A TRAGEDY OF HAIR-DYE.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7517, 5 April 1890, Page 2

A TRAGEDY OF HAIR-DYE.

*'There is nothing new under the sun." i This remarkably original observation was made to mc by that gay young spark Dick Dolittle, of the—ih Hussars, as we sat together over the smoking-room fire at the Junior Blood and Thunder one dull winter afternoon. "Excepting a photograph," I answered. "Eh Men, -1 once knew a very small photograph do the very biggest amount of mischief that could be imagined." Though Master Dick's own imagination Is not much to be imagined, still I listened to him. f* You know the Tintoretto Venetian "HairTihtr "Do II Isn't it always swarming up over every hoarding in London?" •'Yes! Well, ten years ago a poor beggar got married to an awfully nice girl." Dick has never been consecutive.

"I fail to see the connection. I never knew a man yet who chose his wife solely on account of her hair-dye." "No more did this one. Well, ten years ago Jack Belton married as dear a little creature as ever favoured the looking glass trade by wearing things out with constantly putting her nose near her own reflection.

" You don't mean poor Jack Belton of the-r-th, who was knocked over at Abu Kieal" " Same man."

"Why, he married one of the Trevenen girls—a Herbert Schmalzy-Bossettified looking person; not at all affected, though." Whether Dick was affected by a half-sad memory I don't know. He shook his head slowly. But that might have been intended only for our worthy club Jenkins —Jenkins, who will bring you another coffee and ehasse if you signal only with your right ear. ** Well, she was very pretty." " There's that much truth in your well, anyhow." '•And all the big society photograph fellows went down on their Knees to. ask her to sit. But she hated becoming a professional beauty quite as much as Jack hated the idea. Well, don't you know, he took her away for two years, and they went honeymooning about everywhere; did even a bit of Africa—anything to get away from celebrity and all that sort of nonsense. He never wanted her pretty face to make the fortune of photographers; although it certainly had made her own, for Jack was one of the best lads going and uncommonly well-to-do." I stared at Dick and flung my cigarette into the fireplace. . "Can't you ha a little consecutive for once in a way ? What has hair-dye to do with poor Kitty Trevenen, or Tintoretto with photos, or what was she to that or -p.,: '-^-..

"Well, before she. was married poor Kitty had her photo taken at a small shop in Eastbourne for the benefit of an aged« relative who couldn't have seen It plainly if a pony had been spent on her spectacles.: There was an artist in the place who used to draw for a big lithographer's. He took a sketch from the cabinet while it was waiting to be fetched away from the photographer's shop, altering the hair and costume. He touched this up too very cleverly affiar seeing poor Kitty on the promenade. Then he went to the lithographer and suggested it as the subject for agoodposter ; then the lithographer took it to Snooks, Coloreen and Co., the big coloured poster printers; then they submitted it to the Tintoretto Venetian Hair Tint people, and in two months it was all, over the country. Now do yoa want a special binocular to see how consecutive I can bet"

"Of course! recognise the likeness now. But the sequel f" " When Jack came home after his honeymoon the first thing he clapped his eyes on at Dover was his wife's portrait stuck up in the station—twelve by twelve; and on every station between there and Charing, cross there it was again. When they drove from Charing-crosa to Paddington on one hoarding alone there was a string ot 'em 240 ft long.. Jack swore to that extent that Kitty got quite faint. When they got to Paddington he ran Into the refreshment room and bought a flask of brandy on the quiet. When they got into tho train he tore the tissue paper off, and there on the flask was Kittys face again. She was a nice little thing, poor child 1 and she told him not to worry himself, but smoke a cigar; she didn't mind; it would soothe him down, don't you know. He had just taken a box of wax-lights from an automatic machine. Hang it If Kitty's portrait wasn't on the cursed thing as well." "Any more of it?" " Yes; the fun of the whole thing was that no one has a copyright in his or her own face, and tne sketch could not ba identified with any special photo, and Jack couldn't stop the posters being stuck -up. Further lark 1 The people who printed the first posters; or the Tintoretto people who had bought the " portrait designs," did have a copyright in their designs. Jack hadn't a special right to Kitty's face, but everybody «*lse could play all sorts of fun with ie The Tintoretto people brought actions against the brandy and match people for infringing their copyrights, and Kitty was actually subpoenaed on one of the trials. Then a celebrated burlesque lady made herself up to look exactly like Kitty, at least as far as her head went. Then, poor child! poor Jack lost his wifeconsumption and that sort of thing." I suppose, as Master Dick began to ■whistle softly as be looked ruefully in the dregs of his coffee, he was crying to find some consolation there. " Well, anything more in the sequel way f* Dick whistled a few- more bars—this time from Chopin. t Not from a masurka j I mean from the funeral march. "The night before Aba Klea a special artist-man was talking with poor Jack* who had gone out with Burnaby to try and forget things generally. The artist seemed rather restless and uneasy, and at last said he had something to say to Jack —wanted, ih fact, to apologize about something to him. •' . . '>' " 'What is it f said Jack. ' None of us may have much time to settle Such matters.'..:';... .■■:.■ .. , "'lt was I who first did your wife's portrait for the pfinters.' "This time Jack only smiled, then sighed, then brushed some sand away that was clinging to his sleeve. " - Ah, well 1 the time's gone by, and my time with it,*

"'One of the sketches, the first I made properly when I saw Mrs Belton on the parade, I have in my satchel now/ He took the sketch out and handed It to Jack. -< "There was poor Kitty plain—l mean pretty—enough. It was only a rough bit of colour,' but somehow the man had caught the pretty beseeching look. Her hand was raised as if beckoning some one. "*T remember,* said Jack, 'that she beckoned to moon the parade exactly like that.'

"Yes.*' said Dick, "both of 'em were knocked over next day. A Hadendowa •pear did for poor Jack, They found the sketch on him. It was all stained out except the little waving hand*-whicH was beckoning even then—an inconsistent sort of way that women—Heaven help 'em I—sometimes have even in portraits. There, was .no longer need for any beckoning.**— St . James's Qasdte.