El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-11-28

/ about this place-they're so distrist-
fuI. Who would want their old sheets
and towelsZ It's an insult to their
{ Pompeian Baths on everything. Oh,
] here comes Nellie now"
Nellie Arrives.
! A tall. well built girl. her sheet grid
| ed around her waist ana over her Shout
/ der in the manner Of all the attend
ants, now came I'D to them.
as this the one who wants Rosa ?"
/ glancing toward Helen as she IN
/ wrapped Mrs. Stevens's blankets
She'll be here in minute, she's just
/ giving an alcohol rub"
Helen watched Mrs. Stevens go off
with Nellie, with a sudden nervous
ness at being left alone. This was her
( first experience at a Turkish bath, and
/ she did not know Just what was IN
store fer her
A pretty, round-faced attendant now
approached her cot. What's your num-
ber2" as she began unWrapping the
blanket.
zone hundred and eighty-six." an
sWered Helen, glancing at the key OF
her locker, suspended from the rubber
ring around her wrist
Helen's heart beat fast as she fol-
lowed the girl out to the baths. The
various apparatuses and hurrying,
White-sheeted attendants were some
what terrifying.
Just step in there. Rosa pushed
open the door of the steam room I'll
call you in a minute"
Helen found herself in a cloud Of
dense. white steam She put out her
hand and took cropping step forward.
There were others IN the room, for she
could hear their voices. and from
somewhere came the roar of machinery
and the loud Kissing or steam.
Rosa now led her to one of the many
scrub rOoms-a marble partitioned cell
~ = go 1ra~m
With a small hose she turned a flood
of water on the bench, pillow and floor.
dispelling Helen's lurking fear that
things might not be clean"
Now, just lie down there, mann. Is
this your first bath2" noticing Helen's
shrinking reluctance. ooh, you'll like
it when you get used to it"
Helen closed her eyes and held her
breath With astonishing vigOr and
energy this young woman went at her
with stiff brush that felt like curry
comb.
The Onslaught.
ooh, not so hard. Ny skins too ten
ITS good for you. ma'am." consol-
ingly. Now, turn over, please"
Helen squirmed under the onslaught
OF the bristle brush Then a moments
respite and she felt a soothing flood
of warm water from the hose. Then
more latherlng with soap and more Wig
OrOus scrubbing-
There, now, ma'am," as Rosa again
turned on the hose. Would you like
a salt rub?"
Helen had no conception OF what a
salt rub meant. but she remembered
a sign: salt Rubs Make Pink Skin"
The bristle brush alone was torture,
but the bristle brush filled with coarse !
salt brought visions of the Spanish !
InquisiJion when they dashed their VIC /
tins and rubbed salt into their raw |
wounds
"Oh, don't-pIease don'tl I can't
stand it,"
"Xou'u feel fine afterwards. You're /
skins a little tender, but a salt rub's I
good for it. There now" as again /
came the grateful flood OF warm 1
water. Now come out and I'll give /
you the hose and the spray"
Outside Helen stood in a marble re- 1
cess while Rosa from the corridor about 4
10 1eet away turned on a powerful 4
hose. It was warm at first, but grad 4
ually grew colder Like most women,
Helen shrank from cold water, but