The Ordway new era., 1912-05-17
The Snake
Habit

NhusC' 'u' ihobt VI HObtt6Sth
might be pardoned for disappearing a
caller who insisted on skinning snakes
on her front porch and demanding nd.
miration for their lines and~colors.
The year he spent. the summer at
Wigwam lake Is still recalled solemnly
as u landmark by the cottagers. All
the childr(n were going around drag.
ging snakes after them because Tur.
ley had taught them 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 1t was" that Mathers
was person OF scientific attainments
and had n perfectly valid excuse for
studying snakes. Nobody could say
ho did II to be unique or troublesome.
II you feebly said. that you weren't
crazy about snakes Mathers simply
drew n long breath. fixed you with q
plying stern glance and lectured to
you on your sins. When he had fin.
ished You were in such flabby state
that you would have let snake perch
on your foreiinger.
Mathers met Clara Baysworth out
west when her party and his combined
for n camping trip: through noted
canyon. and the acquaintance pro.
crossed at the rate Of ten miles 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 rattlesnake. Mathers says
1t was mere baby snake of foot
and half or So. but IL, you had in.
quired OF the others any Of them
would have told you 1t was horrible
monster six feet long. with cerise eyes
and a foaming mouth.
Before any one realized what he
was doing. Mathers., with a gurgle 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
1t up to be admired. Persons who dc
the unusual are instantly. pronounced
crazy. by everybody else. so the con.
vicition instantly settled upon the
stageload OF travellers that any man
who would deliberately pick up 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.
60 away" she got out in a
strangled voice. "If you come any
nearer I'll stick hatpins into you!"
The distracted coachload echoed her
cries. Fathers clasped their. sons to
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 shrieks arose
from his victims.
Il hate you!" Clara Baysworth
told him wildly.
Hes a perfect beauty" Mathers
announced firmly. "and want him for
a specimen" Then he shrugged his
shoulders. "Oh. WE'LL" he said, Il
suppose I can strangle the little beg.
gar!"
His fingers tightened their clasl
around the scaly neck and presently
the ratt!er hung limp. Putting him In
a convenient box and slowing the box
in his pocket, Mathers remounted the
coach. but the atmosphere was
| strained.
For twenty miles he tried to reform
| Clara Baysworth. He told her frank.
ly that he was panied and displeased
by her foolish prejudice, but even that
did not move her. She regarded him
with alien eyes.
''Tll listen to you," she said, when
you stop being so perfectly foolish!
And If you ask me again to marry you
while you are carrying that thing
around with you I-IIl scream!"
Somebody who was brave opened
the box the next morning to see the
dead snake and the camp nearly broke
up as the rattler winked one eye and
waved his tail at the Mortified med
dler, having survived his choking, as
Mathers had known he would Math-
ers paled 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!
I don't care whether 1t is science or
not! You might experiment with
guinea pigs or ducks!"
"I'll chloroform 'em!" Mathers Of
fered, miserably.
""You will not!" Clara told him.
"They might have nine lives like a
cat, and come to life again. and can
not stand snakes for. parlor rcompan-
ions, dead or sleeping! It's between
me and your sqnirmingI friends, Tur-
ley!",
For a long minute Mathers looked
at her. Then picking up the rattler
he walked to the edge of the cliff and
hurled him far out.