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

after There was SuccesElon az ueareb.
ing reports and amid n cloud 81 smoke
smith could see the diSintegratiug par.
hcles OF his snake fluttering down upon
au empty bed. Bixby threw himself.
yelling. upon the floor. and, casting his
revolver from him, scrambled on all
fours to the nearest door. which han.
pened TO be the one that sheltered
Smith. Grabbing Smith by the knees.
he proceeded TO give very fair imita
ton of At OF Mysteries. Smith seized
the seltzer bottle and gave him the
stream full in the face. II was not with
that intention that be had brought Il
upstairs, but II answered admirably.
Gasping and choking, Bixby came to
his senses.
TELL me it was; tell me II wa.~ h.
brokenly besought Smith
"Of course it was, old man. said
Smith. perfectly comprehending the
somewhat elliptical query. He knew
what was filling Bixby's tortured mind
to the very brim at that moment. at
was stuffed snake that had about the
place."
Thank Godl" said the other. simply
and fervently. "Whewl It was awful"
Shooting the rest of the settler into
the pitcher of ice, Smith handed II To
him, and he drank chokinRly, shaking
all over with the reaction of the relief.
Smith wondered why his friend wasn't
1urlously angry at the trick that had
been played on him, and felt himself
somewhat conscienee-stricken but de-
termined to make the best of the occa-
sion.
1T might not have been real. Bix.nhs
said.
Bixby groened.
You'd never have known the differ
enee," said his host.
Bixby groaned again and pressed
some ice against his head.
What are you going to do about it7"
asked the persistent Smith.
"Eh2" said Bixby, duly. "Do? oh.
my headi You're sure that thing was
there, Smithy? You aren't foolinr me?
1 wouldn't look into that room for a
thousand"
"Oh, it was there" Smith assured
him. 81 fixed it myself while YOU were
dead to the world. But don't you think
it's time you whistled down brakes on
this gay career?"
Smith" said Bixby, after long
pause, I'm buy you a new snake. You
give me that one as soon as / feel well
enough to stand its company. Did you
teach it to fly yourself? I-I-I-I-mean-I
guess I'm not very steady yet. want It
as memento to remind me of what IL
can do If man goes too far, you know"
You'll get 1T as soon as you prove
that you are At company for a sober
and decent snake" said Smith.
Don't you fear" said Bixby, solemn
~. This is the end. Three drinks
per day after this is my limit. And
that goes, too. That isn't the common
or garden variety of next-morninp-
never-again. Bring me out my gun, old
boy. 1 don't feel steady enough to 90
in there after ii yet"
When Mrs. Smith got home. which
was after Bixby had left, there were
certain matters to be explained to her.
First, there was the snake. Smith said
the cat did ii. Then there was the bull
let-riddled ceiling; he couldn't say that
the cat did that, but he explained that
1t must be the work OF rats. Bridget
had reported hearing shots fired. Smith
said yes, that Bridget was undoubted-
ly right; he had heard them himself.
and they seemed to be very near at
hand. Mrs. Smith doesn't tell all she
knows, or even all she believes, and
smith appreciates this spirit. She now
enjoys the possession of a handsome
snakeskin purse and a cardcase to
match. Bixby has the rattlesnale.
cleverly put together by taxidermist,
mounted on a panel in his room. Ev-
erybody is satisfied except Bridget, who
suspects that she ought not 10 stay in
house once perforated by the presence
Of representative OF the prince of
darkness, and the cat, who never did
come back.--N. Y. Sun.