The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-01-02

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The door of Miss Lucy's bou.
doir was open and, entering, she
saw Pauline and Haviland, with
horror stricken faces, gazing at a
terrible sight.
Miss Lucy Darlington, seated
before her dressing table, her face
white and CHASTITY, her large eyes
staring wide-staring horribly
but, without doubt, unseeing. Nor
was this all of the strangeness of
the sight. She was robed in an
Embroidered Oriental looking
gown, and wore many jewels. Her
red dyed hair, dressed deliberately,
as she had worn it the night be-
fore, was, still crowned with the
enormous comb Of carved tortoise
shell, but the comb was broken
to bits. One portion, still stand
ing upright, rose above the disor-
dered couture, but the rest, in
broken scraps, lay scattered over
the puffs of hair, over the white
hands clasped in her lap, and on
the floor at her feet.
"What does it meant whis-
pered Anita, shuddering, sis she
lis she dead3"
yes" answered Haviland,
briefly. He stood, hands in peck
cts, gazing at the startling figure.
"Whof WhatR--' Anita s
eyes riveted themselves on some
thing else.
Around the neck of Miss Lucy
was-yes, it was-a snake!
With a low scream, Anita flung
herself into Haviland's arms, but
he put her gently away from him.
Aghast at this repulse, Anita
put her hand across her eyes and
turned to leave the room.
mind where you go, 'Nita!''
called out Haviland, and the girl
stopped just in time to save her.
self from stepping. into a mass of
debris.
"Why!" she cried, "why, it's
Miss Lucy's trayI"
1t was. The silver tray that had
held the breakfast tea was on the
floor, and near it a jumbled heap
of silver and broken china that
had once been a costly Seyres set.
Dainty white serviettes were
stained with the spilled tea and
huge wet spot was near the over
turned silver teapot.
Hastily Anita ran from the
room, but she sank down on a
couch in the hall just outside the
door, utterly unable to go further.
Fascinated by the beady eyes
of the green snake, Pauline stared
at it with clenched hands. Havi-
land stepped nearer and lightly
touched it..
"Is it's it aliveY" gasped
Pauline.
"It' paper" replied Haviland
quietly. "a paper snake, a toy,
you know"
"But who put it there7 Aunt
Lucy is deathly afraid of snakes!
Did fright kill herr Gray, is she
-murderedF"
eyes, Pauline, she has. been
killed. But could it beAfright2
Impossible I"
mot for her! You don't know
her horror Of snakes Why, going
through the Japanese department
of a shop, I've seen her turn white
and fairly fly from the counter
where those paper things were dis
played"
"But what else killed herr
There is no wound, no shot,. no
blood"
sect the doctor, Gray! Don't
wait a minute. Telephone at
once"
"He can do nothing, Pauline.
She is dead" Haviland spoke like
a man in q daze.
"But, no matter, we must call
him. Shall IL"
"No, / will"
go into her bedroom. Use that
telephone by her bedside" -.
Obediently, Haviland went on to
the adjoining room, the soft rugs
giving forth no sound of his foot
falls.
The door was. ajar and, as he
opened it, he called Come here,
Pauline; look, the night lights are
burning, and the bed untouched.
She hadn't been to bed at ALL"
"Of course she hadn't. She has
her hair as it was last evening.
But her comb is broken
Broken IT'S smashed It's
in tiny bits! She has been hit on
the head. Don't touch her, Paul
|ine! You mustn't! Ill call DIR.
stanton. You go out of the room.
Go and find Anita.