second Bixby contemplated the prod
igy with checked breath, then shut his
eyes slowly and tubbed them gently in
ward. Watching him from the crack Of
the door, Smith could see what a strug-
gle 1t was for him to open his eyes
again, but he did 1t, and this time his
head gave jerk. Smith trembled q
little with excitement and the snake
jiggled. There was a catch in Bixby's
throat both visible and audible, and he
swallowed painfully. Then came his
voice In whisper;
az know what you are. / saw you
that last night before left the planta-
ton, only you had wings then and now
you fly without them. But know you;
you're nothing; you're not there at all,
and when 1 wake up and get my head
into cold water it'll be all right"
He shut his eyes again determin edly
andlayquite still, but he was not asleep.
His eyes were too tightly closed for
that, as Smith could see by the little
wrinkles around the corners, and many
small beads came out on his forehead
Now when a man wakes in the morn
ing and perspires suddenly it is not
well with him. Only long and earnest
devotion to the bottle viii produce that
effect. The heart OF Smith, which had
been growing pitiful within him, hard
ened again. The lesson should be COM
plete. Bixby opened his eyes again aft
er a period and bsheld his old planta-
ton acquaintance, minus the pinions,
swinging gracefully to and fro. He
tried to follow the motions with his
head, but quickly gave that up, for the
effect produced was that of a score of
aerial serpents wheeling dizzily around
In the center of a spinning universe, and
his head reeied among waving pillows.
He buried his face in the bedclothes and
the smothered accents of his woe were
barely audible to the listener.
'oh, If could only get out of this
rooml But suppose there's more of
'em waiting for he in the han. Where
am /, anyway? I wonder If this is ward
10? l wouldn't mind If / could only
look up and not see that thing. Oo-oo-
ooh-h-h-h! can see my finish, and it's
worse than I thought it would be-"
Il might have been three minutes be-