The Alaska prospector., 1904-04-21
END OF A FAD.
DY RAS. - L. R.AYNA

Martin Benedict was an adopter and pro- moter of fade, and but for the common senss of hn excellent wife, he must have come to grief at an early period of his career. both sn financial way and e personal matter. His latest exploit, however, came co near being . fatality that he has pulled himself together and made . solemn promise to Alrs. Benedict not to promulgate any new thsories n the next five years. She hopes that by. the expiration of that time-limit he will b. satisfied to leave the occult, the illimitable, and the unfathomable to the investigation of posterity, and take more immediate interest in things mundane which are necessary to the comfort of uorsals whose wings are not grown.
 Mrs. Benedict did not seriously object to an invasion of her home by lizards, snakes and Gila 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-leadins, halfdraeging an immense shaggy animal, which she be- heved to be mastiff.. On the contrary, she patted his taw1S head, end was about to possess herself of one of its great paws, when her husband said:
 "I~n't he a beauty! got him from the keeper of the FOO. Only . cub, but such magnificent fellow! Iknow now why have always been Q attracted to the lions cage l was a lion in my first stage of existence. Cant you believe that, Mabel!"
 "I think you are a donkey" answered Mrs. Benedict, with emphasis, as che climbed on the library table and eyed the hon cub with strong disfavor. "I never heard of such nonsense in my life. I just tell you, Martis Benedict, that if that brute stays, leave. It's bad enough living with . crazy man, without having a menaeeris. 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 hypnotize it to do my bidding. This fine fellow opens new world of inveet i9ation before me. 1 will show . power that can tame the king of beasts, a feat never yet performed. Hypnotism shall conquer him."
 Martin, you couldn't hypnotize c cat you tried it and the cat had fit from fright and that's all your hypnotic will ac- complished. Keep hold of the strap until I get out of the room. Ugh. he looks as if he would like to eat mel" and Mrs Benedict edged from the room. closing the folding doors after her.
 Whether Mir. Benedict could hypnotize the lion cub remained to be seen, but he did hypnotize his wife into permitting him to keep the great brute, but almost any wife can tell how that is done. There Is noth- 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 Mir. Benedict hypnotizing the lon it was hypno- tizing him. He could not take his eyes from that cruel face, and it did really seem as If his own features were taking on the expression of sleepy alertness and wicked
 watchfulness 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 summed by the townspeople, who fell over each ether in their haste to get out of the lions way. The small boy followed at a respectful dis tance, awed for once by superior faculties Cor destroying. and horses instinctively shied 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 o them would come to the rescue before he himsell died ot nervous prostrdtlon.
 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 90 busy with her own fads of pickling and preserving to make her home comfortable that she had not bothered her head about ,ua and the whole character of the woman showed in that one action. It was not the first time sine had taken time by the forelock. In neighborhood where burglaiies were imminent, Mrs. Benedict had supplied her self with d revolver, every chamber of which was loaded. This revolver travelled up and downstairs 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 naively said: When l need it l shall need it quick" a mans phrase unadorned by unnecessary adjec- | tives.
 One day MT. 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 maa's immense paws, the claws of which | were always sheathed, gave such an idea of repressed strength that even with her dislike unabated 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 un. | der the balsful 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 growl. It did not reach the dimension of roar, but she he'd
 heard her husband say that when the cub | yr0wled it would want meat, and then it | would be dangerous and must be shut up.
 She waited moment. another and deeper | Erowl. Why did not Martin speak to il.
 Was he using his hypnotic influences: She
 rose softly. reached her hand into the draw CT of the sideboard, took out the revolver and opened the door of the library. And this was what she saw. Mir benedict lying white and still on the lounge his hand hang. ing over the side, the blood dripping from it as the cub licked it with horrible inten- sity. while the unfortunate man dared not move an eyelash lest the savage brute hav- | ing tasted blood should reDd h i'm hmh from