Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-09-24
ANTHONY
BY TEMPLE BAILEY
Copyright. 1909. 5u T. G. Aiccaars

AutiUuy y lHeTe was Il Ger
tain flavor OF the stables about the
word which offended their nice taste.
Ellis ancestor was Antonio L. Miss
Anne would say proudly. 'Tlle blue
ribbon winner at the bench shows
Anthony had never won a blue rib
bon. In fact, he had not been entered.
Charles. the butler. had advised against
1t.
He'd never stand II, ma'am, his
nerves are that shaky.' he had said TO
Miss Angelina.
But when he took Antliony.for a walk
he met Tam the trainer. what cud
he git with that nosef' he had asked
disdoinfully, and Tam had nodded
wisely.
But. there. l wouldn't tell the old
ladies that there wasn't any chance"
Charles had said.
For the world Of the Misses Hildreth
revolyed around Anthony, and they
fought off the monotony of their gray
lives by an absorbing devotion to the
little Skye with the banged hair.
One morning in front of the brown
stone Hildreth mansion stood Il modest
cab, while before an upstart yellow
brick apartment house across the way
waited a victoria, with a crest on the
door and cockades on the hats of coach
man and footman. Charles helped Miss
Angelina into the cab. She was going
to visit a cousin at Newport. She en-
braced Miss Anne and kissed Anthony
on the tip of his unaristocratic nose.
Take care of him, Anne" she said
as she was driven away.
AS Miss Anne turned to 90 in the
house there swept into the victoria OPP
posite an individual lady. the I'M
thinking might have called her. But in
spite Of the borrowed crest and stolen
cockades, Miss Anne knew that d o
where in the blue book of New York
was there the name Of d person who
wore a ring on her thumb.
The fat, red face of the person peer
ed out eagerly. That's a darlin' dog
she said. Then the good natured crea-
ture bowed effusively to Miss Anne.
but Miss Anne looked calmly over her
head.
"Who is that person." she asked
Charles.
Charles did not know, and Miss Anne.
with a shrug of her sloping shoulders.
trailed up the stairway.
All that day Miss Anne and Anthony
sat by the window in an upper front
room. Miss Anne embroidered and
Anthony lounged on his white covered
table and was bored to the point of
extinction. Outside the sun shone and
the wind blew with alluying freshness.
Within all was darkness and quiet and
inaction. And Anthony was young!
What rebellious plans ragged in his bos-
ON will never be known. but that night
the Hildreth mansion was the scene OF
a tragedy.
Bedtime came, and Miss Anne, with
her soft, gray hair in decorous curl pa
pers, laid herself down in.the stiffness
of the big Anthony's basket was
in a dressing closet close adjoining.
For hours everything was very, very
still. Miss Anne slept soundly, with
her little. soft. old face on her little,
soft, old hand, and dreamed the dreams
that come to such sweet saints.
"Anne, Amer
Wide awake In a moment, Miss Anne
CROPPED for the matches. and ut once Il
fain. glow showed the wonder in her
old face.
"Who cnlled?'
she slipped out Of bed ana went 10
the door. Tie hall was solid with
blackness. She l~istened-only the far
away hum Of downtown noises.
In the ominous stiffness came the
thought, Why had moi Anthony walked?
She pushed the door of the closet open
and. listened. But no gurgIe OF con-
tented doggish sleep came forth.
Anthony was gone.
For a moment the little lady stood
dazed. Then she ran through her room
to the hall and down the stairway.
AS she reached the bottom a square
Of graylsh white light faced her. The
front door was open!
Miss Anne's fingers played
across the buttons on the wall. and
lights Jared up all over the house.
Then the bell connected with Charles
room whirred in the distance. and
presently Charles came down in a linn
tied costume of slippers and long coat.
"Anthony's gone said Miss Anne.
and she wept.
Charles examined the door. That
Mary came In last. It's her careless.
ness" he declared.
There was no more sleep for the
household that night. Only n weary
vigil, and all the next day Miss Anne
wandered from window to window un-
til at last she crept to the door to well
come her sister, and the slender little
women fell ON each others necks.
II woke in the middle Of the night"
sobbed Miss Angelina. sand called
you"
II heard" said Miss Anne solemnly,