The herald., 1893-08-06


without my host.
"This way, gentlemen, if you please, =
said the hatter's assistant as he mo-
toned us to follow him through q door
leading toward the basement.
At the end of passage under the shop
front was little room with sloping
roof. Side by side were two easy chairs,
beneath each of which was 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, sloping roof of the apart
ment and worked away actively at the
winch. The chair rose, and the head of
its occupant disappeared through the
little trapdoor to the shoulders. Then
the man turned a large nut which was
affixed to the back of the chair and mo-
toned me to take my seat in the other.
w ny w yOu outup no iAs odiei W
the man as took my seat.
You'll know why, governor, by the
time you've earned that half 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
a. 4 L. 4 g.
Then he began to wind me up, and !
made my first appearance in Mr.. Will
kins' shop front to round of tumultu
GUS applause from crowd of idlers in
the street who stared into the shop win
dows. Then somebody carefully fitted
a hat onto my head and gave it know
ing cock. Then the mahogany arrange
ment was drawn up close to my neck,
and there 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. Mr.. Wilkins really
took a wonderful amount of trouble to
insure our comfort.
At first the novelty of my situation en-
tirely occupied my mind. 1 felt inclined
to laugh as l thought of myself as a
bodiless head wearing a 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
was evidently already suffering from the
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.
l didn't trouble myself very much about
him.
The time passed pleasantly enough and
l heard the clock of Shoreditch church
at length strike 4. AS it struck l was
startled to hear the wearer of the I'M
ventilated hat give hollow groan.
looked at him once more out of the
corner of my eye. He had become ghast-
ly pale. He looked as if he We're melting
gradually. In fact, the poor fellow seemed
very i'll indeed. Strange that a badly
ventilated hat should produce such
marked effects. Well, it wasn't my
business.
The clock of Shoreditch church struck
4:30. heard footsteps in the room be-
low, and at the same time l was de-
prived of my ventilating hat. A brand
new hat was placed upon my head, and
the show cards which stood behind our
respective heads were exchanged The
drafts 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. looked out of the
corner of my eye at the other head.
The face wore an ecstatic smile. The
easy chair in which l was sitting began
to grow warm, and finally became ac-
tually hot-unpleasantly hot.
l 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 public might be
gulled into the purchase of the so called
ventilating hats of the fiend Wilkins.
1 felt-but l will not dwell on my
agonies; l will not dilate upon the hor-
rible sufferings I endured. was being
gradually cooked alive, and l felt that
concentrated boiling gravy was cours-
ing through my veins. My features
were contorted with agony. The crowd
in the street outside applauded.
tried to break loose. AS did so a
voice from the room below uttered the
following dreadful threat, "It's 100 now,
my man, and if you move I'll make it
150w l shed tears of rage, indignation
and agony. l endured the most dread
full tortures an hour and half. When
l left Wilkins establishment with half
a crown in my pocket, l was more dead
than alive.
1t is the dream of my life that and
Mr.. Wilkins, the inventor of the venti-
lating hat, may meet in some lonely
place. / am not a revengeful man, but
| feel that owe Wilkins debt that |
should like to pay.-Exchange.