Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-11-28

and she goes off to her comfortable bed,
suppose; and by .and-by the maid goes
fast asleep, and everything seemed asleep
but me and the lassie. There wasn't q
sound but the wind soughing among the
trees outside, and the murmur of the river
falling over the weir.
Well, the job went on, and still as it
went on the lassie seemed to grow weaker
and weaker, and then q big awful fear
came into my throat. She was dying
under my hands.
Conscience says to me, "Joshua!" says
she, "you're killing that nice fine young
gal, you're killing her for a hundred
guineas. ."-"H Hold thy tongue" [ says.
'It's no such thing. It's her mothers
doing, says l." If she be her motho-, her
breasts are as hard as adamant." But 1t
were nc use. Conscience has at me again.
"Joshua |" she says, otis you who are
killing the poor lassie. If your were not
at the Job, they could get nobody else to
do it. Joshua! throw thy comb and
scissors into the fire.
Gam dommed if I don't, tool" says J.,
quite sudden like, and I pitches my things
into the fireplace with clatter as 1
thought d wake up the maid; but she
slept too sound. "There goes hundred
guineas," says I. But now you should
ha' seen the look that crept over the las
sizes face when she saw what I were
about. Her great eyes softened and filled
with tears, and she put her little white
hand out of the wraps, and l took 1t IN
mine, and says I: "My dear, do you care
so much about your hair that you'd lose
the beautiful life God Almighty's given
you, and the sweet bright days that may
follow? 2"
"Oh," but she says, "mother!"
"Mother be-" Eh, I'm feared I
said bad word there. "Do you care ?"
says I, ay, just like that--"D you carea"
says 1.
And she shook her head. Well, I
picked up my scissors again, and in a jiffy
all the beautiful hair was lying on the
floor; and the poor head was dressed with
soft dressing, and I'd walked the maid,
and had her misses put to bed, right and
tight, and then I gives her kiss, yes, by
Il did. 1, Joshua Creecher, kissed
the Lady Felicia Felixstowe, and I says,
God bless her, as if I'd been her father.
And she called me as was going away,
and says she in a little whisper, give got
no money; take the hair"
The maid let me out by the back stair
case, without anybody hearing US; and
away 1 went right over hill and dale, as
tired and as happy as man could be.
But 1 were sorry about the hundred
guineas too.
Well, it were about six months after
that, tall, nice-looking young chap came
into my shop, and says he, "Creecher,
have you got nice plait of hair, real
golden hair, as you could sell lady as is
going to court?"
So, says ], "Well, no." for L never
meant to sell the hair as the young lady
gave me, never
"Well, but" says he, "you haven't
sold it, have you9"
What business is it of yours?" says I.
"My dear" says he running out to the
carriage, "it's gone!"
ooh, Creecher, how could you" she
says, looking ont of the window little
bit put out, but so sweet, too, bless her
pretty face! Ay, it were Lady Felicia
herself, as bonny as fairy
"Why, your ladyship!" says [. "Well,
I'm pleased to see you. Bless you I've
kept your hair for you, my dear and I've
done it all up in the most beautiful way.
Come in, my lord" says I.
ooh, I'm not lord" says he q" Pm
only plain Jack Thompson of the Holt; "
and says he, "Creecher, I owe her to you,
my boy"
"Why, how's that ?" says I.
Says he: "The Dock of Dovercourt
were wild to have her, and they say he'd
asked Lord Cromer, her father, for her
the very night she was buried; but when
he heard she'd lost her hair, and was
likely to be dis6gured, he cried off, else
they'd have forced her right into it; but
then / stepped in and carried her away"
"Ah,' says I, "and much joy 1 wish
you, Colonel Thompson, says I; "and
hope you'll accept this hair, Sir, as we'd
ding present.
"All right" he says, Creecher;;" but
he left Bit Of paper on my counter. II
was a check for hundred guineas.
So I didn't lose by the job, after all
And the carriage comes for me every tort.
night to take me to the Holt to do the
hair of the young people there; but they
come so fast that | say that they'll over.
master me-