The San Francisco call., 1904-06-05


mans In the Pragerstrasse: he Is one
OF the attendants there, said the Of
fcer. The American girl Is republican
in her ideas. but she draws the line at
hairdressers. In theory II Is absurd;
the hairdresser is a man and brother;
but we are none OF US logical all the
way. 1t made her mad the thought
that she had been seen by all Dresden
society skating with a hairdresser.
Well" she said. II do call that impu-
dence. Why they wouldn't do that even
4. in Chicago" And she returned to where
the hairdresser was Illustrating to her
friend the Dutch Roll. determined to
explain to him, as politely as possible,
that although the free and enlightened
Westerner has abolished social distinc-
tions he has not yet abolished them
to that extent
Had he been a commonplace German
hairdresser he would have understood
English and all might have been easy.
But 10 the classy German hairdresser
English Is not SO necessary, and the
American ladies' had reached as re-
CARDS their German only the "improv-
Ing" stage In her excitement she con-
fused the subjunctive and the tmpera-
tive and told him that he might" 60
But he had no wish to go. He assured
them, so they gathered that his intsn-
ton was to devote the morning to their
service. He must have been a stupid
man. QuLr 1T Is = type OCCASIONALLY en-
countered- Two pretty women had
greeted his advances with apparent de-
light. They were Americans, and the
American girl was nOtoriously uncon-
ventional. He knew himself to be .
good-looking young fellow. 1t did not
occur to him that in expressing willing
ness to dispense with his attendance
they could be IN earnest. There was
nothing for II, so 1t seemed to the girls,
but to request the assistance OF the Of
ficer. who continued TO skate round and
round them at distance Of about ten
yards.
So again the elder young lady. seiz-
Ing her opportunity, made appeal Il
cannot" explained the officer, who,
having been looking forward to a
morning with two OF the prettiest girls
In Dresden, was also feeling mad; Il
dare not be seen speaking to hair
dresser. You must get rid OF him"
But we can't" said the girl I'VE do
not know enough German, and he can't
or he won't understand u.s. For good
ness sake come and help US. Well be
spending the whole morning with him
II you don't" The German officer said
he was desolRte. Steps would be taken
later on IN the week.-Mrs. result OF
which would probably be to render that
young hairdresser prematurely bald
But meanwhile, beyond skating round
and round them, for which they ala not
even feel they wanted 10 thank him,
the German officer could do nothing for
them. They tried being rude TO the
hairdresser; he mistook 1t for Arnerf-
can chic. They tried joining hands and
running away from him. but they Wers
not good Skaters and he thought they
were trying to show him the cakewalk.
They both fell down and hurt them
selves and 1t Is difficult to be angry
with q man. even a hairdresser, when
he . dOfrcr hts hast n r1fpIr M
comfort you The chaperon was worse
than useless. She was very cold. She
had been promised her breakfast, but
saw no signs Of it, She could not
speak German and remembered some
what late in the day that two young
ladies had no business to accept break
fast at the hands OF German officers;
and II they did, at least they might see
that they got It. She appeared to be
willing to talk about decadence OF
modern manners to almost any extent,
but the subject OF the hairdresser and
how to get rid OF him only bored her.
Their first stroke OF luck occurred
when the hairdresser showing them
the dropped three fell down and tem-
porarily stunned himself. It was not
kind Of them. but they were desperate.
They fed for the bank Just anyhow,
and scrambling over the grass gained
the restaurant The officer overtakfng
that had been reserved for them, then
back to hunt for the chaperon. The
girls thought their trouble was over.
Had they glanced behind them their
Joy would have been shorter lived than
even was the case. The hairdresser
had recovered consciousness in time to
see them waddling over the grass. He
thought they were running to fetch
him brandy. When the officer returned
with the chaperon he found the hair
dresser sitting opposite to them explain
ing that he really was not hurt and
suggested that. as they were there,
perhaps they would like something to
eat and drink. The girls made one
last frantic appeal TO the man OF buck
ram and clay pipe, but the etiquette OF
the Saxon army was tnexOrable- It
transpired that he might kill the hair
.resser, but nothing else; he must not
speak TO him-not even explain to the
poor devil why It was that he was be-
ing killed. It did not seem quite worth
it. They had some sandwiches and cof-
fee at the hairdresser's expense and
went home In a cab, while the chap
eron had breakfast with the officer OF
noble family. The American girl has
succeeded in freeing European social
Intercourse from many OF its hide
bound conventions. There Is stil much
work for her to do. But ] have faith
In her. JEROME K JEROME.