The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-02-04
THE ADVERTISERS
 i! DAILY SHORT STORY

The king snake had feasted 10 the sat- isfaction of his stomach upon the rats of Amos Elderwood's barn. and had crawled out upon the village pavement to sun himself. Village life was new to him. He realized that there was a diff. Terence between village payements and thr spring house trail at Mir. Eldsrwood $ home in the country, where he had been wont to take his morning baths of sun shine: but he did not realize the fact that he might be a terror to the villagers who chanced to pass that way and who were unaccustomed to meeting citizens of his order. But then he had not come tc erty.' He belonged to Mir. Elderwood along with the ducks, guineas, chickens horses, cattle and dogs. and when it was eecided in tn, Underwood taHi'ly that il for few years, in order that the chil- dren might be sent to school, why the king snake was carried along.
 "Goin' to take the king snake. Amos? Mrs. Elderwood had asked. as her hus- band had brought out the reptile on the safe corner of the wagon.
 "Of course I am, Myra," was the an- swer; don't you guess a village rat'n taste as sweet to him as a country
 And that Is how the king snake came to Coburg. He was a beauty. long, sleek and fat. and his white spots gieamed Ike aiataster in the sunlight.
 MT. Dempsy Duval was walking leis- urely along a sfi ort street which inter- sected the main street of Coburg at the corner of Elderwood's place, when a shrill little scream suddenly assalled ms elrs from somewhere in front Of him. The scream had issued from a woman S throat. and Dempsy felt in his bones that the owner of that throat must be beautiful, else Whence so much music in a scream? He quickened his pace. fufrying around corner at rapid stride.
 The barometer of Duvalrs bones had not deceived him. There, standing ter rorized and unable to move. within six feet of Elderwoods king snake. was tall young girl. So slender and beautiful that Duvall blinked to assure himself that he had net peeped into fairy land.
 But Dempsey was a practical man, ana he had at once seen the cause of the ycung ladys alarm. The king snake lay still. evidently dreaming of the spring his removal to the city. the days of his usefulness were at an end.
 InvertIng the gold-headed umbrella which he carried, and without slackei, Ing his rapid pace, Duvali suadenly swung his hastily improvised golf club through the air and brought 1t around with such force as to sweep the little heap of reptilian coils from the pave ment, sending the king snake Tar across the street to fall lifeless mass into the gutter.
 "Oh. thank you,' exclaimed the girl fervently, as little flush suffused her cheeks and the long eyelashes dropped little over her eyes.
 Dempsy lifted his hat and bowed as he made a movement to pass on.
 "The fates were good to send me here at this time," he dared to say as he bowed himself by. allowing the young lady to go on her way.
 along with Duvall, making his heart merry. But there had been a witness to the scene, only one. Amos Elderwood had been crossing the yard when his at tention was attracted by the girls scream. and he had stopped to stare at her over the hedge which lined the pave ment.
 Some fool gal with a. toad In her path" mentally soiiloquized Elderwood, and he had been about to continue his way. when the rest of the scene trans
 well, he could play shinny and that's a dead shore fact" was Elderwood's s next comment, as the pavement was once more cleared. Wonder what 1t was he hit. nohow?'
 carrying and made his way to the gate. A moment later he had crossed the street to the gutter on the opposite sde. Then the sight Of the dead king snake caused his teeth to grind together with a cracking sound. He gazed upon the reptiles body a moment, then returned across the street. Here he stoppeu, anu: gazing first far down to the rivht or him at a retreating girlish figure, then
 xx-adnssdav,s story "MALQUIADES,'