Middletown transcript., 1910-04-16
feet Of the body Of live serpent


screamed gently and fiuttered.
The monster was gray, notified
with yellow, and his mouth, which
opened and closed several times,
must have measured three feet
across Several people could see
sort of name rising and falling
around the creatures neck, and
one man declared that the mon.
sters's eyes were blood-red. Still
another thought be could detect
a churning of the water in the
rear of the creature. Twice the
gigantic creature thrust his head
far down beneath the water, and
the spectators knew that he was
feeding.
The astonishing spectacle last.
ed for a few minutes, and then
the monster Iunged violently for
ward and slid out of sight. The
post.oface at the village was kept
very busy that evening, and the
telegraph Office sent away several
messages, two of them-long
ones-being sent by Alonzo Car.
ter.
The next day excitement was
quite as intense. The news had
spread and hundreds fiocked
in, from the region around,
to stare at the place where the
monster had been seen; but he
did not deigl to make a second
appearance.
Among the bewildered throngs
was Reuben SSiiOcombb, who seem-
ed eager and anxious. He had
another interview with Mrs.
Martin. Directly after, the young
student, calm and confident, also
had an interview with his pros
pective mother.in-law. And you
told him, as l directed, that you
would be able to pay off the mort
gageG
Yes-yes, Lonzo, she faltered.
told him just what you told me
to tell him.
All right. And he said something
about buying the place outright :
Yes-yes. He said something
about it, but he didn't make me
any positive offer.
Not he. Well, he will. What
did the place cost you any.
way?
Joshua paid three thousand
for it.,
Well, if he asks you to name a
price, ten thousand is the bottom
figure; we may raise on even that.
The city papers had vivid and
convincing account of the as
tonding incident. The next
morning crowds began to come.
Extra trains were put on: Hun.
dreds of people drove ever from
neighboring towns. The poor
little Ocean View House was al.
most buried out Of sight. But
two freight cars were sidetrsck-
at the junction, and these contain
ed tents and provisions, enough
for a thousand persons. Who
could have sent them {? With
them came college friend of Al
onzo Carter's.
High prices were asked for
food and shelter, but were paid
instantly. Everybody was on
the tiptoe of expectation, the hotel
piazza creaked beneathits weight
of restless humanity, the beach
was crowded with staring visi-
tors, all eyes turned seaward.
OF all the excited people who
walked restlessly about, none
was more restless and excited
than was Slocomb. He repeatedly
took the landlady apart, talking
incoherently about mortgages
and rent and profits and bad bills.
She clung fast to the injunction
of her son-in.law to be, and
when the real-estate dealer did
finally offer her fifteen hundred
dollars, she repeated, Ten thou
sand is the lowest figure, the
very lowest.
That reply nearly threw Sio-
comb into a fit; but he quickly
recovered, for a loud outcry from
hundreds of throats now arose at
the front of the hotel. There !!
There he is! Yes, there be is
0h-oh- And there, surely
enough, the huge sea serpent
rose to the surface, in exactly the
same spot as before; and the
crowds of spectators could stare
and gasp.
The colossal creature lay ex.
tended on the choppy little
waves, his huge jaws opened. He
lowered his head and seemed
to be feeding;then he raised those
awful jaws and stared hard at