The Washington times., 1916-10-24
Stories of
Stories
THE PYTHON.
Bg Jerome X. Jerome.


|IIE was q burly EnsllShman who
- had lived for years in India.
II i She was fragile and timid
English girl who had never
Travelled far afield. II she had not
loved him so dovotedly she would never
have consented to marry him and TO
leave her peaceful Devon home for the
hardships and perils OF the Orient.
Her hrst half year In their bungalow
In tho hill country of India was a period
OF stark terror. The swarthy natives,
with their cleaning teeth and rolling
eyes. frightened her. So did all the
strange new sights which surrounded
her. But chiehy-and to the depths of
her gentle soul-she feared the poisonous
snakes that infest the hill country. Her
terror of snakes was almost mania.
IL was oven stronger than her homesick-
ness for the dear land she had left.
Her husband loved her devotedly. But
he did not understand women. And he
had no sympathy with tImidlty and with
feminine nerves. He laughed aloud at
his little wife's fears and he coarsely
made fun OF her.
He was a sportsman and would never
have dreamed of trying to cure a dog
OF gun shyness by beating the scared
brute. Yet he sought to cure his wlfe's
terror OF snakes In n far more idiotc
way. He decided. in his own mind. that
lesson I'm, courage. And because he was
a fool hs at once put crazy plan into
effect~
Returning nome from a. days ride
late one afternoon he saw. a gigantic
python hanging from q tree limb. A
single shot from his rife shattered the
reptiles head. He slung the dead snake
across his saddiebow. Its head and tail
dragging on the ground behind him. and
he rode home through the twilight.
The man chuckled to himself as he
rode. For he saw a chance to try his
new idea of curing his wlfe's fright.
He laid the dead python on the
tioorSof his study and then dressed m d
his wife sat in their living room he
asked her IL she would mind going
into his study for a pipe he had left
on the desk there. ...
him., she, hurled to obey the. request
So sweet and pretty and loving did
she look as abe sped on the errnnd
that his heart almost misgave him.
Then he chuckled again. He knew
floor and would be frightened. But
she would quickly notice that the
python was dead; and she would
never again be afraid OF snakes.
THAT is the kind of fool he was).
hall and enter the study. Then he
heard her scream aloud in horror.
Shrek after shrek filled the bunga-
low. The man sat still grinning. THIS
shock would certainly cure her OF her
causeless terror. Presently her
screams died into stricken silence.
The man grew mildly worried. Per-
haps she had been silly enough to
faint. He got up and went into the
study.
There lay the dead python. where
he had left IL. There. too. lay his
wife. Around her slender body was
coiled another python-the mate of
the first. After the manner OF snakes,
this python had traced its dead mate
TO the bungalow. had crsRled into
the study through the open vsrsnda
window and had vengefu1fS attacked
tho young wife. as soon as she hat
set foot in the room. While her hus
band had sat listening amusedls to
her screams, the snake had KILLED
( her. - ','II 7
When the servants burst into the
study they found the man standing
there-quite insane-tearinR the MUIR
derous python to pieces with his
bare hands.
! tCopyrisbt, 1867