The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-03-30
THE SNAKE STORY
Mr.. FLETCHER TOLD.

BY ELIZABETH PRESTON ALLAN
The last tap of the bell was still vihrat-
ing in the air when two red-faced boys
sprang up the school house steps. and
broke into Mr.. Fietcher's room AS if Co
manches We're after them A stranger
would certainly have expected some thrill
ing tale of adventure to follow such an
advent; but as Mr.. Fletcher did not even
raise his head from finding the roll OF
boy names IN his little note book, I sup
pose he was accustomed to this mode of
entrance
There! what did 7 tell you?" painted
red-faced Teddy Weaver to the equally
red-faced Alec Fiskin: I told you I'd get
here before the Tvs were calIed-didn't
!? Now. where's my chewing gum?''
smothered smoker from the boys
around accompanied the very reluctant
transfer of a grimy stick of Rhodes
Best from Alec's pocket to Teddy's The
look on Alec's face as he parted with the
precious commodity would at any other
time have raised roar of laughter
among the boys: but Mr. Fletcher was
already on his feet. and roll call was about
to begin. There was no sign that the
teacher had seen the transaction: Ger
taniy there was no sign that he shared
The boys amusement, for he looked par
uculdrly grave-and Yet Mr. Fletcher
was a great hand for guying the boys.
and laughing at and with them
Morning prayers followed roll call. and
then came fifteen minutes that the BOYS
liked so well they had been known to say
II was almost as good as not being in
rchooi at all It was the time MI FIetch-
er took for telling them something of
what ne called current events" that is
"fat ne had gotten OUT Of the newspa-
pers the day before But today his bis
Da1iE lay on the platform at his feet
md he seemed 10 have something else on
MS mind
BOYS. hS said. after minutes Ct
fence. i want to tell YOU 4 Jingle story
'cd2Y. There was a murmur of an
rr"va! through the school "Fut n no
hohest with You, continued the teacher
my story has much less jungle aud
much more truth in it than those Of vour
prlncely story-tellers. Kipling and Seton
Thompson" Still the boys did not look
discouraged, and Mr. Fletcher kept on.
There came cut Of the jungle into my
town. whom I was q boy n beautiful
Filttering serpent whose name we bows
did rot know. Our mothers indeed and
some others. said it was a young boa
constrictoE; but the men that hung about
The streets. whom we boys thought very
wise. laughed at the idea They said
this little snake was perfectly harmless
never grew any bigger; that of course
women and preachers (and they sncered
when they spoke OF peachersi we're
afraid of it; but boys. if We were fbe
right SOFT of boys. could fool with If as
much as We pleased without heine hurt
Il believed what these men said and I
fretted a good deal that my mother made
4 point OF my having nothing to do with
this interesting visitor from the Jungle.
but in ny heart of hearts knew that my
mother vas worth all the other people
in the w0rld-to me-and I obeyed her
command and let the thing alone An
boys"'-an1 here Mr.. Fletchcr's voice got
a t.tle husky-"blessed is tho boy who
Las that sort of mother. and knows it,
Well, Il friend of mine. whom I will call
Casper. was very fond of the little
snake (for it was a little one when it first
came among us), and he was always
playing with it. But | must make my
story short-first for your sakes, because
YOU have your lessons to learn, ana then
for mine because it makes me unhappy
to remember these things. III short, the
Jungle visitor was a boa constructor. And
it grew faster than anything you ever
IMAGINED. Casper found ont too late its
terrible power over him; when he wanted
to ESCAPE he could nOt-nO, not though
We al tried 10 help him. The deadly
thing was wound so tight around his
limbs that no human power could wrench
il away"
Mr.. Fletcher had turned rather pale,
and his forehead was damp. If he were
making himself do some hard thing in
telling This Glory This is a sad story.
boys" he said "but it is a true one. Sc
true that several hearts are breaking un-
der it, Perhaps you guess what ] mean:
gambling. and when I sec a boy bet
another boy anything-even a piece of
chewing gum = Mr. Fletcher turned TO
Teddy and Alec with a sad sort of smile.
Il am bound to tell him that nc is
PLAYING with Demonstration. 1t may
he A very little one, bat God only knows
how fast it grows. and how strong it
grows and how cruel II is All. boys, |
met my poor friend on the street yester-
day. ancs he clutched me by the arm,
and 81. i'll out aloud. there on the public
street FLETCHER. lake me home and lock
me up. and see il YOU can't save me from
this gambling devil that is destroying
me-
There was not n. sound in the school
room: YOU might have heard pin drop,
till Mr. Fletcher gave himself shake,
as if he must get rid of some painful
thought, and said. well. boys. il will
he A long time before I tell you as grisly