The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-08-18

MY mind refused to work. There,
within two feet of me, the ugly ven
omous thing was writhing in her hair.
1t threatened at any moment to 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 care
lessly, but in that glance took in ev-
erything. He came over to us, but
without haste.
please don't move, Dottie," he said
quietly.
He never hesitated, nor did he hurry
and make a 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 eentipede could
not fall inside her bodice. With the
other hand-the right-he reached
into her hair, caught the repulsiye
abomination as near as he was able
by the nape of the neck, and held 1t
tightly between thumb and forefinger
as he drew it from her hair. 1t was
as horrible and heroic sight as man
could wish to see. It 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 fingers and
the legs digging into the skin and
scratching as the beast endeavored
to free itself. It bit him twice. saw
it-tholgh 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 minutes afterward, with
Doctor Goodhue scarifying the wounds
and injecting permaganate of potash.
| The next morning Kersdale's arm was
| as big as a barrel, and il was three
weeks before the swelling went down.
All of which has nothing to do with
my story, but which 1 could not avoid
| giving in order to show that Jack
Kersdale was anything but coward.
| 1t was the cleanest exhibition of grit
| | have ever seen. He never turned a
hair. The smile never left his lips.
And he diyed with thumb and fore
finger into Dottie Fairchild's hair as
gayly as if it had been a box of sailed
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 1
saw the writhing abomination in
Dottie Fairchild's hair, dangling over
her eyes and the trap of her bodice.
was interested in leprosy, and
upon that, as upon every other island
object. Kefsdale bad encyclopedia
knowledge. In fact, lepFosy was one
of his hobbies. He was an ardent
defender of the settlement at Molo-
kai, where all the island iepefs were
segregated. There was much talk and
feeling among the natives, famed by
the demagogues, concerning the cruel
ties of MolokRi, where men and wom-
en-, not alone banished from friends
and family. were compelled TO live in
perpetual Imprisonment until they
died. There were no reprieyes, no
communications OF sentences. "Aban-
don hope" was written over the portal
of Molokai.
I'll tell you they are happy there,
Kersdale insisted. "And they are in.
finitely better off than their friends
and relatives who have nothing the
matter with them. The horrors OF
Molokai are all poppycock. 1 can take
you through any hospital or any slum
In any of the great cities of the world
and show you q thousand times worse
horrors. The living death! The crea,
lures that once were menI Bosh !!
You ought to see those living deaths
racing horses on the Fourth of July.
Some of them own boats. One has a
gasoline launch. They have nothing
to do but have a good time. Food,
shelter clothes, medical attendance,
everything is theirs. They are wards
of the territory. They have a much
finer climate than HoHolulu, and the
scenery is magnificent / SHOULDN'T
mind going down there myself for the
rest of my days. II is lovely spot.
So Kersdale on the joyous leper. He
was not afraid of leprosy. He
said so himself, and that there wasn't
one chance in million for him or any
other white man to catch 1t. though
he confessed afterward that one OF
his school chums. Alfred STARTER,
had contracted it. gone to Molokai. and
there died.
you know. in the old days." Kers
dale explained. there was no certain
test for leprosy. Anything unusual OF
abnormal was sufficient to send fell
low to Molokai The result was that
dozens were sent who we're no more
! lepers than you or L But they don't