Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/237

Rh I thought perhaps it might be some one who had been living fast in the Burnet House and had come down. I rang the door bell and a small female voice asked, "who is there?" I said "the hair-dresser," but I thought it a very queer procedure. She opened the door and I went in. The stairs were in the middle of the house with rooms on each side. I took a peep in both parlors but saw nothing but a brilliant gas light and a bright fire, with a piano open in each parlor, a harp on one side of the piano, and flutes on the other; and from all appearance visitors were expected.

The little girl that opened the door, supposing I was going in the parlors, ran up the stairs hallooing "this way, this way." I followed on, having no suspicion of wrong till I entered the room. On going in I found it was a little black-eyed, curley haired woman that had fooled me and a pupil of mine before in like manner. When I saw her I did not know what to do, whether to tell her what I thought of her and not comb her or comb her and leave quietly. I thought the latter course the best. While combing her I asked if this was a dress-making establishment or a boarding house. She said neither, it was a private house; but I had my doubts. When I got her about half combed there came in two or three girls and took a peep. I eyed them well. In a few minutes several more come in and as soon as they opened their mouths I knew what the creatures were.

I was about fifteen minutes combing the woman, and when I had finished about half a dozen of them asked me to comb them. I refused, saying I had a previous engagement which I was compelled to keep. At this moment a tall lady came into the room whom I 20