News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-04-26

|
noon. It wanted two minutes of the
hour. Just at that time the peace OF
Naples was much disturbed by political
demonstrations which were severely put
down by the authorities. The houl
struck. Twenty policemen, headed by
sergeant, appeared upon the scene; OF
course they proceeded at once to arrest
the thirty mysterious conspirators who
were still innOcently engaged in holding
Dacres string, Dacre and his friends
watching the whole scene from the win
dows of the Cafe Verdi with delighted
merriment.
Bnt the master stroke of Dacres in
genuity was the artfully arranged plan
by which he obtained feloniously sum
of five pounds five sterling from Mr..
Donald MacTaggart, of Leith. Mae
Taggart was an ambitious young fellow
2 of small talent, who had recently ar
rived in Naples to study art.
MacTaggart was well -to-do, excessive
ly stingy, preternaturally ugly and pre-
posterously shot. He was one of the
"unco guid;' he wouldn't foregather
with the other students, his ways were
not their ways, and young Mr.. Mac
Taggart, of Leith, was Stunned when he
was not made butt Of.
MacTaggart had one grievance against
Providence upon which he constantly
harped, it was his want of stature. 1t
was this weakness of the young Scotch
mans that the willy Cecil Dacre deter
mined to take advantage of, and at the
same time crafty his taste for practical
joking. Cecil Dacre was in the want of
e5 very badly indeed. He was always in
want of e5, but the want at this particu-
lar time was more than usually urgent.
One day the three young men met by
accident in the Cafe Verdi.
"That American doctors a wonderful
fellow" said Dacre, in loud voice to
his friend, Orlando P. Jones. "I won
der whether he is humbug!"
Now MacTaggart was sitting at the
table consuming dish of macaroni with
great gusto. no, I don't think he's
humbug," said Jones; "they say he
manently diminishing or increasing the
stature at will. I've noticed people who
| have been to him two or three times,
/ difference in their height. It's very
marvellous"
McTaggart, who had drunk in the the
| conversation with greedy ear, now joined
in with manifest interest. The two
young fellows gave him host of cir
cumstancial details. 'FYou ought to try
him, McTaggart, at any rate" said the
crafty Dacre.
"Any change in your appearance,
my Caledonian Apollo, would be ben
eft"
'I am thinking it would be very ex-
pensive, and I object to extravaganza on
princi pie" said the Scotchman.
"Well, you could beat him down;
now, at all events you could try" said
Dacre.
"Without o doot. I'll sleep on it."
said McTaggart, and he paid for his
breakfast and departed.
1t took the Scotchman a whole week
to make up his frugal mind, and then
he screwed up his courage to the stick
ing point and informed Dacre that he
should visit the American physician the
next day.
Dye ken where he lives, Mr..
Dacre?n
"Well, he lives in the same house as
do, on the first floor. He's a benevo-
lent old boy; you're sure to like him.
Jones here knows him very we'll; the
Scotch, you know You are sure to find
him there at 3" and they parted.
No sooner had the unfortunate Nc
Taggart turned the corner than Cecil
Dacre triumphantly executed cellar |
flap breakdown, to the astonishment of
the little crowd of Neapolitan bvstand |
ers; then he bowed to his little audience.
kissed his fingers to them, and started |
Oft as fast as his legs would carry him to |
his lodgings. The next day Cecil Dacrc
obtained the loan of his landlords first
floor for the day, and then he began to
busy himself in very extraordinary
manner. He secured the services of the |
pOrter's wife and daughter, the black !
eyed Pippa; they busted, they arranged, |
and rearranged the big dismal reception !
room on the first floor. Daere rushed |
out and borrowed screen and pur-
chased small bottle of turpentine; and |
then, in the bathroom, which opened |
from little passage which was built in |
the corner where he laid the screen,
he laid out at least half dozen towels. |
Then he ran over to the costumers across
the street and came back with fur robe
de cham6re, a long gray beard, and
close cap of black velvet, and a pair of |
big green spectacles exactly similar to |
those worn by the celebrated Dir. Faust !
in the first act of Gounod's s opera. Pippa,
her mother, and Dacre worked with a
will, and the two women, with many
gestures of astonishment from Pippa |
herself, took their departure, promising
that everything should be ready pune
tually at 5. Dacre ran up to the rooms
of the medical student on the third floor
and borrowed several of his largest and
most professional looking books, which
he placed in row upon the writing
table. Two gruesome looking anatomi-
cal preparations in spirit he also OBJ
tanned from the italian Bob Sawyer:
with these and human skull, procured
from the same source, he decorated the
mantel piece Then he put on the dress
ing gown, the long gray beard, the velvet
cap ard the spectacles, and he looked
very tremendous specimen of quack
doctor. When the travestiment was
he went to the window and
waited patiently for young Mr.. MacTag-
CART. He was not kept long in suspense.
The great bell of San Giovanni struck
three, and punctual to the hour Mac
Taggart appeared on the other side of
the street.
In the meantime Orlando ?. Jones on
his part had not been idle, for he called
upon at least dozen of MacTaggart's
friends and acquaintances, had short
interview with each, and he took his
leave with each of the people he had SO
honored with visit, laid his forefnger
to the side of his nose and appeared
amused.
As has been said, the bell of San
Giovanni struck three. A rather timid
knock sounded upon the outer door
OF the first floor where Dacre was w.
ing IN wait Dacre allowed it to be
repeated, then he flung the door open
suddenly. There stood MacTaggart.
"Have the honor of addressing the
American physicianl'' he
said
Enter, my young friend, said he of
the gray beard and green spectacles, in
loud but drawing voice. Take seat
nquirlng stranger" he continued, land
let me hear in what way can he of use
to you. You Sc before YOU he added.
''the celebrated old DIR. Jacob Townsend !