Page:A hairdresser's experience in high life.djvu/245

Rh and kept so hard at work, she had no time to make her clothes, unless at night.

One night she was sitting at twelve o'clock, busy sewing, her clothes all open round her, when she heard a buggy drive up to the door, and the voices of some two or three men, one of whom called to her to come there. She went forward to see what was the matter, when two of the men caught her and threw her into the buggy, where the other man stood; he caught her by the throat and prevented her making any outcry; the other two men jumped in, and they all drove off, still holding her tightly round the neck till they had got out of hearing of the people in the different houses. They drove down to the river where a skiff was waiting for them, which carried them across. They hurried to Louisville, and at once put her in jail there, lest any one should recognize her.

The next morning the lady ran all around inquiring if any body had seen her girl, as when she got up that morning, the girl was gone. It remains a mystery to this day to some of the people of that city, whatever became of that girl.

I was, not long after this occurrence, on one of the fashionable steamboats going from Louisville to New Orleans. A few moments before the boat was ready to leave, this girl was brought on board by a friend of her former master, and given in charge of the captain and chambermaid. When I saw the girl I immediately recognized her, and asked her what was the matter with her eyes, as they were all blood-shot, and the mark of men's fingers were yet on her neck. When she told her story, the sympathy of many on board was excited for her, but we were going fast down 21