The morning call., 1893-06-08

hat of commerce is fendish invention,
worthy of the atrocities OF the worst Gays
of the Spanish inquisition. The head is
! hufnat. there is no deception.
l noticed that the mahogany planklng OF
the shop front below the head was perfor-
ated with inRumerable small holes.
The gentleman wearing Wilklns' venti-
iatlng hat looked the picture OF content
ment. He was evidently very comfortable
indeed.
The other head presented striking con-
trast. Never till now had l the least idea
thai such dreadful effects were PRODUCED
ny the wearing of an uaventilated ma :;
| lhe face was as pale as dealh; cold
persplration seemed TO trIckle from every
pore
l was puzzled; there was mystery
somewhere [ determined 10 unraYel 1t.
ana boldly entered the shop.
What can l show you. sir" said an
assis tant with excessive urbanity.
We'll. | want to see Mr.. Wilkins" l re-
piled.
That is Mr.. Wilkins" said the mar,
| Indicating portly and benevolent Looking
gentleman in a black silk waistcnat
Nv hat can | do for you? said MT. VIII
kins
'Pd ike to be in the way of earning an
honest haif-dollar, sir" | replied.
Very good, my man" said Mr. wilkins.
with smile. rs there vacancy to-day,
Bodger?" said Mr. wilkins, turning to a
foreman.
Yes, certainly SIR" replied the man
I'VE shall be ready for the gentleman in
about twenty minutes. Step this way,
young man." said the foreman.
followed him into lavatory.
There you are" he said. You're in
| luck. young man." he went on; half q
dollar for wearing a new hat for three
hours is good ny. You'll be on at 3. and
you'll be off at 6. This gentleman is wait
ing his turn" he added, "he is one of our
regulars"
The gentleman" who was waiting his
turn was tatterdemalion wretch, but
his neck and face had been carefnlly
washed, and his hair well combed and
brushed.
washed my face and brushed my hair.
and in my heart [ thought that to wear an
unYentilated hat, even for three whole
hours. couldn't he SO very dreadful pun
lshment after all.
had recSoned without my host.
This way, gentlemen, II you please, !"
said the hatter's assistant, as ne m0tioned
Us TO follow him through door leading
toward the basement.
At the end of passage was sort OF lit
tie room with slipping roof 1t was exactly
under the shop-front. Side By side were
two easy chairs, beneath each OF which
chair to any required height.
My com panion took his seat at 0nce-he
was evidently used to the ways of the
place; then the assistant strapped him in
by means OF TWO thick leather bands, with
massive buckles. one at the neck and the
other at the waist.
Then the shopman suddenly opened the
little trapdoor, some twelve inches square,
in the low, sloping roof of the apartment,
/ and worked away actively at the winch.
/ The chair slowly rose. ana tie head of its
occupant disappeared through the little
ira pdoor to the shoulders.
Then the man turned large tap, which
was affixed to the back of the chair. and
motloned me tc take my seat in the other
one.
why do you strap US in9" I said TO
the man as l took my seat.
"4ou'll know why, governor, by the
time you've earned that half dollar" said
the man, with malignant grin. Now,
look here" he continued, ''if you want to
sneeZe or cough or anything get il done
now. And don't yOu go a-larfng or lark
ing with the bows ut the window. If you
do it will be deducted for"
Then he began TO wind me up and l made
my first appearance in Mr.. wilkins shop
front TO a round of tumutuouS applause
from crowd of idlers in the street, who
stared into the shop windows. Then
somebody carefully fitted a hat onto my
head and gave it knowing cock.
And then draught of cool air began to
fpw through the holes that surrounded
my neck. Mr. Wilkins really took a won
derfdl amount of trouble TO insure our
comfort.
| AT first the novelty of my situation en-
tirely occupied my mind.
| Then | took look at my fellow-victim
out of the corner of my eye.
lie was evidently already suffering from
p1FpptC g. tad h..
teeth were tightly set; he looked ANYTHING
but happy; great drops OF perspira ton
already stood npOn his brow. | didn't
tronble myself very much about him.
0Ihe time passed pleasantly enough, and
l heard the clock of Shoredirch church a,
length strike +. As it did so | was startled
to hear the wearer of the unventilated bal
give a hollow groan.
He had become ghastly pale: he looked
as Il he were melting gradually. In fact
the poor fellow seemed very i'll indeed
Strange that badly ventilated hat should
produce such marked effects
After while the clock of Shoreditch
church strnck 80. l heard footsteps in
the room below, and at the same time
was deprived of my ventilating hat. A
brand-new hat was placed upon my head
ana the showcardS which stood behind ouI
respective heads were exchanged.
The draughts of cool air which came
!
mahogany flooring around my neck sud
denly ceased a current of heated air sup
piled is place.
looked out of the corner of my eye at
the other head; its face wore an ecstatlc
smile.
Then an extraordinary thing took place.
The easy chair In which | was sitting sud
denly began to grow warm; it then became
actually hot-unpleasantly hot.
l saw through the whole fiendish trick II
once. | was to be tortured-tortured for a
period Of an hour and a half, for the
amusement OF an Idle crowd-in order that
the public might be gulled into the pur-
chase OF the so-called ventiiating hats of
the fiend wilkins.
WAS being gradually cooked alive, nd
l telt that cOncentrated boiling gravy not
blood was coursiug through my veins.
bly, features were cOntorted with agony
the crowd In the street outside gave me a
tremendous round of applause.
tried to break loose As l did so a
voice from the room below uttered the fol-
lowing dreadful threat:
'lCs l 20 new. my man, and If you move
FL make IL sop
endured the most dreadful tortures for
whole hour and a half When | left
wilkins establishment | was more dead
than alive
IL Is the dream OF my life that I and Mr.
wilkins, the inventor of the ventlating
nat, NAV meet in snme lonely place. | am
not revengeful man. but | feel that l
owe wilkins something that l should like
TOO