The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-04-21
THE END OF A FAD.
ny MRS. NJ. L. RAYNE.


grief at an early period of his career, both
in financial way and as a personal matter.
His latest exploit, however, came so near
being a fatality that he has pulled himself
together and made a solemn promise to
Mrs. Benedict not to promulgate any new
theories in the next five years. She hopes
that by the expiration of that time limit
he will be satisfied to leave the occult, the
illimitabe, and the unbelievable to the
investigation of posterity, and take more
immediate interest in things mundane which
are necessary to the comfort of mortals
whose wings are not grown.
Mrs. Benedict did not seriously object
TO an invasion Of her home by lizards,
snakes and ella monsters-for her hus-
band assured her that these interesting
horrors were to illustrate the book he was
writing on the subject Of evolution and re-
incarnation, nor was she angry when he
came home half.leading, half-dragging an
immense shaggy animal, which she be-
lieved TO be mastiff On the contrary, she
pattcd his tawny head, and was about to
possess herself of one of its great paws,
when her husband said;
Isn't he beauty? l got him from the
keeper of the zoo. Only cub, but such
magnificent fellowl know now why l have
] was lion in my first stage Of existence.
Can't you believe that, MabelY"
II think you are donkey" answered
Mrs. Benedict, with emphasis, as she
climbed on the library table and eyed the
lion cub with strong disfavor. IL never
heard of such nonsense in my life. just
tell you, MART. Benedict, that if that brute
stays, | leave. It's bad enough living with
a crazy man, without having a menagerie.
l draw the line right here"
My dear, there is not the slightest dan
ger, for you know | have the power that
controls the widest animals Let me look
in the eye, and / can hypnotic it to do my
bidding. This fine fellow opens new world
of investigation before me. | will show
power that can tame the king of beasts,
feat never yet performed Hypnotism shall
conquer him"
Martin, you couldn't hypnotic cat
you tried it and the cat had fit from
fright and that's all your hypnotic will ae-
complished Keep hold Of the strap until
get opt of the room. Ugh be looks as ii he
would like to eat mel' and Mrs. Benedict
edged from the room, closing the folding
doors after her.
Whether Mr.. Benedict could hypnotic
the lion cub remained to be seen, but he did
hypnotic his wife into permitting him to
keep the great brute, but almost any wife
can tell how that is done. There is moth
ing occult about the method, persistence and
blarney bringing the desired result And
for once Mrs. Benedict was getting her re-
venge without knowing it, Instead of Mr.
Benedict hypnotizing the lion it was hypno-
tzing him. He could not take his eyes
from that cruel face, and it did really seem
ia feat fol- ba
expression of sleepy alertness and wicked
watchfulnees expressed in the leonine fea-
lures. He neglected every other pursuit to
feed and fondle his strange pet, and when
he took his walks abroad was Stunned by
the townspeople, who fell over each cher
IN their haste to get out of the hons way.
The small boy followed at a respectful dis
lance, awed for once by superior fecIlties
for destroying, and horses instinctively
SHE'D as they recognized an enemy from
the jungle. The animal keeper~at the zoo
did not want the animal returned, and
Mr.. Benedict dare not let it go at large.
He was in communication with several cir
Gus managers, and hoped some of them
would come to the rescue before he himself
died OF nervous prostration.
Mrs. Benedict, good woman, did not
know anything of this. She had accepted
the cub as she would have accepted any
other fate, and made the best of It, When
her friends called, she saw to it that the
animal was locked up, and she had been
80 busy with her own fads of picking and
preserving to make her home comfortable
that she had not bothered her head about
Martins idosyncracies except once, and
the whole character of the woman showed
in that one action. 1t was not the first
time she had taken time by the forelock.
In neighborhood where burglaIies were
imminent, Mrs. Benedict had supplied her
self with a revolver, every chamber Of which
was loaded. This revolver Travelled up and
slownstairs with the basket Of solid silver,
which was the JOY OF her housekeeping soul.
SO that night or day that weapon was within
easy reach, for, as she navely said: when
/ need it I shall need it quick" mans
phrase unadorned by unnecessary adjec-
tives.
One day Mr.. Benedict was sleeping on
lounge in the library when Mrs. Benedict
looked in to see if everything was right. The
cub lay at full length on the floor, facing
him and watching his slumbers. The ami
mails immense paws, the claws of which
were always sheathed, gave such an idea
of repressed strength that even with her
dislike undated Mrs. Benedict gave the
massive brute his need of praise. But she
did not care to attract his attention, and
wondered how her husband could sleep I'M
der the baleful light of those green-gray
eyes. Then she closed the door and sat
down to some needlework in the next
room.
She was disturbed by gnowl. 1t did not
reach the dimension of a roar, but she had
heard her husband say that when The cub
growled it would want meat, and then it
would be dangerous and must be shut up.
she waited moment. another and deeper
growl. Why did not Martin speak to it
Was he using his hypnotic influences? She
rose softly, reached her hand into the draw
er of the sideboard, took out the revolver
and opened the door Of the library And
this was what she saw Mr.. benedict lying
white and still on the lounge, his hand hang
ing over the side, the blood dripping from
it as the cab licked it with horrible nten-
sity, while the unfortunate man dared not
move an eyelash lest the savage brute hav-
ing tasted blood should rend him limb from
limb. And the next moment the animal
crawled under the lounge with six bullets
in his body, while Mrs. Benedict stood half
fainting by her husband. When a woman
shoots she always shoots IN I'LL