The Somerset reporter., 1903-07-23
ANTHONY
By TEMPLE BAILEV
Copyright, 1903. by 7. C. Mcclure

OSTOsEOsOsOs-Os-OO sCsOsOtsO@C
The Misses Hildreth never spoke of
Anthony's pedigree. There was a GER
tain flavor of the stables about the
word which offended their nice taste
His ancestor was Antonio L." Miss
Anne would say proudly. "The blue
ribbon winner at the bench shows"
Anthony had never won blue rib
bon. In fact he had not been entered
Charles, the butler, had advised against
it.
He'd never stand it. ma'am, his
nerves are that shaky." he had said to
Miss Angelina
But when he took Anthony for a walk
he met Tam the trainer. what cud
he git with that nose?" he had asked
disdainfully, and Tam had nodded
wisely.
But there, wouldn't tell the old
ladies that there wasn't any chance"
Charles had said.
For the world of the Misses Hildreth
revolved 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 modest
cab, while before an upstart yellow
brick apartment house across the way
tod
door and cockades on the hats of coach
man and footman. Charles helped Miss
Angelina into the cab. She was going
to visit 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 go in the
house there swept into the victoria op-
posite an individual-a lady, the un-
thinking might have called her. But in
spite of the borrowed crest and stolen
cockades, Miss Anne knew that no.
where in the blue book of New York
was there the name of a person who
wore a ring on her thumb
The fat, red face of the person peer
ed out eagerly. That's a darin' dog"
she said. Then the good natured crea-
ture bowed effusiyely 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 alluring 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 Hidreth mansion was the scene Of
n tragedy.
Bedtime came, and Miss Anne with
her soft, gray hair in decorous curl pa
of the big room. 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! Anne"
Wide awake in moment, Miss Anne
CROPPED for the matches, and at once n
faint glow showed the wonder in her
old face.
"Who called?"
She slipped out of bed and went to
the door. The hall was solid with
blackness. She listened--only the far
away hum of downtown noises
In sthe ominous stiffness came the
thought. Why had not Anthony walked?
She pushed the door of the closet open
and listened. But no gurgle of con-
tented doggish sleep came forth.
Anthony rs gone! ~'.-.- "r r..
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 grayish white light faced her. The
front door was open,
Miss Anne's nervous fingers played
across the buttons on the wall, and
lights hared up all over the house
Then the bell connected with Charles
room whirred in the distance, and
presently Charles came down in lin
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 a weary
vigil. and all the next day Miss Anne
wandered from window to window I'M
til at last she crept to the door to well
come her sister, and the slender little
women fell on each others necks.
81 woke in the middle of the night"
sobbed Miss Angelina, land called
you"
81 heard" said Miss Anne solemnly,
"but it was too late"
Charles looked over the heads of the
little ladies nj Mary, the housemaid.
Then he winked and tapped his fore
head significantly.
In the ghostly stiffness of the old par
lor the tale was all told, and the two