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

taken me home to the halls of my fathers,
and happen were going to marry me to
the daughter OF the usurper to make all
square. But says I, "I'll stick to the old
woman" Not but what the flesh is
treacherous, and happen I'd changed my
mind when I'd seen the young one. But,
however, oil that was knocked on the
head when heard the sfunky tell me to
60 up to the housekeeper's room. 1t were
only dressing job, after all
Well, before I'd got well inside the
door, an old chap dressed in black catches
hold of me by the elbow. "Creecher ?"
says he; "Creecher ?'
eyes, Pm Creecher," says /. whats
your pleasure3" =,
ooh, you've to come this way directly"
And away we went along passages, and
up stairs and down stairs, and presently
we came to broad corridor beautifully
,carpeted, and the old man tapped at a
door, and young woman opened it, and
says she, "Is he hereY" ard the man says
eyes" "Come in," she said; "my lady
will speak to you directly" And | went
into little room as was beautifully fur
nished with easy chairs and sofeys, and
all the luxuries of the season.
"Well, my DEAR" says to the maid,
{" and SO your missis is going to the ball.
But it II be well-nigh time to 60 home
before she gets there"
"Hush!" !" she says, putting her finger
to her lips; and then began to think 1t
was death Job as I had got on hand. I'd
had such Jobs afore now, when the corpse
has been young, and with beautiful hair.
All, and many time my fingers itched,
for, says I to myself, it's pity such a
sight of beautiful hair should go down to
the worms, when it might be going on
enjoying itself atop of some other young
woman's head-eh, and / could tell you o
tale or two about that. But it wasn't a
Job of that kind, I found, as [ heard
somebody moving in the next room, and
such soft little moan, as it went to my
heart to hear it-ay, lad. And then
somebody came out-a tall, splendid lady,
dressed in black satin, as naughty as a
queen.
Creecher," she says-"are you Cree
cher? Don't speak, but listen to what I
tell you. A lady has had an accident
has been severely burned. sRemedles
have been applied-plasters, what not.
Her hair"
"I understand, my lady; you want me
to take it off. III do it in jiffy, if you'll
lend me one of his lordship's razors, for [
was that hurried when I came away I
left mine behind me. I've got my scis-
sors and comb, my lady," says [, pulling
them out, because as good luck would
have it, I'd just cut chaps hair as was
going to fight next"
"Silence !" she says, 'Creecherl" look
ing at me quite disgusted; and beckoning
the girl, she says, "Take the fre.shovel
and throw those things ago." But /
wasn't going to loose a good set of tools,
so I claps 'em into my pocket, and but
tons up my coat, and says l, "Now, your
ladyship." And she says, "Amelie, throw
something over the wretch" And with
that Amelie brought white gown with
sleeves, as smelt as beautiful as nosegay,
and she wraps me up in it, and caught
sight of myself in the glass, and thinks L,
you might take me for some parson when
he's agate at the seven commandments.
"Now," she says, "Creecher, hold your
tongue, and listen to me. Whatever hap
pens, she must not lose her hair; you un-
derstand, it must be saved at all hazards.
Now come and do your duty"
Eh, but it were pitiful to see the poor
lassie, half sitting, half lying, in a thing
atween an easy.chair and couch. All
her face was covered over but her eyes,
and they seemed to burn. Such sad. pitt
full eyes I never saw before or since.
She'd had beautiful long hair that came
down to her knees Almost; but eh, it were
in tangle, all knotted and twisted and
raveled together with the messes and
poultices and all kinds of things they'd
put on her head. No, there wasn't q
thread of it any where that wasn't bound
up and twisted. Well, l looked at it, and
l shook my head.
"My lady" says I, at would take me
twelve hours hard work, without stop
ping, to untwist all that hair"
swell. then" she says to me, "why
don't you begin?"
"But," says I, "your ladyship, do you
know what twelve hours is, sitting up
with man pulling away at your tangled
hairs? Why, my lady," says I, 81 don't
think as could stand the job. as am hale
and well; and as for the poor young lady
there, why, bless your heart, it would kill
her."
But her ladyship took no notice of me.
"Well," she says to the young lassie,
"you hear what he says: are you ready tc
begin2"
And the lassie gave little sigh, 6
heart-rending little sigh, and she says, in
feeble little voice, "Go on"
"But," says for I wanted to have ar
excuse to be off the job wouldn't dc
it under hundred pounds"
"Oh," says she, then you,shall have
hundred guineas."
That was temptation, mind you, to s
chap as wasn't much before hand in the
world, and hadn't ever had so much as
ten pounds in his pocket at once in all hi:
life. Bat l was sorry took the job, after
all.
81 nun have my supper" says, "frst
and think about it."
"Ring, Arnelie," she says to the maid
"and order up tray"
And bang-up supper L had in the little
sitting-room: chicken and Champagne
and what they call cure-or-so, out of {
brown jug; but 1 didn't think much {
that, and Id sooner call it kill-or.so, if
were were giving it name for eh i
did make my head sing above bit, and
only took about gill Of it, to see what i