The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-11-04

the spring of the cobra He circled
around the room, jumping from side to
side in his frantic efforts to avoid the
horrible death which menaced him.
Ny heart stood still 1t seemed TO me
that the room was flied with those
CHASTITY, erect, quivering bodies. with
hooded head. from which shot forked
tongues of death, with unnatural, dis
tended necks.
1 knew now the man whom I loved.
and l covered my face with my hands
that might not see him stricken down
before my eyes. But the awful fascina-
ton of it was greater than my will. 1
had to look again. The face of Harold
Warning was covered with beady per-
spiration, and in his eyes lurked grew
some despair.
THE stickl" he gasped. as he passed
the table.
But George vardon chung to it
despairingly. imploring Harold to save
him at any price, for heavens sake to
save him.
"OhI you coward" flung at him.
Then, with a sudden inspiration:
THE stick on the desk, Harold" 1
cried to him.
He reached the desk in safety. grasp
ed the stick, and as he touched the
roller-top desk it swung back From
the desk two more cobras slid with a
dull thud to the ground. Harold Waring
made his way to corner of the room.
and made a last stand with his back
to the wall.
Again and again he beat back the
venomous reptiles with swift cuts Of the
heavy boot heels. But the end was
near, and I knew it.
I could stand it no longer. Snatching
the stick from the palsied hands Of
and made across the room. 1 heard a
curious whistle, and instantly every
reptile fell suddenly still. The whistle
was repeated and they began to crawl
xxfn he
come.
A panel slid aside in the wall, and my
late uncle's valet. Lal Singh, stood
smiling in the opening.
He looked from one to another Of US
with curious light of understanding
in his eyes, as if he appreciated per-
fectly the part that each had played
in the scene just finished Then he
came forward with his usual obsequious
bow and handed me a letter.
l took it, swayed uncertainty for a
moment, and pitched forward in a faint.
| When 1 came to myself Harold was
bending over me with a face like chalk.
Lal Singh and George stood back a lit
tie way, the one still smiling, the other
with twitching limbs.
! 1 tore open the letter and read it. The
signature at the bottom was my dead
uncle's.
Dear Nora-There can come to wo-
man no greater misery than to marry
the wrong man. She had better be in
her grave than to find that the man she
has promised to love and honor is
selfish and a coward. From long ex-
perience / know that it would be use
less for me to tell you which of your
cousins is a man and which is not,
SO have arranged a little test for you
to judge them by. 1t is at supreme
moments that there appears the differ
ence between the coward and the brave
man. For that reason have brought
you and them face to face with such
moment. If the strain has been a hard
one, remember that it has been only on
| account of the great love l bear you,
and forgive JAMES WARING.
I handed the letter to Harold Warning,
and he read it aloud. George VardOn
shank back in shame. his breath COM
ing in labored gasps.
When he had finished reading, my sell
der cousin faced me. but with coun-
tenance from which all color of blood
had fed.
"And this-1ittle test-has it availed
Nora ?'' he asked.
There was something in his manner
that forbade me to trif1e with him.
Yes, know now" said. 1T is you
1 love. Harold"
He took me in his arms and kissed me
once, then put me from him.
You will have but a. short courtship
and sad, long mourning. Nora, for-I
think I am about to die, sweetheart.
was bitten three times, and the bite of
the cobra is-fatal.'' he told me sadly.
Then, smiling a little, You see one of
us is to die within the hour after all.
mot so, sahib" interposed the soft
voice of Lal Singh. The fangs of the
cobras had all been removed. w. Mel.
r., in illustrated Bits.