Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-10

headed by sergeant, appeared on the
scene; of course they proceeded at once
to arrest the thirty mysterious consplra-
tors who were still innocently engaged
in holding Dacre's string, Dacre and his
| friends watching the whole scene from
the windows OF the Cafe Verdi with de-
lighted merriment.
But the master stroke of Dacre's in
genuity was the artfully arranged plan by
which he obtained feIoniously sum of
five pounds five sterling from Mr.. Donald
MaeTaggart, of Leith. MacTaggart was
an ambitious young fellow OF small talent,
who had recently arrived in Naples to
study art.
MacTaggart was well-to-do, excessive
" stingy, preternaturalIy ugly and pre-
| posterously short. He was one of the
.suncoguid''; he wouldn't foregather with
the other students, his ways were not their
ways, and young Mr.. MacTaggart, of
Leith, was Stunned when be was not made
| a butt of.
MacTaggart had one grievance against
| Providence upon which he constantly
harped; IT was his waste of stature. It was
this weakness of the ynnng Scotchman's
that the willy Cecil Dacre determined to
take advantage of, and at the same time
/ :,
Cecil Dacre was in the want of Go very
badly indeed. He was always in want of
e5 but the want at this particular time
was more than usually urgent. One day
the three young men met by accident in
the Cafe Verdi
"That American DOCTORS wonderful
| fellow" said Dacre, in loud voice to his
friend, Orlando P. Jones. 81 wonder
! if he's hlmbug!"
Now MacTaggart was sitting at the
table consuming dish of macaroni With
great gusto. mo, l don't think he's a
humbug," said Jones; ''they say ne really
does possess the secret of permanently
diminishing or increasing the stature at
will. I've noticed people who have been
to him two or three times, and there was
always an extraordinary difference in
their height. It's very marvellous"
MacTaggart, who had drunk in the con-
versation with greedy ear, now Joined in
it with manifest interest. The two young
fellows gave him host of circumstantial
details. "You ought to try him MacTag
CART, at any rate,'' said the crafty Dacre.
"Any change in your appearances my
Caledunian Apollo, would be a benefit"
Il am thinking it would be very expen-
rive, and [ object to extravaganza on
'WelI, you might beat him down; at all
events you could try" said Dacre.
without doot. I'll sleep on it." said
MaoTaggart, and he paid for his breakfast
and departed.
1t took Scotchman whole wsek TO
make up his frugal mind, and then he
screwed his courage up to the sticking
point and informed Daere that he should
| Al r. 80. h., 4
"D'ye ken where he dwells, Mr.. Dacre?"
"Well, he lives in the same house as l
do, on the first floor. He's benevolent
old boy; you're sure to like him. Jones
here knows him very we'll; the Yankees are
almost as clannish as the Scotch, you
know. You are sure to find him there at
g." and then they parted.
No sooner had the unfortunate Mac
Taggart turned the corner than Cecil
Dacre trlumphantly executed cellar flap
breakdown, to the astOnishment of the
little crowd of Neapolitan bystanders;
then he bowed to his audience, kissed his
finger tips to them and started off as fast
as his legs would carry him to his lodg
ings. The next day Cecil Dacre obtained
the loan of his landlords first floor for the
day, and then he began to busy himself
in very extraordinary manner, He Sc
cured 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 tirsj
floor. Dacre rushed out and borrowed 3
screen and purchased a small bottle of
turpentine; and then, in the bath room,
which opened from little passage which
was constructed in the corner where he
had 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 chembre, long
gray beard, and close cap of black vel
vet, and pair of big green spectacles ex-
actly similar to those worn by the cele-
brated DR.. Faust in the act first of Gou-
mods opera. Pippa, her mother and
Dacre worked with a will, and the two
women with many gestures of astonish-
ment from Pippa herself, took their de-
parture promising that every thing should
be ready at punctually 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
anatomical preparations IN spirit he also
obtained from the Italian Bob Sawyer;
with these and a 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 and the spectacles, and he looked
very tremendous specimea of quack
doctor, When the travestiment was COM
plete, he went to the window and waited
patiently for young Mr.. McTaggart. He
was not kept long in suspense. The great
bell Of San Giovanni struck three and
puuctual to the hour MacTaggart appear
ed on the other side of the street.
In the meantime Orlando P. Jones on
his part had not been idle, for he called
upon least a dozen of MacTaggart's
friends and aquaintances, had short in
terview with each, and as he took his leave
with each of the people he had so hon
ored with visit, laid his forefnger to
the side of his nose and appeared consid-
cradle amused.
As has been said, the bell of San
Giovanni struck 5. A rather timid knock
sounded upon the outer door of the first
floor where Dacre was lying in wait.
Dacre allowed it to be repeated, then he
flung the door open suddenly. There
stooa MacTaggart.
Have | the honor of addressing the
newly arrived American physician?" he
said.
ENTER, my young FRIEND" said he of
the gray beard and green spectacles, in
loud but drawing voice. take seat,
inc uiring stranger, "he continued, land
let me hear in what way can be of use to