Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-08-25

regulars"
 The man who was waiting his turn was a wretch, but his neck and face had been carefully washed, and his hair well combed and brushed. washed my face and brushed my hair, and thought that to wear an unventilated hat even three hours couldn't be so very dreadful a punishment after all I had reckoned without my host.
 This way, gentlemen, if you please" said the hatter's assistant as he mo tioned us to follow him through door leading toward the basement.
 At the end of passage under the shop front was a little room with a sloping roof. Side by side were two easy chairs, beneath each of which was a winch for raising or lowering the chair to any re- quired height. My companion took his seat at once. He was evidently used to the ways of the place. Then the assist ant strapped him in by means of two thick leather bands with massive buc- kles, one at the neck and the other at the waist. Then the shopman suddenly opened little trapdoor 12 inches square in the low. doping roof of the apart ment and worked away actively at the
 
 its occupant disappeared through the little trapdoor to the shoulders. Then the man turned large nut which was affixed to the back of the chair and mo- toned me to take my seat in the other.
 Why do you strap us in?' l said to the man as took my seat.
 You'll know why, governor, by the time you've earned that half a crown" he said with malignant grin. Now, look here" he continued, If you want to sneeze or cough or anything, get it done now, and don't you go a-larfng or larking with the boys at the window. If you do, it will be deducted for"
 Then he began to wind me up, and made my first appearance in MT. Will kins' shop front to a round of tumultu- ous applause from crowd of idlers in the street who stared into the shop win dows. Then somebody carefully fitted hat onto my head and gave it know ing cock. Then the mahogany arrange ment was drawn up close to my neck, and there l sat, perfectly comfortable, staring at the crowd of idlers in the street And then a draft of cool air be gan to flow through the holes that sur rounded my neck. MT. Wilkins really took a wonderful amount of trouble to insure our comfort.
 At first the novelty of my situation en- tirely occupied my mind. l felt inclined to laugh as l thought of myself as a bodiless head wearing ventilating hat The boys in the street, too, made gri- maces at me. Then looked at my fellow victim out of the corner of my eye. He ax-iIont1Xv o1raodx- &I,o effects of his unventilated hat His teeth were tightly set. He looked any thing but happy. Great drops of per spiration already stood upon his brow. didn't trouble myself very much about him.
 The time passed pleasantly enough and heard the clock of Shoreditch church at length strike 1. As it struck was startled to hear the wearer of the un- ventilated hat give hollow groan. l looked at him once more out of the corner of my eye. He had become ghast- | ly pale. He looked as if he were melting gradually. In fact, the poor fellow seemed very ill indeed. Strange that a badly ventilated hat should produce such marked effects. Well, it wasn't my business.
 The clock of Shoreditch church struck | i:30. heard footsteps in the room be- low, and at the same time l was de prived of my vcntilating hat. X brand new hat was placed upon my head, and the show cards which stood behind our respective heads were exchanged The | lrafts of cool air which came through the innumerable little holes in the ma hogany flooring around my neck sudden ly ceased. A current of heated air sup piled its place. l looked ont of the corner of my eye at the other head. The face wore an ecstatic smile. The easy chair in which was sitting began to grow warm, and finally became ac- tually hot-unpleasantly hot.
 I saw through the whole fiendish trick at once. was to be tortured an hour and half for the amusement of an idle crowd in order that the pubic might be gulled into the purchase of the So called ventilating hats of the eend Wilkins.
 l felt-but ! will not dwell on my Iagonies; will not dilate upon the hor- rible sufferings I endured. 1 was being gradually cooked alive, and l felt that lconcentrated boiling gravy was cours- ing through my veins. My features were contorted with agony. The crowd in the street outside applauded. | 1 tried to break loose. As 1 did so a voice from the room below uttered the following dreadful threat, Its 120 now, my man, and if you move I'll make it
 l50" l shed tears of rage, indignation and agony. endured the most dread
 full tortures an hour and a half. When
 left Wilkins establishment with half a crown in my pocket, was more dead
 than alive.
 It is the dream of my life that and
 MT. Wilkins, the inventor of the venti
 lating hat, may meet in some lonely
 place. am not a revengeful man, but
 feel that l owe Wilkins a debt that