Show the man and the shako tue the reputed fascination of tl he e ser sla bents eye is the motive of a story lu in mr Ata biose dorres volume of tales entitled in the midst of life mr brayton kr ayton was tile guest of a friend nn an eminent emIlle ut zoologist whose specialty ot of hildeb lie he had a fine cine collection was snakes sll 1108 stretched eliod upon a sora sofa in ili ins his colvit room mr brayton glanced glin cod from the book lie was carelessly scanning while the summons to dinner add law in the shallow shadow under ills his lied bed two small points of light about na an inch apart lie gaye gave then theli no special thought and resumed sinned re his rending reading in a few ow minutes ho be gail gae e au in involuntary start ind and stared into the obscurity under the bed ills gaze disclosed the I 1 colls coils or of a dirge serpent tho the points of light were its oyes eyes but were no longer luminous points they looked into ills his own with a malign ili align sig alice brayton was vlas a brave man but this seemed nn all occasion in when diacre discretion was the better part of valor lie ile would w beat a retreat and backward so co as not to disturb the reptile but instead of the nio ement his will had bad shaped his lit right foot was placed in advance adi abuce of his lof loft t the snake did not move but its eyes seemed to become larger a 11 d more antl luminous I 1 abete were strange noises in craytons Bray tons cars as with reluctant steps ho be could not refrain front drawing nearer deaver the bod bed suddenly something him a hard blow upon the face ile he had fallen to the floor the zoologist startled by a terrific scream from frold above rushed to his friends room there lay brayton senseless As he bent over him he be glanced under the bed low how did this thing get here hem he exclaimed and pulling out the snake flung it to the center of the room where it lay without motion it was a stuffed snake its eyes were two shoe buttons |