The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-04-12

squire POStlethwa1te shook his head
mildly. 1t was all very well for Mr..
Ponsonby to be thus lavish with his
counsel, but Mr.. Ponsonby didn't know
how it was himself. He wasn't married
man. His wife hadn't charged him
with particular commission, and wasn't
expectantly waiting for him at home.
"Let Mrs. Postlethwaite be satisfied
with her own hair" urged Mr.. Ponson-
by, nibbling at an olive.
"Women are never satisfied" said
the squire, gloomily.
"Then let her learn the lesson of con-
tentment."
"Women never learn" said the
squire.
But he recalled his friends good ad-
vice the next day, when he walked into
NJ. Emile Dupignac's Centennial Hair
Emporium"
NJ. Dupignac rubbed his hands as he
hurried behind the plate glass counter,
and begged blandly to know Z" in what
he could have the happiness to serve
monsieur"
"I want a SWITCH" said Squire Postle-
thwaite, n little uneasy under the bright
eyed regards of M. Dupignac's ten
"sales ladies'" who were dressed rather
more splendidly than his Polly, even in
her church-gong attire, and wore glitter
ing jewelry, which our honest squire be-
lieved to be real and of great price" "and
it must be OF this color" holding up the
sample, "and one yard long"
NJ. Dupignac critically surveyed the
lock, with his head first on one side and
then on the other.
cit is Of color truly ravishing," said
he. "But nevertheless I flatter myself
that can match il.
And he briskly opened drawer full of
long switches, neatly packed in narrow
pasteboard boxes, and odorous of cam
phor, and whisked out a mass of pale
rippling gold, which he held I'D to the
sunlight with Polly's lock laid against it.
Nature itself - cried NJ. Dupignac,
theatrically.
"No, you don't p said the squire, set
ting his teeth together like steel trap.
Comment ," demanded NJ. Dupig-
nae.
Put up that thing" said Squire
Postlethwaite, land shut the drawer"
"Monsieur would wish it shade
ighter?" queried the Frenchman. "Or
perhaps darker? Traiment, it is
mere matter of taste
Monsieur don't want any of that
sheared off trash," said the squire, Ia
conically.
NJ. Dupignac drew himself up with
Napoleonic dignity. "Monsiellr will
perhaps allow me to assure him." said
he, " that there is no better stock than.
mine upon this continent
I'm not quite so green as to swallow
everything l hear, if do come from the
country" said the squire composedly.
"Shut up that drawer, 1 say. None of
your secondhand scarlet fever and
smallpox for me. None of your dead
peoples clippings out of the hospitals. "
"But, monsieur - gesticulated the
Frenchman.
81 tell you," roared Squire Postle-
thwaite, waxing noisy she became more
in earnest, - won't buy single soil
tary spear of hair unless l know where
it comes from. I'll see it cut myself, or
I'll let it severely alone"
NJ. Dupignacs momentary expression
of dismay and perplexity gave way to an
instantaneous illumination of all 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. /
Laure p'-to one of the extravagantly
dressed shop girls" where, then, is
that poor girl who was here this morn
ing, wishing to sell her hair ?"-the girl
with les chereur dor, the head of real
gold that takes its burnish in the sun
shine? Does she still wait, Laure 2"
Mademoiselle Laure was not quite cer-
tain as to that, but she had the young
persons address. The young person |
should be Immediately sent for.
'Let her be summoned at once" said |
Nj. Dupignac, with wave of the hand, |
as if he was monarch, issuing n royal |
mandate. "And"-with a secondary
sweep of his arm toward velvet uphoi- |
stored chair-'f monsieur will honor
us by waiting but a few seconds, his
undeserved doubts shall all be set at
rest"
"Seeing is believing, " said Squire Pos
tlethwaite, cavalierly. And he sat down. |
softly whistling "Bonnie Dundee" and |
staring steadfastly out of the window.
In about fifteen minutes there was n
little hustle of arrival in the next room. |
NJ. Dupignac lif;ed a Nottingham lace
curtain which shielded the glazed upper |
half of the door of communication. and |
placing his finger on his lip with truly |
French gesture, pointed toa lovely blue |
eye young girl, dressed in faded and /
shabby garments, but with magnificent
pale yellow hair floating like a 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 it to us this morn
ing, said he; ''but we had not then an
to dispose of it. 1t is to
succor her needy mother, poor lamb!
They are poor but respectable"
You know them, then?" questioned
the squire.
Il know them well. '.Ah," added NJ.
Dupignac, sentimentally, chow one has
pity for the poorr'
=, "!ll buy it," promptly interrupted
Squire Postlethwaite. "There's no
danger of any scarlet fever or smallpox
there. She's as fresh as a rose and as
clear as pink. What will it cost ?"
'Look at the thickness Look at the
length of that cheUelure" cried this &C.
static Frenchman. ''It is cheap-posi- |
lively dirt cheap-at fifty dollars. But |
to secure monsieur's CUSTOM
'I'll take it." said the squire, with
alacrity.
M. Dupignac motioned to Mademoi-
selle Laure. Mademoiselle Laure tapped |
q tiny silver call-bell and n white-anron