Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1888-05-05

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 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 3. 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 a 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 q
very tremendous specimen of quack
doctor When the travestiment was
complete, 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 L. Jones on
his part had not been idle, for he called
upon at least q dozen of MacTaggarts s
friends and acquaintances, had a short
interview with each, and he took his
leave with each of the people he had so
honored with visit, laid his forefinger
to the side of his nose and appeared
considerably 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 ly-
ing in wait. Dacre allowed it to be
repeated, then he flung the door open
suddenly There stood MacTaggart.
Have l the honor of addressing the
newly-arriyed American physician!" he
said.
"Enter, my young friend, said he of
the gray beard and green spectacles, in
loud but drawling voice. "Take seat,
inquiring stranger" he continued, "and
let me hear in whst way can be of use
to you. You see before you," he added,
"the celebrated old DIR. Jacob Townsend,
a physician of worldwide celebrity
man, sir, he went on, "who has devoted
long life, prolonged by his own skill
far beyond the ordinary human span, to
the amelioration of the condition of the
human race"
''I'm afraid / have come to you on a
FOOLS errand, said the patient uneasily.
"No man who consults me, said the
doctor, sis guilty of an unwise a t. l
read your thoughts, young man. he
continued severely; "my eagle eye de-
tects the working of your puny brain.
You are discontented with your stature.
Say, is it not so!"
The patient nodded.
"Are you ready to submit to the treat
ment, young MANI Have you every
confidence in me"
I've every confidence, doctor" replied
MacTaggart uneasily, ''but heard that
your fees were high, and 1 thought, per-
haps, as I'm only an art student, you
might consent to make a little reduc-
ton"
young man," said the physician in
an indignant tone, edo not trife. The
paltry honorarium 1 exactis but to cover
the cost of the balsamic drugs used in
the treatment of such cases; they have
been procured from the deserts of Cen
tral Asia, after the expenditure of much
time, blood and treasure, but be assured,
young man, that the trihe wrung from
your parsimonious clutch will be i'm
mediately distributed by me to the
deserving poor"
"And you won't take any less2" said
MacTaggart, as he stretched out his re-
luctant hand and deposited five guineas
upon the physicians table. "Is the pro-
cess very painful, doctor" he said.
''There are two means of achieving
the object" said the physician, who took
no notice of the fee. "The one is pure
ly mechanical; it Is gradual extension;
considerable physical pain has naturally
to be endured. The other course, which
is equally efficacious and-quite painless,
is by means of medicated bath, but no
more than four inches increase in height
can be obtained"
II shall be perfectly satisfied, doctor,
with four inches.
Every good, young man, very good.
You know your own business best. Re-
tire behind that screen, divest yourself
of your apparel; in few moments all
will be prepared. So powerful are the
effects of the drugs, your clothing, were
it exposed to the potent vapors, would
be utterly destroyed. Strip, young
man" said the doctor emphatically, and
he pointed to the screen.
Mr.. MacTaggart retired behind the
screen, and did as he was bid. and the
venerable benefactor of the human race
disappeared into the bathroom. The
first thing that Dacre did was to empty