Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-03-08
MR.. SAINT0U.

lr Saintou, the hair dresser, was French
man, therefore his English neighbors re-
garded him with suspicion. He was also ex-
ceedingly stout, and his stoutness had come
upon him at an unbecomingly early age, SO
that he had long been the object of his neigh
bors' merriment. When to these facts it is
added that, although a keen and prosperous
business man, he had attained the age of 20
without making any effort to marry, enough
will have been said to show why he was dis
liked.
Why was he not married? Were English
women not good enough for him? The pretty
milliner across the street had been heard to
remark in his presence that she should never
refuse man simply because he was a for
eigner. Or if he did not want an English
wife, why did he not import one from Paris
with his perfumess No. there was no reason
for his behavior, and Mr.. Saintou was the
object of his neighbors' aversion.
Neighbors are often wrong in their esti-
mates. In the heart of this shrewd and stout
French hair dresser there lay the capacity for
that one supreme and lasting affection which
is the halo crown of every truly noble life,
and of which how many hearts, which bear
this worlds reputation of nobility, fall
short. Yes, Mr.. Saintou's love storywas in
the past, and it had come about in this way.
One day, when the hair dresser was still
young man, not long after he had first settled
in Albert street, the door of his shop opened
and young woman came in. Her figure
has short and broad, and she was lame,
walking with crutch. Her face and feat
ures were large and peculiarly frank in ex-
preston, and upon her head was a very large
hat When she spoke it was with loud
staccato voice; her words fell after one an
other like hail stones in storm; there was
no breathing space between them.
81 want Mr.. Saintou."
"What may have the pleasure of show
ing nladames''
"Good gracious, told you I wanted to be
shown Mr.. Saintou Are you Mr. Saintou?
None of your assistants for me- 1 want my
hair cut"
The hair dresser laid his hand upon his
heart, as though to point out his own identity.
Every well" said the little lady, appar-
emily satisfied with the Identification, 81
want my hair cut. It is like sheaf of corn
It is like a court train. 1t is like seven
horses names tied together if they were red.
1t is like comets tail"
1t is probable that the hair dresser only
took in that part of his speech upon which he
was in the habit of concentrating his atten-
ton, and that the force of the SMILES which
followed one another like electric shocks es-
capped him altogether. He was about to
show the new customer into the ladies' room
where his staid and elderly sister was accus-
toned to oficiate, but she drew back with
decision.
mo, not at all; have come to have my
hair cut by Mr, Saintou, and l want to have
it done in the room with the long row of
chairs where the long row of men get shaved
every morning. l told my sister 1 should sit
there. %sYou have no men in at this time of
day. have you, Mr. Saintous Now 1 shall
sit here in the middle chair, and you shall
wash my hair.
'My father is the baker around the corner.
He makes good bread; do you wash peoples
hair as wella VIII you squirt water on it
with that funny tubes Will you putt in my
eyes? Now, | am up on the chair Don't put
the soap in my eyes, Mr. Saintou."
Saintou was not man easily surprised.
"Permit me, mademoiselle, would it not be
better to remove the hata Mon Dieu! Holy
Mary, what hairl" For as the eastern wo-
man carry their burdens on the crown of the
head to ease the weight, so, when the large
hat was off, it appeared that the bakers
uduSu CeI CdlflSu GCf udlr.
Like the hair of woman on hair re-
storer BOTTLE if it were red," remarked the
girl in answer to the exclamation
s'No, mademoiselle, no, it is not red Mon
Dieu! it is not red Holy Mary! it is the
color of the sun Mon Dieu, what hairr' As
he untwined the masses it fell over the long
bib, over the high chair, down till it swept
the foor in one unbroken flood of light
Nach md md lot
to make my fathers dinner said the quick
voice with decision 'My father is the baker
round the corner, and he takes his dinner
at2"
SIS it that mademoiselle desires the ends
cut?" asked the hairdresser, resuming his pro-
fessional manner.
(which ends?'
(which ends?' he exclaimed, baf1ed.
"Mon Dieul these ends" and he lifted a
handful of the hair on the floor and held it
before the eyes of the girl.
"Good heavens, no! Do you think I am
going to pay you for cutting those endss It's
the ends at the top want cut. Tighten it;
that's what want. Do you think 1 am
woman in a hair dresser's advertisement to
sit all day looking at my hair? have to
get my fathers dinner Tighten it, Mr..
Saintou; cut it off; that's what [ want"
"AIon Dieu, mop Saintou again relapsed
from the hair dresser into the man. He, too,
could have decision. He leaned against the
next chair and set his lips very firmly to-
gether. 'By all that is holy, no" he said;
''you may get some villain Englishman to
cut that hair, but me, never"
You speak English very well, Mr.. Sain-
tou. Have you been long in the countrya
Well, wash the hair, then, and be done.
Don't put the soap in my eyes"
Saintou was in ecstasies. He touched the