The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-01-24

"Miss wallace's hairl' ha re.
peated, with rising color. SIS IL pos
sible that -"
"She sent IL here to DO sold mon
sieur," obstSsed the hairdresser.
80 be sold?' Yes. He was right;
Hester wrong. His instinct had been
truer than her reasonl
81 will take it, said he, abruptly.
"But, monsieur r----"
81 will take it--at any price"
And so he paid down S2G bill for
the privilege of bearing away
Claudia's wealth of golden hair.
Home he went, utterly forgetful of
the fiaxen wig which was 60 help
Hester in assuming the identity of the
beautiful and fiend-like Lady Audley.
"Haye you got it," was Hester's
first question when he entered the
room.
al have got 1t. I paid $40 for itr'
he breathlessly answered.
Twenty dollars" echoed his
sister. "Everard, You are mistake EN-;
it wns only TO be tenr'
"Oh, you mean the wig!" said our
hero, somewhat crestfnllen, rs he re-
membered the unfuliilled errand
which had so completely slid out of
his memory.
"Of course 1 do. What do you
mean?"
81 am talking of Claudia wallace's
hair"
"Mercy upon usr' cried Hester.
'Is the man rnving mad? What on
earth has Claudia Wallace's hair to
do with"
"Much. I told you she was m
angel, Hester, and perhaps you will
believe it when tell You that to gain
money to help the poor she has sold
her magnificent hair"
81 don't believe it," said blunt
Hester.
"But ] know it,"
'"rhen the world is coming TO an
end, that's all" said Hester. with an
incredulous shrug of her shoulders.
"But my wig?"
81 forgot it, confessed the sheepish
lover. ''Ill go back for IT at once. |
was thinking of Claudia's hair"
Hester looked after him in comical
despair.
"Thank Providence Tn not a
man," said she to herself. "And il
were don't believe / could possibly
be as spooney as some of 'em are"
Back again through the rainy twi-
light dashed Mr.. Everard Rivers,
never staying until he once more
entered the salon of NJ. Santarelli and
breathlessly asked for the haxen wig.
Exactly. 1t awaits monsieur" :"
said Santarelli.
''You sent up the money!"
what money, monsieur?"
"The $50 to Miss Wallace. Tell
her the hair has found a purchaser
that her dream of mercy and charity
may now be fulflled--thst-"
''But monsieur, pardon. Monsieur
does not fully comprehend, bowed
the hairdresser, courteously. miss
Wallace left the hair here to be sold; ;
it was switch we made up for her q
year ago; and she never quite liked
the color--it was not a good match,
she thought-and whatever it sold for
was to be applied toward new one
we are weaving-a $50 switch, mon
sieur."
Everard Rivers stared blankly at
the knight of wigs aud curls. He
began to perceive that he had been
making fool of himself and in rather
an expensive manner, too.
son." said he, rather awkwardly.
It'll take the wig il it's quite
ready"
He went back, considering how he
could best make the embarrassing OK.
planation of the truth to his sister.
'Hester," said he, "don't laugh at
me. I've been donkey"
"Nen often are," said Hester,
saqely. '"rhat's nothing new."
"Oh, but this is little worse than
the common" And he valiantly told
her the true story of Claudia Wallace s
hair. To his surprise, instead of
laughing she went to him and threw
both arms around his neck.
"Everard, l am 30 glad" said she.
"Twenty dollars is cheap price to
pay for being undeceived. told you
before that she was shallow, selfish
and coldhearted. Now you will be-
lieve it, when you see that she can
pay 500 for mass of trumpery false
hair, even while she complains of
having no money to spare for the
poor"
And Claudia Wallace never could
COMPREHEND how she lost the devoted
loyalty OF Everard Rivers.