The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-03-26
Entertaining a Surpent
Music Prevents Reptile from Striking Player until Help
Arrived

What's ailln' you, lad? You look as
II something was sucktn' the blood
out Of your veins"
Dutton put his hand TO his head
nervously. "Me? oh. I'm all right"
and he laughed rather fOOlishly sand
then looked suddenly. fearfully. out
OF the window. He sat at the window
most OF the time. had noticed 1t on
my last visit-let'B see. that had been
nearly three weeks before.
! looked him over sharply, noticing
the wild. blood shot eyes. with tho
dark smudges underneath, the yellow
tint Of the skin and the raised hand
that trembled and shook AZ he wiped
the p0rspiratiOn from his damp fore.
head.
'iDutton, lad" said. as gently an
! could, for he was little more than
Il boy. and his youth was Of the appeal
ing sort, "I'm going to send you away
from here. You're going back with
me tonight and I'll send new man
out the hrst thing In the morning.
You can go up in the hills and find
the lady"
He stared at me with look OF hor-
ror on his face. His lips moved sew
eral times before he spoke thickIy:
"1Il never leave this hole alive.
Don't tell me-" and he looked over his
shoulder out of the window with a
peculiar expression Of expectancy.
There, there, old boy. never mind.
Well SEQ that you get away all right"
/ put out my hand to touch his shout
der reassuringly. and the poor devil
grabbed 1t and chung to II, sobblng
tearlessly in a way that touched my
heart.
went out TO mix him a bracinE
drink, and when came back he was
lingering his old jewsharp. We all
laughed Mt Dutt0n when he drew that
out and commenced droninE tunes
from It the first night of his stay
among us in this cursed country. He
could really make the old thing hum.
1t was worth listening to. II you cared
enough for music not to be too par
tiCuIar.
He paid no attention at all to my
presence. but sat there, mlttering and
mumbling to himself. caught few
words here and there, broken and
fearful in their expression. will she
come What Oh,
God! Shut the door She
can't what II see
the shine how could
MY God! End Il"
He laughed shrllly. horribly and
his head dropped between his shoul-
ders and began sWaylnE from side to
side. stood still, staring at him in
anazement. "A shlYer OF forebodIng
ran through me at the grewsome sight.
He was beyond any words of mine. I
cursed myself for my Carelessness In
leaving him alone for 80 long a time
without company of any sort. There
is something in the atmosphere-hot
and heavy-and the sounds one hears
when alone-God! yes! the sounds one
hears! that rasp on ones nerves like
the shrek OF dull tle-even on mine,
strong man that I am.
hunted around till found the old
violin that he kept there for my use,
and went out on the veranda, hoping
to soothe him with the melodies he
loved SO we'll.
The sun dropped behind the hills
and darkness was closing down like a
heavy mist. The hoarse dlrge OF the
frogs rose in a sudden tumult. 1t is
one thing to sit in tho cool quiet Of
the evening in Gods country and hear
the soothing chorus of the frogs. and
quite another to listen to the same
sound here It's not tho same sound.
any way. 1t seems to call you and
makes you think of the things down
there In the dark and damp. Ugh!
drew the bow over the strings lin
geringly, trying the tone, as did so
| heard again buttons awful laugh
through the low window.
began playing softly. slowly.
annie Laurie" that old. old love OF
the British speaking world, and my
eyes closed in my enjoyment of the
old fashioned melody. Out here the