Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-06-03

! AT length one tine morning, unknown
to anyone, even to her own family,
she slipped out and paid visit to
Nine. La Rougiere Of Bond street
whose advertisement, appearing week
ly in the Queen, the Gentlewoman and
ether ladies Journals, promises, on
behalf OF madam, to make ali and
every complexion entrusted to her
"a thing of beauty and joy forever"
| Madam proved to be a fat ard rather
common parsonage who spoke with a
Cockney accent and interlarded her re-
marks with phrases of Gallo inten-
ton, though British in pronunciation
She seated Miss Priscilla in a big
chair, examined her nose critically
through a pocket microscope and
handled the feature freely with her
pOdgy fingers.
"Ha, she pronounced, nothing
wrong with the cuticle. No, it is one
of these many case of burning nose
nay broolant-Wnich are brought to
HE almost daily. 1t is a most obstinate
affection. Has maddermoselle tried
internal remedies?"
Every possible concoction,' said
Miss Pastern. And each as ineffica-
cious as the other
''Ha. well. There is only one really
safe and certain course to pursue And
that is rather a concealment than a
cure. Is maddermoselle engaged
fiancey?' inquired La Rougiere, with
an odious, familiar grin
No" said Priscilla, shortly.
'Ah, well-but maddermoselle must
lot be offended annoyay. Most young
ladies who come to me come in order
that they may succeed in finding hus-
bands. Acknowledgement. And to such
as have burning noses-nay broo-
larts-I advise one certain and sure
course to be adopted-adoptay, until,
at any rate the usbands-marees-
arc secured.
And what is that course?"
To have the nose enameled," said
madam, with something between a
moue and a grin.
'And-and-can that be done $3.50
as to defy detection?" inquired Miss
Priscilla, anxlously.
Yes; most certaingment Young
ladies-jewns demoselles- whom
done it, have told me that even
when the fiancys nose has touched
theirs (and such things do happen
with fiancys!" interpClated madam
with a hateful smirk) the enamel
has escaped discovery. But one thing
should be understood The enamel
reeds frequent renewed. Maddermo-
seize shoulC come here on each occa-
sion previous to her balls or parties
and have her nose freshly enamellay.
Il am going to a ball tomorrow
night said Miss Pastern, after d
minutes thought Shall | come to
you tomorrow atternoon?" Tray bee
ell. L have engagements from to
$50. VIII you come a. 5-30?"
Yes, said Priscilla, rIslng to 60
My fee for consultation is II IL
francs-l0 shillings," madam remind
ed her.
Priscilla paid the Objectionable
creature half a sovereign and de-
parted.
Madam was d most repulsive person
to be fingered by. But Priscilla could
not help herself. 1t seemed the only
way. And if she would conquer she
must be prepared to stoop.
Next afternoon at the appointed
time Priscilla Ton preteXt or buying
gloves for the balD repaired to the
premises of Nine. La Rougiere She
was rather before her time and the
commissionaire IN the lobby requested
her to step up into the waiting-room
The buttons at the head OF the stairs
would show her the way. Many i'm
portant issues, witness the pages of
history passim, have been known to
hinge on the most trifiing accidents
1t was so in this case. And the acct
dent was surely of an absurdly trifl-
ing kind. 1t was just the fact that
the buttons happened to have run out
for his tea. Not finding him at the
head OF the stairs, but thinking that
she knew the way to the waiting
room from her previous visit, Priscilla
opened door on her right and went
in. AS matter of fact, the waiting
room lay Just opposite, on the left, and
the room which she had entered was
the operating chamber Of Nine. La
Rougiere.
Madam was at this moment in the
act of operating. Her patient was a
gentleman. She had just completed
the first part of her process-the care
tul cleaning Off of some old cosmetiuue
and the gentleman's real face was now
ruthlessly revealed. 1t was an unpre-
possessing face-pale, putty-colored
blotchy. For a minute Priscilla failed
to recognize the owner of that highly
undesirable complexion. Then the
truth dawned on her. She recognized
the head, the moustach, the features,
above all, the eyes, now fixed upon her
in a Mortified stare. The putty
skinned man with the spotty COM
plexion was indeed her own faithless
admirer- my lord of Morden!
The next day but one Miss Pastern's
engagement was announced to six
London dailies, and Paulina's Daronet
was capped by Priscilla's baron.
When a horse jS 1amo aftar trayo1-