Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/162

164 I went there to comb that she had made the appointment, I determined to see for myself, particularly as she had promised me she would not go. Shortly after I got there she came down the street, went in one door, purchased some little article, went out at the other door and into the carriage she went. I said no more to her, though I combed her for several weeks, as I had many such ladies, though their position was such no one would ever think of impeaching them.

My associate hair-dresser had a lady who, she said, was very difficult and hard to please, so she gave her over to me and I gave her one of my ladies, both of us pretending the hours would not suit. I found her very easy to get along with; after combing her for some time I found there was something wrong between her husband and herself; she was from Pittsburg and he also; they had been coming there for numbers of years. She one day asked me if I could keep a secret. I told her most assuredly I could, but I could keep it better if it was not told me. She said she for some time had her eye on me, as she thought me a bold, independent woman, and she asked me if I would go with her that afternoon out walking. I agreed, and we went out.

She took me into the French part of the city, where, after walking for several squares, we came to a little low, French built house, from appearance uninhabited, as it was all closed up, and looked as if no human being, but rats alone lived there. On going in the house she sat down and asked me if we had been seen coming there would I take the responsibility on myself. I told her that depended altogether on the nature of the case. She then told me the reason she had brought