Litchfield enquirer., 1879-08-14

"I believe she's no more Duchess than you are."
 Months rolled on, but though you had gone ever SO many times into Messrs. Moonstone's establishment you would not have seen Mr. John Riddel His flowing cataract of hair no more adorned the forema2s desk, over which gleamed in it's place-like moonlight after sun- light-the bald and shining head of Mr. Bolt byr And yet our hero was in the shop; he stood at tue counterin the further corner, where the youngest assistant was always placed Gin charge of the mourning jewelry), with Welsh wig on. His own mother-not to mention the Duchesses-would never have known him. He had fallen from his high es- tate, and was beginning life again on the low est rung of the ladder.
 This was how it happened. Mrs. Montfort and her niece, a young lady only less charm- ing than herself, dwelt, as l have said, on the first floor of MT. De la Bois's, the court hair dresser. They had lodged there for some weeks, and by punctual payments and care iessness concerning the domestic accounts hal won the heart of their susceptible landlord. He saw that she had an inward grief-passing that of the ordinary widow-and he ventured to inquire what it was. "Alas l" she said 'I have dear and only nephew whose condition gives me the greatest uneasiness. He has Overworked himself, and is threatened with brain fever the doctors say that if we could only get him to have his head shaved, all might be well, but he has splendid head of hair-indeed, great deal too much of it. No argument of mine will induce him to part with it."
 This touched MT. De la Bois's professional feelings. "Dear me, Madame, how 1 pity the Tk s1 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 quickness," an- swered Mrs. Montfort hastily ''the thing is to get it done thoroughly.I would give fifty pounds if Alfonso would only submit to it. Don't you think, if he came with me one morning, you could get it done whether be would or not ?"
 'Well, really, Madame, that would be strong measure :; still, if it is for the young mans good"
 ''They tell me, Mir. De la Bois, nothing else will save his wits he is half mad already entertains the strangest delusions-that every thing have-my jewels, for example-be- longs to him. They aoiW belong to him some day, poor fGllow-that is," she added with a sigh, Eff he lives to enjoy them.'
 "POOr dear young gentleman! And you said fifty pounds, 1 think. Well, 1 think il can be managed for you. If you will name a morning, 1 will have four of my strongest young men in readiness, and if you will bring hinlsheFe, I will promise you he shall have his head shaved
 saVery good will take him out shopping with nie he is fond of shopping thinks heisa sslopkceper sometimes when his head is bad He shall come here in my brougham You will know him in moment by his magnificent head of hair"
 Just so and in five minutes nobody shall know him, Madame"
 Don't be in hurry about it. Let it be alone thoroughly, "'she answered. And so it was arranged.
 Accordingly when Mr. John Rlddcl arrived in the widows carriage at Mir. De la Bois's and had just placed the parcel of diamond lockets upon her sitting room table, there was an incurson of four strong young men, with combs in their heads and aprons round their waists. Since those
 -Four r-and-twenty brisk young fellows,
 All of the with umbrellas,
 Fell upon poor Billy Taylor,
 And persuaded him to be sailor." there has been no such outrage. They carried him into a back room, fastened him into n chair, and in spite of his babbIlng about how he was a jewellers foreman, and was being robbed (and with violence,) they shaved his head
 They not only effected this with great con- pleteness, 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 afterward nor of her niece, nor of the diamond lockets. IL was supposed to be the completest shave" in the slang sense, that had ever been effected. Never since Samson's time had any one suffer- ed so severely from being cropped for Mr. John Riddel not only lost his hair but his situ- atiOn. The Messrs. Moonstone declined any longer to lntrust their business to foreman who had fallen into such shallow trap, and lost them thereby thousand pounds worth of jewelry. They declared that it. was all through his insafferable -conceit, and that if he had not takeusuch pains with his hair, or worn so much of it. such plan would never have entered the head of that modern Deiilah, Mrs Montfort. Bekgrauta. z
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