Oakes Republican., 1902-01-10
CHAPTER n.
Anthony TaEgctt Takes OF His

When man has been cast upon a
rough world, at n moment when he is
totally unprepared to battle with it, he
is the more grateful for any unexpected
haven of rest which may be offered to
him, even teEpol arily. So With Mr..
Anthony Tageett, tragedian; he had
been brought down as low as man
can we'll be brought, aad, having been
offered temporary shelter in Rckerby's
Folly, was in no hurry to leave a place
which, 20 him, at least had nothing of
terror about it.
Nugent Leathwood for his part. had
Eut one desire in his mind at that tima;
to keep everyone quiet and to prevent
awkward questions being asked. This
man-Anthony Taggett-and his wife,
mad come most strangely to the place,
demanding to see Gilbert Rickerby;
and although Gilbert Rickerby was, as
far as the world was concerned, de-
Gently buried and done with, Leath-,
wood had always a dreadful fear
knocking at his heart that some man or
woman might start up out of the past
to show forth the fraud of the thing;
that, Of all the doors he had so careful
ly closed, one might be left sufficiently
open to let in suspicion. Thus it was
that he allowed Taggett and his wife
to remain there for a few days, until
as Mr.. Taggett expressed it-"they had
time to grasp the situation and look
about them'
Truth to tell, Anthony Taggett Was
in no hurry to grasp the situation, be-
Sord seeing pretty clearly that he was
comfortable where he was, and could
go and come as he liked. For this feel
ing one must not be too ready to blame
him; he had had a hard struggle with
the world, and fought his way pretty
cheerfully, ali things considered; small
wonder that he was glad to rest for
little time by the waysile, and contem-
plate, with that serenity which was
alike part of the man and his profess
sion, the past-big with failures-and
the future-equally big with hope. Per-
haps she showed pretty clearly what
his feelings were on that matter in a
conversation with Mrs. Taggett on the
morning of that eventful day which
brought MIR. George Reeks to Kicker
bys Folly.
MY love, we are, in certain sense,
in clover. We toll not, neither do we
spin; and although there is nothing
particularly glorious about our raj
ment''-he held out the skirts of his
shabby coat and inspected them mar
rowly-"that is matter which may be
renaedied in the near future. More than
all. my dear Medora, this pause i'll our
affairs gives us opportunity to think
20 plan for ourselves, as we never vet
had an opportunity for planning any
thing
"Yes-that's all very well, Anthony"
responded Mrs. Taggett, "but you must
not forget that we are living in
strange mans house, and on charity"
CHARITY, Medora" Mr.. Taggett ap-
peared much panied at the employing
OF such a word in connection with him
self There is no question Of charity;
the man who condescends to act for a
space as my host, receives in return the
benefit Of such views of life and men
and manners as I care to give him"
and which generally send him to
Sleep interpo1ated Mrs. Taggett, with
a laugh.
THAT is his fault and not mine," said
Taggett, severely. And you must re-
member, Medora, that in this world
each man grasps for himself the chance
that tickle Fortune offers him; this is
our chance; we rest, after unmerited
pIivations; we fill ourselves with the
fruits Of the eartl-and no payment
asked, which is a tonsideraticn-and we
store our minds with those glorious sit
uatyns which will, in the near future,
cause a dull world to gasp and rub it's
eyes. In a word Medora, the whole
plan of my proposed drama is changed;
the lift-boy is a thing of the past; the
pantechicon goes by the board, and the
first act opens in a double house. with
a murder in the back drawing room,
and the villain drinking himself to
death from remorse in the conservatory
and dying in toiurec tn a wicker chair.
double set, my love, With passage
down the center and practicable
doors.'0
well, I'm sure. Anthony, I hope
something will be done with the drama
cne of these days. When I married
you-five years ago-your first act
started outide village public house;
then, during the honeymoon, you got
inside the public house, with real beer,
drawn by the barmaid; little later,
and we got up the village street, and
| started al! over again, at the black
smiths, With real horse and u forge,
and real sparks going up the chimney;
| incidental music to suggest the 'Har-
monious Blacksmith Then we became
| aristocratic; and we opened with a
| dance at the old manor house on the
hill, with the squire cursing his son
! (real curSesD and the girl who loved
him weeping in the freight; STOW eff
| feet outside In fact AnthOny we've
gradually got everywhere with that
drama of yours; and yet, if may say
so, we've never got anywhere at ALL"
'Ne,!ora, 1 have come to the conclu-
sion that the gods have gifted me with
too much Imagination. If you laugh,
hear, or seem to hear Immediately, an
techoing laugh above us from the gall
lery; If you weep, I hear a sob from a