OCR Text |
Show MY PET MONGOOSE Another half hour passed. Still the TRUE LIFE ROMANCE FROM THE man whistled, his eyes turned anxiousLAND OF INDIA. ly towards the open door of bis bedroom. A slight scraping noise fell on the mans ears. In the doorway stood An Experience with a Deadly Cobra a little gray animal, half ferret, half cat in appearance. The little monWhich Was Horrible While It goose that he had tamed to respond Lasted, But Which Ended to bis call like a dog had come to save Happily. The Incident about to be related tells of a sudden appearance of death and of a strange deliverance. It happened In India, and was told the writer by one who knew the hero of It. First must be Introduced the one whom the story mainly concerns. He was at the time employed In an official tapaclty connected with the railway, md was living In an out-o- f Station, in a part well known to be Infested with snakes. One night the official, half-wakin- g from his sleep, became conscious that Scarcely Two Feet from His Eyes He Saw the Hooded, Brown and Yellow Striped Head of a Cobra. his life. In a moment the mongoose had seen the snake, and in another moment it had sprung on to the bed and seized the reptile by the back of the neck. The struggle was brief, and with the feeling of a man who has just received a new lease of life, the official leapt from his bed and snatched the little mongoose in his arms. Instinct. HORRORS OF THE POLICE COURT. red-nose- d , Baker Hard Experience. How did you find out their stock was watered? Barker I dabbled in it Life. Millington Drake Not Only Wins Dis- tinguished Place in Scholarship, But Proves Crack Oarsman and Clever Actor. aristocracy, after four years spent In the Institution. In that brief time ho has won for himself two championships which make all other Etonians bow down before him. He Is captain of .the boats, which means that he Is the crack oarsman of the school, and he Is the best amateur actor the school has produced within the memory of living masters., Eton school Is close to the Thames, and rowing Is one of the principal sports. The river there Is narrow and tortuous, and while there Is no business upon It, it takes a skillful oarsman to guide a boat, for pleasure craft of all sorts, from big houseboats to slender racing shells, throng Its surface. Almost all the Eton boys row and It Is the ambition of each to become captain of the boats. Millington Drake had to prove his prowess with the oars beyond the peradventure of a doubt, but when he had proved It all Eton was delighted to honor himr. Three years ago, when he was 16, he was stroke of the Eton eight, which won the Ladies Cup at the Henley regatta. Last year he stroked a boat, which maje a record time In the Eton school races. The first week In June pf this year they held a water carnival, a historic pageant at Eton. As captain of the boats the American lad led the procession upon the river and was cheered by thousands upon the shores. They not only study plays at Eton, but they act them. The classes In French literature are specially fond of giving French plays, and this year the medium chosen for the display of their talents was that old farce, "Maitre Patelin, written and played in the thirteenth century and so well It is constructed that even sometimes revived in French theaters. Millington Drake was selected to play the title role, one of keen satire and broad humor, requiring a great actor to portray it well. So well did the American youth play the rascally lawyer and so great was the enthusiasm he aroused at the performance on Speech day, June 4, that the event was deemed worthy of special cable dispatches to the American papers. Later on that same day he broke another record at Eton. His recitation Tes of a passage from Molleres brila such was Femmes Savantes rewas liant piece of work that he called, an unheard of event at the Eton Speech day. As a general rule these performances nre just those of creditable, schoolboys, a critical from standpoint but perhaps, no more than mediocre. On this occasion, however, the really fine, natur- v. al histrionic genius of Millington Drake made the performance noteworthy. Drake was ably supported by a son of Augustine lilrrell, chief secretary of Ireland, on whom second honors wero bestowed. The Millington Drakes fortune was made In the stockyards of Chicago. When the elder Drake died his son and the latters wife went to travel In well-traine- d pair-oare- d e What is your name? asked the justice. Leggitt Fergrubb, your honor, anspeciswered the prisoner, a men of the genus hobo. You are charged with vagrancy, having no visible means of support, and being a common nuisance in the neighborhood. What have you to say for yourself? I haint got no visible means of support, your honor, but that aint my fault. Im out of work. Have you tried to get wrork? I couldnt begin to tell you, your honor, how hard Ive tried. I suppose not. How long is it since you have had any occupation? Bout a year. Or it might be two years. What was your last job? I had a position in a barber shop. A position? What kind? Juxtaposition, your honor; I was next. Six months in the workhouse! roared the police justice. Call the next case! Chicago Tribune. YOUTH CARRIES OFF UNUSUAL LAURELS. .AMERICAN Drake, an American Millington youth, lus achieved distinguishing success at Eton, the school of British the-wa- y he had been the victim of a nightmare. In his dreams it seemed to him that a great weight had been laid on his body. Every time he breathed he felt It pressing on his chest, until bit by bit he awakened to discover that he was lying on his back. The conviction that he had suffered from a nightmare was still on bis mind, and he Idly turned his eyes around his room, now' faintly Illuminated In the early morning light Then his thoughts turned to the thing that had oppressed him In his dreams. Consciousness had not removed it At every breath he felt that he was raising some mysterious and heavy object He stretched out his hand and encountered an Icy coldness; at the same time an angry hiss fell on his ears, and he drew his hand back quickly. Scarcely two feet from his eyes he saw the hooded, brown and yellow striped head of a cobra. He felt the bead-likeyes pierce him through and through. His mind was clear, but there was something In that fierce gaze that turned his body, as It w'ere, to stone. A minute passed, and then the cobra slowly sank down into coils. With this respite hope revived In the man. Should he wait until the reptile had .'alien asleep and then make a bold lash to escape? Half an hour passed, at least, so he judged by the slowly increasing daylight in the room. The official moved slightly. A responsive movement from the weight, that now seemed to have increased a hundredfold,. warned him that the cobra was yet awake. Then an idea crept into the mans mind. He began to whistle softly. The snake stirred slightly, but soon subsided, soothed, evidently, by the sound. WINS ETON HONORS First Thespian Why did you break to-da- y WLLINGIVN DZA&E For nearly 20 years they Europe. have lived abroad almost all the time,, visiting this country only occasionally. Young Drake was born In Paris. So it Is no wonder that he speaks French, well. The esprit de corps of Eton Is high, and no Etonian ever loses it, no matter how old he grows. It costs money to keep a boy there, and of this requisite the Millington Drakes have no lack, as their splendid entertainments in London and Paris have often proved. Young Drake has still a short time to pass at Eton before he reaches the sixth form and is ready to go to Oxor Cambridge or perhaps ford Harvard or Yale and that he has woo such signal honors in school is an earnest of the brilliant career that him. off your engagement with the leading lady? Second Thespian NEAR TO NATURE'S HEART. Because she had the cheek to demand that her name should be printed on the wedding invitations in begger and blacker type than mine. Judge. One on Auntie. Dont you know, Ethel, said the little girls aunt, whom she was visiting, that it is very bad manners to wipe your plate with your napkin? I suppose it is, auntie, was the little girls reply; for papa says we all have to eat our peck of dirt! Yonkers Statesman. , No! No! Not So! Yeast The coolest part of the day is between four and five oclock a. m. ' Crimsonbeak Not if you have succeeded in negotiating the night-keand find your wife awaiting your arrival on the inside it isnt! Yonkers Statesman. , y An Encouraging Sign. Our baby squalls all night long. Dont be discouraged. He may grow up to help nominate a president some day. Chicago Record-Herald- . I am just come back from the country, Where there re' birds and bees and things Of green and fresh young beauty, Such as the poet sings. I have tried to get for distant From the worlds loud, busy mart, And help my soul by getting "'Quite near to natures heart. But I couldnt stand the getting; Im back to the selfish mart; For I found that very buggy Was that same natures heart. To the grand woods I would hie me . To commune with nature there. But the number of her stinging pets Was more than I could bear. By the Old Gate. When the old farmer asked yon where you were last night I heard you tell him you were playing with two farm hands, remarked the first boarder from the city. You bet I was, laughed the second boarder from the city. What were you playing? Cards?' No, just playing Cupids game of hands. You see, these farm hands belonged to the pretty daughter of the-olfarmer. Chicago Daily News. d No Prospects. Sympathetic Little Boy Youre aw- The big wood flies they bit me. The spiders oer me crawled, The yellow jackets stung me Until I fairly bawled. Green worms squirmed upon me, I didnt have to go To the ants, for they came to me Till I was a holy show. fully tired of keeping house, arent, you, mother? ' Mother Yes, dear. "But there Isnt even much use in dying and going to heaven, is there?' Cause youd have a mansion on your-handthen. Life. Perhaps the heart of nature Is good for ones yearning soul, But for ones bitten body It offers naught but dole. Let those of soulful yearnings Tell of the joys it brings; But I think me of the gnats and flies, Mosquitoes and such things! ' Baltimore American. An Important Distinction. That dog, with a new muzzle acts he were mad, said the timid citizen No, answered the man of precise speech; not mad. Only indignant. Washington Star. s a&-i- f - |