Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-03-13

HE REACHED FOR THE CREATURE WITH
HIS BARE HANDS.
had seized upon the most horrifying
thought of all. and my whole being
srrang TO arms for revenge.
what has he done? Where Is her
| asked. Selling the doctors arm.
NV own intenser excitement had
calming effect OH him, and he fastened
to assure me that Patrick had really
done nothing worse than catch u small
garden snake.
But. oh, the way he did it, the doc
tor shuddered. And his hideous face!
Horrible. horrible!'
With profound sense Of relief that
the tragedy consisted OF nothing more
serious than an assault on my brother
in-law's nerves, | first became angry
and then amused at the absurdity OF II
all.
How did he do it, asked, sup
pressing II smile.
Il can't begin TO tell YOU" said the
doctor. Il can't make you see II as 1t
was. Oh, what face! What diabo-
lism"
when was it,
"Just now. When | came home. he
was raking the lawn. and | stopped TO
speak with him. He seemed 10 be In
his usual calm temper until little
green garden snake slid out from un-
der bush. The effect was electrical.
Instantly Patrick was raging demon
My dear boy" | said soothingly, he
was probably Mortified, just as should
have been. The very thought of a
snake, however harmless II may be,
gives me the shivers."
so it does me- said the doctor. II
hate snake with all my soul. but !
tell you honestly | would rather live
with nest of snakes than with that
demon Patrick"
what did he dor
"He had the rake In his hand and
could have cut the snake down with a
stroke, but ii seemed that would not
have satisfied his fiendsh desire. He
dropped the rake and fell upon all
tours, reaching for the creature with
his bare hands. At first he missed 1t,
but Instantly he sprang, as toad
might spring, or more. fancy. as n 60
rlla might do 1t, and caught the
squirming thing"
well, that's nothing" | interposed
Il used to know boys who brought live
garden snakes to school in their peck.
cts and frightened the girls out OF their
wits with them"
Stop said the doctor sternly, I'm
no schoolgirl to be frightened out Of
my wits by a harmless little snake.
Had you seen Patrick's face you would
not speak so lightly. | tell you it was
simply terrible. diabollcal When he
had snatched the snake from the grass,
he settled back upon his launches like
one of those hideous heather gods
carved of stone. Despite my commands
that he throw the thing down and let
me stamp upon it, he squatted there,
more reptile than man, and held the
writhing creature close and closer to
| his glittering eyes, while he Kissed such
words as: so you've come back! Hah!
| But you'll not find her Fool. She's
where you'll never be. She's in heaven.
DO you hear-in heaven? Crooked, am
/? What are you? Snake, snake,
snake! These Ut words grated with
unimaginable hatred, malice, loathing."
Did he kill the snake" asked.
mo; he would not kill It, He simply
gloated over having it in his power For
minutes he held the struggling thing so
close to his eyes that it almost touched
him. He seemed to be glarlng into the
very soul Of that snake, If it had such a
thing. Then suddenly he burst into q
demoniacal laugh and jumped to his
feet. The last | saw of him he was go.
ing by leaps and bounds down the alley
with the snake still writhing In his
hand"
1t was not physical fear that had pre-.
vented the doctor from following Pat.
rick. 1t was soul horror of him.
I advanced the theory that like
enough the gardener had some time
lost sweetheart or sister as a result
of a poisonous snake bite, and Will,
we were discussing this plausible
meaning of his hateful words the doc
tors telephone bell rang
There's a man here with the Jim
jams" said voice from the police sta
ton. Hes awful bad"
1t was DR.. Graham's duty as cit
physician to attend such cases, for il
those days we had no public hospital Il
our city.
ITS Patrick" said the doctor.
won't CO. l won't see him.
Yes, you will. too" said determir
eddy. You'll go, and I'll go with you
Come, don't be child"
BY appeals to his pride and to hi
professional If not his human interes
In the case l prevailed on him to 6
with me.
Half dozen policemen around til
station door were chatting one anothe
about their various bruises.
~ believe he'd "a fought off tn
whole force" said the desk officer, :"
he hadn't been tapped"
did you club himY asked the do,
tor.
"Oh, not to hurt. Just to soften hi
down bit. He had the jimjams av
full"
"An' well he might" put in polic
man, 'for he had real snake In b
hand"
"Was it alivcY" asked as we passe
fhrnuph tnuar1 tho nallu