The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1912-02-07
The Snake
Habit

II Turley Mathers had not had an
attractive personality he never would
have lasted as a figure liz society. be-
cause the most amiable Of hostesses
might be pardoned for disappearing a
caller who insisted on SHINING snakes
on her front porch and demanding adj
miration for their lines and colors.
The year he spent the summer at
Wigwam lake is still recalled solemnly
as a landmark by the cottagers. All
the children we're 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 a person of scientific attachments
and had a perfectly valid excuse for
studying snakes. Nobody could say
he did II to be unique or troublesome
II 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 q snake perch
on your forefnger.
Mathers met Clara Baysworth out
west when her party and his combined
for a camping trip through a noted
canyon, and the acquaintance pro-
crossed 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 q 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 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, deity grabbed it around
its neck with three fingers and held
1t up to be admired. Persons who do
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 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.
Go away" she got out in a
strangled voice. "If you come any
nearer I'll stick hatpins into you'll"
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 a shrieks arose
from his victims.
IL hate you!" Clara Baysworth
told him wildly.
ne . pcIACCl DSdulys MdluSTS
announced firmly, "and 1 want him for
specimen" Then he shrugged his
shoulders. "Oh, WELL" he said, 81
suppose I can strangle the little beg
gsr!"
His fingers frightened their clasp
around the scaly neck and presently
the RATHER hung limp. Putting him in
convenient box and slowing the box
In his pocket, Matbers 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.
I'll listen to you," she said, when
you stop being so perfectly foolishi
And II you ask me again to marry you
while you are carrying that thing
around with you I'm scream!"