The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-04-12


and then on tho other.
ut is Of a color truly ravishing,'
said he. 'sBut nevertheless I flatter |
myself that can match it,"
And he briskly opened drawer full !
Of long switches, neatly packed in mar:
row pasteboard boxes, and odorous of
camphor, and whisked out mass of
pale ripping gold, which he held up
to the sunlight with Polly's lock laid
against It.
"Nature itself!' cried NJ. Dupignac,
theatrically.
"No, you DON'T said the Squire, set.
ting his teeth together like a steel
trap.
"Comment?" demanded NJ. Dupig.
nae.
PUT up that thing" said Squire
Postlethwalte, "and shut the drawer"
"Monsieur would wish it a shade
lighter!" queried the Frenchman. Cor
perhaps darker! vraiment, it is mere
matter of taste.''
"Monsieur don't want any of that
sheared.of trash,'' said the Squire,
laconically.
NJ. Dupignac drew himself up with
Napoleanic dignity. "Monsieur will
perhaps allow me to assure him." said
he, "that there is no better stock than
mine upon this continent"
"1'm not quite so green as to swal-
low every thing I hear, If do come
from the country" said the Squire,
composedly. ''Shut up that drawer, l
say. None of your secondhand scar
let fever and smallpox for me. None
Of your dead peoples clippings out of
the hospitals"
"But, monsieur" gesticulated the
Frenchman.
II tell you" roared Squire Postleth.
waite waxing noisy as he became more
in earnest, II won't buy single soil.
tary spear Of hair, unless know where
it comes from. Ill see it cut myself,
or III let it severely alone"
NJ. Dupignac's momentary express
sion of dismay and perplexity gave way
to an instantaneous illumination of the
facial muscles.
"By all means, by all means, if mon
sieur wishes it" cried he, fitting the
five fingers of one hand against the five
fingers of the other. Monsieur shall be
satisfied. I court publicity. I-Laure!'
Ito one of the extravagantly dressed
shop girls-'where, then, is that poor
girl that was here this morning, wish.
ing to sell her hair?-the girl with les
cheveux dor, the head of real gold
that takes it's burnish in the sunshine?
Does she still wait, Laure %
| Mademoiselle Laure was not quite
certain as to that, but she had the
yonng PERSONS address. The young
person should be Immediately sent
for.
'Let her be summoned at Once,'
said NJ. Dupignac, with a wave of the
hand, as if he was monarch, issuing
royal mandate. "And,' with a Sec
ondary sweep of the arm toward a vel
!! vet upholstered chair-''if monsieur
will honor us by waiting bat a few sec.
onds his undeserved doubts shall all be
set at rest
''Seeing is believing" said Squire
Postlethwaite, cavalierly. And he sat
down, softly whistling Bonnie Dun.
dee, and staring steadfastly out of the
window.
In about fifteen minutes there was a
little hustle of arrival in the next
room. NJ. Dupignac lifted a Noting
ham lace curtain which shielded the
glazed upper half of the door of COM
munication, and placing his finger on
his lip with truly French gesture,
pointed to lovely blue.eyed young
girl, dressed in faded and shabby gar
ments, but the magnificent pale yell
low hair floating like glory down
over her shoulders.
"By Jove!' calculated the Squire,
"that's splendid head of hair -
NJ. Dupignac shrugged his shoulders.
"She offered to sell 1t to us this morn
ing," said he; "but we had not then
an opportunity to dispose of it. It is
to succor her needy mother poor lamb!
They are poor but respectable
''You know them, then :" questioned
the Squire.
II know them well. Ah," added
NJ. Dupignac, sentimentally, show
one has pity for the poor -
"1'll buy It," promptly interrupted
Squire Postlethwaite. ''There's no
danger Of any scarlet fever or small
psx there. She's as fresh as rose
and as clear as pink. What will it
cost?''
"Lok at the thickness! look at the
length of that chevelure cried the
ecstatic Frenchman. sit is cheap
positively dirt cheap-at fifty dollars.
But to secure monsieur's custom-''
"I'll take it," said the Squire, with
alacrity.
NJ. Dupignac motioned to MAIDEN.
oiselle Laure. Mademoiselle Laure
tapped tiny silver call. bell, and a
white aproned man in the next room,
who looked like a barber in disguise,
went ruthlessly at work shearing away
the long yellow locks. AS one by one
he dropped them into fat willow
basket at his side, the girl put her
pocket.hapdkerchief to her eyes and
visibly sobbed.
''Poor girl! poor child!' said Squire
Postlethwaite, feeling an uncomfort-
able sensation Of tightness in the region
of his heart. "It's shame-but then,
it she's compelled to part with it, 1 may
as well buy as any one else. Here, you
monsieur, just give her this ten.dollar
bill over and above the bargain. l can t
endure to see pretty girl cry-never
could" Which, If the reader pauses to
reflect, made Mrs. Postlethwaite' s
switch come very dear,
However, the Squire trudged off,
with the yellow treasure neatly pack
ed in one of the long pasteboard boxes.
For he sat and waited for it to be
woven into stem, sooner than be in
any wise deceived by any article that
was not the genuine one.
"At all events" chuckled the Squire
to himself, 1--WE outgeneraled the