Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-03-18
A TATTooER's TALE.
He Describes he Queer Experience Ia
-.tts.-ao IA. rraff

when asked whether the demand for
his labor is large, said; ''You would
be surprised to know how many diff
Eerent classes OF people call upon me
to have tattooing done. | have a
great many sailors and boys, ofcourse'
but / cannot say that they are my
chief customers. | tattoo a great
many commercial travellers, who wish
a small mark upon their bodies as a
means of Identification in case of acct
| dent. Then ladies and children form
n large proportion of my customers.
A great many parents bring their chill
| dreu to be marked for Identification
in case OF loss or kidnapping. Chil-
| dren | almost invariably mark On n
left leg lust above the ankle. ! usual
" put on some small distinguishing
mark as a star, an anchor, a straw
berry. or often a simple dot.
The process is not painful. The
design is first drawn OIL the
skin IN India ink of vermiiioni then
it is a little pricked in with needles.
The other day a gentleman came IN
bringing two little twin boys, about a
year and q half old. They were dress
ed Just alike, and they were as similar
in every respect as two white beans.
The father wanted one of them mark
| ed. so as to be able to tell them apart
without trouble. So took one ofthe
little chaps on my knee, and pricked
a little dot on his LETT hand, on the
space between the thumb and first
| finger. The boy looked on with great
wonderment. but didn't utter a cry,
and went off with his father looking
at his hand. / have many lady GUS
TONERS. L frequently have calls from
ladies who wish some small mark for
the purpose of identification in case
of accident. Often they dislike to
have a mark put upon the arm es-
pccially society ladies. In such cases
/ frequently mark the shoulder, where
the mark will be concealed even when
in full dress. But | have very ire
ouently put the initials, and some
times the full name, upon the fieshy
part of the upper arm. had a
curious experience once. L was en-
gagged in tattooing Fred Padley from
head to foot at the Dime Museum.
One day q lady came in, and, after
watching the work for a time, slipped
a paper into my hand and asked me, in
a low tone, to come to that address
when | had finished my work at night.
| told her that it would no doubt be
! after midnight before / could call, but
she said, very quietly, The hour makes
no difference. Come when you are
done here Then she quietly disap-
peared. She was a woman ofremark-
able appearance, tall, with acomplex-
ion OF a peculiar, dazzling, waxen
Wilderness. Her eyes were large and
| black, and looked the more lustrous in
contrast with her wonderful complex
ion. Well, | finished work at the u-
scum about midnight, and then went
at once TO the address given on the
paper. 1t was in awell-known part of
the city, and the house was a fine
IDENTIFY watching for me at one OF the
front window, for, before | could ring
the bell, the door opened softly, and
she quietly beckoned me to enter. The
hall was dimly lighted. The lady was
attired in a loosely fitting white wrap
per, with arms bare, and in the dim
light, with her marble-like complexion,
her white robe, and terrible black eyes,
she looked like a very ghost. Beckon-
ing ME to follow, she glided up the
stairs and entered a large front
chamber, lighted by a lamp covered
with a shade, which cast a rosy hue
about the Seating herself,
she waved me into another chair,
and then spoke. Il have asked you
to come she said, to have my name
placed upon my arm. | wish it plec-
ed across the shoulder, where it will
not show much, and it must be in
small but distinct letters. But-wlll
it hurt much?' she asked, with a little
shrinking back and a slight start. l
assured her that the operation would
not be painful, but she sat a moment
in thought, and then arose and went
to her dressing-case. Il must make a
confession she said, suddenly turning
and displaying in her hand a small
bottle, which she had taken from a
drawer; Il must tell you that | am q
confirmed opium-eater; | acquired the
habit some years ago, when i'll and
taking morphine as a medicine, and |
have never been able to break it off.
| feel the need of the drug at this mo
ment, and | fear the pain OF theopera-
ton of tattooing. But | shall soon be
beyond the reach ofpain.' So saying,
she filled the hollow of her palm with
morphine from the bottle and swal-
lowed the huge dose at once, with the
aid of a little taken from a glass.
Il wish you to stay she resumed, 'un-
til | am fully under the influence OF the
drug, andthen proceed wiJhyour work
precisely as | nave directed. 1t will
be an hour or more before the drug
takes full effect Then she threw her
self upon the bed, and | watched
her silently from my chair. She
lay quietly for q long time with
her eyes fixed on the ceiling, but by
and by the lids dropped over the great
black eyes, and the long lashes lay on
themarble cheeks, and she slept; but
it was not Il healthy sleep. She scarce
ly seemed to breathe, and Icould per-
ceive only the faintest movement of
the white robe across her breast as it
slightly rose and fell. 1t seemed like
the sleep OF death. At length | arose,
and arranging my tools and colors,
went carefully at work. 1t was fully
an hour and perhaps two, before my
task was done, for | took the utmost
pains. But through it all she made
not the smallest movement, nor ut
tered the slightest sound. At last the
work was done, and | arose and look
ed around me. The lamp still burned
brightly, and the little clock on the
mantel licked briskly. Just as my eye
fell upon it 1t struck three with n pc
culiar, soft, far-off sound, like a dis
tant cathedral chime. | can not tell
why, but q kind of terror seized me.
| stared about me and listened, but
heardno sound save the ticking ofthe
clock. Then | realized where | was,
and a dozen fears suggested themselves
to INC. Who was this woman?
Was she married or single? Was this
a trick to entrap me? Had she taken
too large a quantity Of the drug, and
was she dead or dying? | shook her
slightly, but her hand dropped limp
upon the bed. 1t was long past
midnight, and / was in an un.
familiar part OF the city. Had she
a husband or brother who would
pounce upon me at any moment? II
she was dead, would l be held respole
sible? | glanced at the silent form up.
on the bed, and then, packing up my
tools, hurriedly left the house. The
next afternoon, while working in the
museum, | CHANGED to glance up and
my heart leaped to my mouth, for be,
fore me stood the lady of the night be
tore, her great lustrious eyes gazing
down upon me. Calling me aside, she
commended my work, paid me gener.
ously, and disappeared. l have never