Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1888-05-10

watch, and not more frequently on any
account, let your head disappear be-
meath the balsamic film with which the
surface of the water is covered. Do not
speak, and breathe only through your
nose. / will warn you when the process
is complete"
Mr.. MacTaggart entered the bath
room, with watch in hand. The odor of
the Oriental balsams made him sneeze
violently, the water was evidently very
hot, and was covered by thick oleagin-
GUS film. But Mr.. MacTaggart had
paid his five guineas, and he was deter
mined to have his moneys worth. After
little time he entered the bath.
Every five minutes his head disap-
peared beneath the steaming, oily sur
face.
In the meantime Cecil Dacre was not
idle. He rang the bell; Pippa and her
mother appeared; the one carried lit
tie charcoal brazier and flat-iron, the
other very small work-bag and big
pair Of scissors. They laughed immod-
erately as they set to work upon the
clothes of the young Scotchman. Three
inches were out off from the trousers
legs, the sleeves of the coat and of the
shirt; Pippa's mother worked with will
with her needles to refashion the extrem-
tiles OF the garments, and as.she finish
ed each, Pippa herself carefully pressed
the newly made seems with the hot fiat
iron. Then the physician dismissed his
two assistants, flung open the bathroom
door and addressed the bather.
"Come forth, young man." he said.
"You entered that bath miserable and
'puny specimen of humanity; you will
leave it in all human probability, we'll
grown. youth, of prepossessing appear
ance."
Mr.. MacTaggart did as he was bid.
He dried himself to the best of his
ability, but the balmy odors of the bal
sans of the East still clung to his hair. No
sooner was he dressed and had emerged
from behind the screen than the mock
doctor addressed him.
"Young man, said he, and his voice
was apparently momentarily choked by
emotion, "behold the result Of the won
drous bath of Bokhara. There is q con-
siderable change, I think" he said
solemnly.
MIR. MacTaggart had evidently grown
out OF his clothes; his arms and legs pro-
truded in portentous manner.
"Don't thank me-" continued the
American physician hurriedly; don't
thank me, but hasten home to bed to
sleep of the effects of my potent medica-
ments."
Mr.. MacTaggart bowed as gracefully
as he could, and left the premises.
The very first person he met in the
street was his acquaintance, Orlando P.
Jones. MacTaggart's appearance was
sufficiently striking. His ordinary
straight red hair was curly and extreme
ly odoriferous from the effects of the
turpentine. His face and hands were
the color of boiled lobster, and his eyes
were bloodshot from the same cause.
Goodness me-" said Jones, ct
shouldn't have known you. What have
you being doing to yourself?"
"Don't k me-" said MacTaggart;
"my happiness is too great for words,'
and his scarlet face was Illuminated by
q smile of celestial beatitude.
Before he reached his own house he
had at least met twenty of his acquaint-
ances. Each one interviewed him with
q similar result.
But the cup of happiness was rudely
dashed from his lips when his extremely
plain and elderly sister, Miss Flora
Mac Taggart, on her arrival, addressed
him in these indignant words:
"Eh! Donald, man, is it fou We are!
or simply fatuous9 that We have been
making Merry Andrew of yerself by
cutting doan yer claithes.
In vain the brother explained his visit
to the doctor.
Then the secret came ont, and Mr..
MacTaggart and his sister left Naples
for Rome within the twenty four hours.