Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-09-15


years rent Of the studio, my board bill,
washer-woman, future career, all. My
Psyche Is promised place In the Run
den Saal, from which either museums
or private individuals buy all but
| trash"
Get old Sigwart to take a cast of
her face" suggested Herr Inland.
mot bad idea; the very thing, in
fact, IL the Countess Valerie and Miss
Langdon do not object"
"What Is to be done, and how long
will Il takc?" asked, feeling rather
alarmed, and noticing that Valerie
turned shade paler.
''It would be done in less than an
hour, and with very little discomfort
beyond smcaring some butter on the
little girls front hair, and putting long
paper tubes in her nose. Gould you
stand that for few minutes, Count
esp"
Valerie laughed, and said she would
like to have the soft warm plaster
poured over her face.
"Old Sigwart's den is not a dozen
steps from here, and tomorrow after
noon we could make pilgrimage there
and have it all over before the castle
clock struck five"
"You are quite sure 1t will do Valerie
no harm, TracyP"
mot the very least"
The next day, in profound secrecy,
of course, VIC went TO old Herr Sig
warts workship. In spite OF all their
CHEEKY speeches to the contrary, | felt
very uneasy, and wished l had not
given my consent to the cast being
made, but the preparations were all
| completed. and could not withdraw.
Besides, it was all for Tracy's sake,
and this thought gave me more cour-
age; with the aid of the cast, he could
work without Valerie. A man
strangely white, like a miller, or snow
man, received us and was introduced
as Herr Sigwart.
"Let us begin without delay" l
said, nervously; 1--WE must not be out
late"
Valerie lay down on sofa, and we
covered her up carefully to the chin,
in sheet. The pretty rings of hair
on her forehead were then smcarcd
back with butter to keep the plaster
from sticking, and towel wrapped
closely where the line of butter
| ceased.
4" Ii has such n horrid smell, Miss
Langdon!' was the only complaining
speech she made.
Her eyebrows received like treat
mcnt, and to protect her eyes and
lashcs, oval bits of paper dipped in
sweet oil were laid over them, closing
them quite tight and safe. Tracy
twisted tubes of paper foot or more
long, which were put in her nostrils,
and then the old snowman APP
preached with his basin of liquid
| plaster.
L" Are you ready, Valcrier
Eyes, all ready"
"Thcn close your mouth and don't
be frightened when you feel the plaster
on your face"
mo, dear; give me your hand, and
then they may begin"
A funny little object she was, lying
there rolled in sheet like bolster,
with her hair slimcd away out of
sight, her eyclids battcncd down, and
her pretty nose made ridiculous with
the paper horns. She was still more
startling to look upon as Herr Sigwart
began to slap large ladlcfuls of plaster
over her face, which ran in sluggish
rivulcts down to the boundary-linc of
sheet and quickly thickcncd. When
the mass was an inch deep all over, he
set away his basin, and VIC all stood
anxiously watching it harden.
"How long must 1t stay on, Herr
Sigwart?"
"Not moro than ten minutes; then
IL will be hard enough to lift OF in one
piece, and we can let our little prisoner
free"
Poor Valerie, oil course, could not
speak, with her mouth held fast by a
wave of stitching plaster, but I qucs-
toned her closely as to her sensations;
il she could breathe comfortably, IL she
suffered any pain, and the like, which
she answered with one squeeze of my
hand for yes, and two for no.
At last, the ten minutes were up, and
Herr Sigwart came forward to lift of
the hidcous plaster mound, which had
become quito hot to the touch. To my
dismay. something seemed to have
gone wrong; the thing would not lift
Of The pasty face of the snowman
showed little tingc of color, and
fancied he looked frightened. Tracy
gave the mask few delicate pats and
nudgcs, but with no result.
81 never had any trouble with them
before; l don't understand why this
one Sticks said the snowman.
"Ahy have Il! the gracious young
lady has unusually abundant hair, and
one little bit has escaped without but.
ter. Please hand me the scissors"
With cold horror, watched the old
man thrust a formidable pair of scis.
sors down between my poor darling's
face and the clinging plaster, and be.
gin saving away as IL there was moth
ing so delicate rs eyes and nosc-tip:
within miles of him.
There, have cut the lock of hail
that caused all tho mischief; now tho
annoying mask will lift"
But II did not lift even yet; 1t moved
a little, and we tried to loosen IL more
but our efforts seemed TO cause valcri,