The Washington herald., 1914-05-17

squarely into her couture. confess, the
hideousness of it paralyzed me.
couldn't move. My mind refused to
work. There, within two feet of me, the
ugly venomous devil was writhing in
her hair. 1t threatened at any moment
70 fall down upon her exposed shoulders
we had just come out from dinner.
What is it," she asked, starting to
raise her hand to her head.
Don't" l cried. DON'T"
But what is it," she insisted, grow
ing frightened by the fright she read in
my eyes and on my stammering lips.
My exclamation attracted Kersdale's
attention. He glanced our way careless
ly, but in that glance took in everything.
He came over to us. but without haste.
p please don't move, Dottie," he said
quietly.
He never hesitated, nor did he hurry
and make bungle of it.
ALLOW me-" he said.
And with one hand he caught her
scarf and drew it tightly around her
shoulders so that the centipede could
not fall inside her bodice. With the
other hand-the right-he reached into
her hair, caught the repulsive abomina-
ton as near as he was able by the nape
of the neck, and held it tightly between
thumb and forehnger as he withdrew
it from her hair. 1t was as horrible and
heroic sight as man could wish to see.
1t made my flesh crawl. The centipede,
seven inches of squirming legs, writhed
and twisted and dashed itself about his
hand, the body turning around the fin-
gers and the legs digging into the skin
and scratching as the beast erdeavored
to free itself. 1t bit him twice-I saw
he assured the ladies that he
was not harmed, as he dropped it upon
the walk and stamped it into the gravel.
But l saw him in the surgery FIVE min
utes afterward, with DR.. Goodhue scarf
flying the wounds and injecting perman-
ganate of potash. The next morning
Kersdale's arm was as big as a barrel,
and it was three weeks before the
swelling went down.
All of which has nothing to do with
my story, but which l could not avoid
giving in order to show that Jack Kers-
dale was anything but coward. 1t was
the cleanest exhibition of grit l have
ever seen. He never turned hair. The
smile never left his lips. And he dived
with thumb and forehnger into Dottie
Fairchilds hair as gayly as if it had
been box of salted almonds. Yet that
was the man was destined to see
stricken with fear a thousand times
more hideous even than the fear that
was mine when | saw that writhing
abomination in Dottie Fairchild's hair,
dangling over her eyes and the trap of
her bodice.
l was interested in leprosy, and upon
that, as upon every other island subject,
Kersdale had encyclopedia knowledge.
In fact, leprosy was one of his hobbies.
He was an ardent defender of the set
Element at Molokai, where all the island
epers were segregated. There was much
ak and feeling among the natives, fan
ned by the demagogues, concerning the
:ruelties of Molokai, where men and
not alone banished from friends
and family, were compelled to live in
Imprisonment until they died.
There were no reprieves, no commuta-
ions of sentences. abandon hope was
written over the portal of Molokai.
q tell you they are happy there"
Kersdale insisted. "And they are in
initely better off than their friends and
relatives outside who have nothing the
matter with them. The horrors of
Molokai are all poppycock. l can take
You through any hospital or any slum
in any of the great cities of the world
and show you a thousand times worse
horrors. The living death! The crea-
lures that once were men! Bosh! You
ought to see those living deaths racing
horses on the Fourth of July. Some of
them own boats. One has gasoline
launch. They have nothing to do but
have good time. Food, shelter, clothes,