Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-01-16
CHAPTER. NJ.
The Burial in the Garden.

The Burial in the Garden. y,
Constitutionally. Mr.. Anthony Tag
| gett was not a brave man; whatever
bravado he put on for the profession he
put on with the clothes which were n
| part of the brayado, and shed it, as he
shed them, when the curtain fell. So
| that, at the moment when he was
caught in that strong grip and entan-
| gled in that disastrous sheet-he felt
himself helpless and at the mercy of an
| apparently desperate man-he capitu-
lated rapidly and completely. He fell
| upon his knees and sputtered out a
prayer that he might be mercifully
| dealt with.
| After what seemed very eternity of
| time he was jerkad to his feet and
found himself facing the strong rays of
The lantern. which had been picked up
and turned on again. Then he heard
an exclamation of establishment, and
the light was turned off swiftly; yet
still the tall man kept that grip upon
his arm. And still the body lay almost
at his feet.
you don't know me, Mr.. Anthony
! Taggett?" said a voice which seemed
familiar to him-"at least, you won't
know me at present. But you see that
l know you"
| "Y-yes-I-I-see you do" said Mr..
| Taggett, nervously. Let me assure
you at once that had-had no desire
| toto intrude in any way upon you
| or upon the other excellent gentleman
I can .di,nly see at your elbow. We
| all have our little-our little private
| businesses to attend to'-he glanced
| at that dim shape on the ground-"and
| 1 would not for the world interfere-in
an; such matters
Unfortunately, Mr.. Taggett," said
| the ;oice again, you have interfered;
! or rather YOU have blundered upon q
matter which, for obvious reasons, we
wanted to keep'to ourselves. Mr.. Tag
| gett there is dead man lying at your
| feet--(don't jump like that, nnan:l-ana
| we are about to bury him. I m afraid
| that we must press you into the service.
| You were ever a man with taste for
realism, Mr.. Taggett: you'll have it,
| with vengeance, tonight"
"Gentlemen," said the unhappy act
or. '"if you will permit me to return to
| the house and to take my place by the
side of the sleeping Mrs. Taggett, I
swear to you that l will be asleep in as
| short q space of time as is compatible
With my over-wrought nerves; and
that i will forget everything that 1
have seen or heard tonight. Gentle
men, l am peaceful citizen; and what
ever may be my desires in the way Of
realism on the stage. I can assure you
| that have had more than enough of it
| tonight. Gentlemen, ! would dissem-
| b!e:''
The tall man laughed grimly, and
seemed to take tighter hold of An
/, thory 1'aggett's arm. presently, Mr..
| Taggett,' he said, you shall look on
my face; you shall hear strange things.
shall have old lies refuted-shall look
upon man you never thought to see
again. Meanwhile, I pledge you my
word that if you will be silent, and will
help RE if necessary you shall not re-
gret it, and you will not be doing any
thing which should be against the con-
science OF good man.
Mr.. Taggett lad suddenly begun to
trcmble very much; he stretched out
one hand, and, in shaking whisper,
eXclaimed: Give me that lantern
| Guck!'
What do you want with the Ian
'tern?' asked the voice again.
II want to see your face" whispered
Mr.. Taggett. trembling, yet still in a
holder voice. II know your voice now:
] am shaken all to pieres-but, alive or
dead, Gilbert Rickerby, I know you!
| Give me the lantcrn!"
Let him have it - said the voice
again. apparently speaking to the little
man. who had been silent all this time.
| Then the light was turned on with a
click, and Mr.. Taggett stretched out his
hand for it, seized it, and tremblingly
turned the light upon the figure of the
tall man.
Keep it down, keep it down." wI1is-
pered the man. DO you want to rouse
the house, and bring them out upon us
in the midst Of this business? That's
it''--as the light fell upon his face Do
you know me now?"
my Laertes!" exclaimed Mr.. Tag
gett. with emotion. ITO look again up
on the face of one who has been, in
more prosperous times, my chief walk
ing gent! TO see The man who has held
Medora Taggett in his arms on occa-
sion what time she scorned the offer OF
his love! But, my friend, how come
you to revisit thus the glimpses of the
moon, to stalk at night"