The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-04-12
The Snake
Habit

have lasted as a figure in society, be-
might be pardoned for disappearing a
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 a landmark by the cottagers. All
the children 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 it was that Mathers
was a person Of scientific attachments
and had a perfectly valid excuse for
studying snakes. Nobody could say
he did it 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 flabby state
that you would have let a snake perch
on your forefinger.
Mathers met Clara Baysworth out
west when her party and his combined
for a camping trip through a noted
canyon, and the acquaintance pro-
gressel 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 sum
baked road. There, lazily stretched
out, lay a rattlesnake. Mathers says
it was a mere baby snake of a foot
ard 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 gurgle of
pleasure, had slipped to the ground,
swept the snake into a heap with his
straw hat, deftly grabbed it 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-
v~;cition instantly settled upon the
stageload Of travellers that any MAJ
who would deliberately pick up a rat
ter must be insane. Clara Baysworth
got her voice first as Mathers, still
h%clding his prize, started to climb
Lack TO his seat by her side.
eco 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 c!asped their SONS to
tAcm and glarcd at Mathers. women
thrunk into corners and fixed him
Nith implnring eyes. Clara frowned
1T him, pale and desperate.
Why" Mathers began soothingly,
and put Gle foot upon the hub of the
wheel. But a series a shrieks arose
from his victims.
u hate you'll" Clara Baysworth
told him wildly.
lies a perfect beauty" Matters
announced firmly, "and I want him for
a specimen" Then he shrugged his
shoulders. ooh, WELL" he said, II
suppose I can strange the little beg
gar!!"
His fingers frightened their clasp
around the scaly neck and presently
the rattler 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.
"1ll 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 In scream!"
Somebody who was brave opened
the box the next morning to e the
dead snake and the camp nearly broke
up oS LAo l0lIlSA W4lhSU OAc eye duU
waved his tail at the Mortified med
dler, having survived his choking, as
Mathers had known he would. Math-
ers paled before Clara Baysvorth'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 are whether 1t is science Or
not! You might experiment with
guinea pigs or ducks!"
"TTl chloroform 'em!" Mathers Of
fered, miserably.
"You will mott" Clara told him.
They might have nine lives like .
cat and come to life again, and I can
not stand snakes for parlor compan-
ions. dead or sleeping! It's between
me and your squirming friends. Tur-
ley!"
For a long minute Mathers looked
at her. Then picking up the RATHER
H. -.-Vf.S = - ..E- 49, .Sam -