Bisbee daily review., 1912-07-05
The Snake
 Habit

If Hurley Mathers had not had an attractive personality he never would have lasted as figure in society. be- cause the most amiable of hostesses might be pardoned for disapproying 8 caller who insisted on skinning snakes on her front porch and demanding ad- miration for their lines and colors.
 The year he spent the summer at Wigwam lake is still recalled solemnly as landmark by the cottagers. All the children were going around drag ging snakes after them because Tur- ley had taught then how to catch and hold the creeping things safely and more mothers went into mysteries that year than had in the century preceding.
 The worst of it was that Mathers was a person of scientific attainments and had perfectly valid excuse for studying snakes. Nobody could say he did 1t to be unique or troublesome.
 If you feebly said that you weren't crazy about snakes Mathers simply drew a long breath, fixed you with a plying stern glance and lectured to you on your sins. When he had fin ished you were in such a fiabby state that you would have let snake perch on your forehnger
 Mathers met Clara Baysworth out west when her party and his combined for camping trip through a noted canyon. and the acquaintance pro sressed at the rate of ten miles a min ute until the fatal moment when the stage coach driver silently pointed with his whip to the side of the sun baked road. There, lazily stretched out, lay a rattlesnake Mathers says 1t was a mere baby snake of a foot and a half or so, but if you had in- quired of the others any of them would have told you it was a horrible monster six feet long. with cerise eyes and a foaming mouth.
 Before any one realized what he was doing. Mathers, with a gurgie of pleasure. had slipped to the ground, swept the snake into a heap with his straw hat, deftly grabbed 1t around Its neck with three fingers and held it up to be admired. Persons who do the unusual are instantly pronounced crazy by everybody else, so the con- yicition instantly settled upon the stageload of travellers that any man who would deliberately pick up a rat tier must be insane Clara Baysworth got her voice first as Mathers, still holding his prize, started to climb back to his seat by her side.
 Co away" she got out in strangled voice. "If sou come any nearer I'll stick hatpins into you,"
 The distracted coachload echoed her cries. Fathers clasped their sons 10 them and glared at Mathers, women shrunk into corners and fixed him with imploring eyes. Clara frowned at him, pale and desperate
 Why" Mathers began soothingly, and put one foot upon the hub of the wheel. But a series a shrieks arose from his victims.
 IT hate you!" Clara Baysworth told him wildly.
 He's a perfect beauty" Mathers announced firmly, "and I want him for a specimen" Then he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, we'll" he said, q suppose ! can strangIe the little beg gar!"
 His fingers frightened their clasp around the scaly neck and presently the rattler hung limp. Putting him in convenient box and slowing the box h his pocket, Mathers remounted the coach, but the atmosphere was strained.
 For twenty miles he tried to reform Clara Baysworth. He told her frank y that he was pained and displeased by her foolish prejudice. but even that lid not move her. She regarded him with alien eyes.
 I'll listen to you" she said, when you stop being so perfectly foolish! And if you ask me again 10 marry you while you are carrying that thing around with you I-Ill scream"
 Somebody who was brave opened the box the next morning to see the lead snake and the camp nearly broke ID as me rattler winked one eye and waved his tail at the mortified med der, having survived his choking. as Mathers had known he would Math- ers psled before Clara Baysworth's accusing eye.
 You certainly have nerve" she told him. Ito ask a girl to endure things like this the rest of her life, ! don't care whether it is science or notl You might experiment with guinea pigs or dncksir
 'T'll ehloroform 'em." Msthers of. tered. miserably.
 You viii not." Clara told him. They might have nine lives like cat and come to life again. and can not stand snakes for parlor compsn- ions, dead or sleeping, It's between me and your sqIirming friends, Tur- ieyl"
 For a long minute Msthers looked at her. Then picking up the rattler he walked 10 the edge of the cli7 and hurled him far out.
 "Therei" be said simply as he re- turned and spread out his empty