The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-09-26

only less charming than herself, dwelt,
as | have said, on the first floor of Mr..
DE Ia Bois', the court hairdresser.
They had lodged there for some weeks,
and by punctual payments and careless
ness concerning the domestic accounts
had won the heart of their susceptible
landlord. lie saw that she had an in
ward grief-passing that of the ordi-
nary widow-and he ventured to i'll
quire what it was.
"Alisl she said, I" have a dear
and only nephew whose condition gives
me the greatest uneasiness. He has
ovcr-worked himself, aud is threatened
with brain fever; the doctors say that
IL we could only get him to have his
head shaved, all might be well; but he
had a splendid head of hair-indeed, a
great deal too much of it. No argu-
ment of mine will induce him to part
with it,"
This touched Mr.. De la Bois's profes.
sional feelings.
"Dcar me, madam, how l pity the
young gentlemen! 1t j; terrible thing
to part with ones hair, but still-we
could shave him better than at any other
establishment in the kingdom, and
quicker.
"Oh, don't care about the quick
ness" answered Mrs. Montfort hastily,
''the thing is to get it done thoroughly
| would give ESQ If Alfonso would only
submit to it. Don't you think, if he
came with me one morning you conld
get ii done whether he would or not"
"Well, really, madam, that would be
strong measure; still, if it is for the
young mans good"
"They tell me, Mr.. De la Bois, moth
ing else will save his wits; he is hall
mad already; entertains the strongest
illusions-that every / have--my
iewelst for example belongs to him.
They will belong to him some day,
poor fellow-that is" she added with
a sigh, eff he lives to enjoy them,"
"Poor, dear young gentlemen! and
you said ESQ, think. Well, l think it
can be managed for you. If you will
name morning, l will have four of
my strongest young men in readiness,
and ii you shall have his head shaved
every good; | will take him out
shopping with me; he is fond of shop
ping; thinks he is a shopkeeper some
times when his head is bad. lie shall
come here in my brougham. You will
know him in moment by his magni-
ficent head of hear"
",Just so; and in five minutes nobody
shall know him, madam"
Don't be in hurry about it. Let il
be done thoroughly" she answered.
And so it was arranged. According
ly, when John Riddel arrived in the
widows csrrisgc at Mr.. De la Bois's
and had just placed the parcel of dia-
mond lockets upon her sitting room
table, there was an incursion of four
strong young men, with combs in their
hands and aprons around their waists.
Since those
"Four and twenty brisk young fellows,
All of them with umbrellas,
Fell upon poor Billy Taylor,
And persuaded him to be q sailor"
there has been 10 such outrage. They
carried him into back room, fastened
linn into chair, and in spite of his bab-
bling about how he was a jewelers.
foreman, and was being robed (and
with violence), they shaved his head.
They not only effected this with great
completeness, but took their time about
it, as his aunt had requested them to
do, so that in the meantime she got
clear out OF the house, and nothing was
ever heard of her atterward, nor OF
the diamond lockets. 1t was supposed
to be the completest "shave," in the
slang sense, hat had ever been effected
Never since Samson's time had any one
suffered so severely from being crop
ped, for John Riddel not only loss OF
his hair, but his situation. The Messrs
Moonstones declined any longer to ell
trust their business to foreman who
had fallen into such shallow trap,
and lost them thereby 1000 worth OF
jewelry. They declared that it was all
through his insuflerable conceit, that il
he had not taken such pains with his
hair, or worn so much of it, such a
plan would never have entered the
head of that Modern Delilalr Mrs.
Montfort.