The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1878-09-19

Scratch, ScTape, scratch, Scrape went
the razor; and my fancy made 1t sou d
like the tide craw ing III over the sands,
as had seen it there. Now the barrier
had me by the nose to aid him Ill II
operations; and opening my mouth ior
greater comfort in breathing, l vas
reminded Of that time Wien l got Il
whole mOuthful OF salt Water there,
and | presently wondered whether Su
san could be induced 10 put on one OF
those Lorrid bathing costumes that my
aunt had, and go into the water.
Tie scratching of the razor stopped,
but the thumb and fOieInger still he'd
my nose. | opened my eyes-gods!
what shiver came over ne! There
was that devilish barrier, with the edge
of The keen razor right at my throat
and lis dreadful Sa.lOw fac bdSlt down
to within four inches of mine. His
wicked looking black eyes We're giaring
at ne, and his bare white teeth looked
as if they were about TO take bite out
of me.
l was startled, frightened for al in
stant; but even then did not guess
the truth. The thought that instantly
came t0 explain his conduct WAS that
he was a silly, stage-struck fellow, who
had got himself into the trick OF pos
turing and posing III dramatic man
ner; and L spoke i'll rebukeful Way,
looking steadily at him as did SO.
what the devil 90 you mean by all
this nonsense over me, sir?' L demand
ed.
lie dropped his hands and shrunk
back, saying in weak kind of voice:
"Oh, nothing; l WAS just through"
"Well, l don't propose to have you
gibbering over me like an ape re-
joined. He washed eff and dried my
face i'll his former melancholy way, and
took the silver that gave him. | le t
the shop, not particularly nervous, but
Il little tiustered with the scene, and
thought | would take a walk to COM
pose myself, which / did. l was gone
something more than half-an-hCU""
and after locking up my room and leay-
ing the key with the keeper of the
house, | finally started for Mir. JOinsr's.
passed directly by the building in
which was this barber shop on the way;
and as | approached it a crowd of men
gathered eXcitedly on the sidewalk,
while others ran upstairs. L stopped
anG inquired what the trouble was, and
WAS tod that man had been killed
upstairs.
Killed." l exclaimed. How"
Throat cut, Was the startling reply
Before | could ask anything more, the
barber WAS brought down stars, Strug-
Cling in the grasp of three stout men,
ana SriTeKIHT HOTr!DIy.
Lynch him-hang the murdererI'
man beside me cried out.
''Elush, you fool" said the magis-
trate. stprnIv. The man is probably
crazy; but in any event We'll have no
mob-law."
They carried him off to a place of
secure confinement, and l pressed up
stairs with the crowd. Melciful Iieav-
en-, what a sight was that! There i'll
the great chair which | suppose l had
last occupied before the victim, lay
tall, handsome man, his body covered
with his own blood, and his throat
gashed half through, while a bloody
razor lay on the floor! lie lay there
dead, just as he WAS found; and they
were keeping him i'll the same position
fill the arrival Of he corner,
| got out Of the building rs quick as
could, and | could feel my legs trem-
bling under me as / walked over to the
house. Mr.. Joiner met me at the door,
and seeing my face, seized me by the
arms and pushed me into his bedroom
without Il word. lie never spoke till
he had closed and locked the door.
Josh limbs, what i'll creation alls
yOu?p he asked. You'll scare Sue to
death with that face. What has hap
pened?"
When | told him his own face turned
pale, and he started for the closet. He
returned i'll moment with glass Of
brandy.
My dear boy, that was awful" he
said. Il don wonder you look white.
lake this and brace up your nerves.
Cad, l believe Ill lave II little myself"
That brandy was all that enabled HE
to get through the ceremony, and even
then l heard one of the brides
maids whisper to the other that she
thought Mr.. limbs acted very queer.
Well, after the thing was well over
yes, five days after, while we were
down there OH the coast-I learned all
about it. SuSanS father sent me IA
newspaper with a tull account Of the
affair, and the story of The barber. 1t
appeared that he had been engaged to
be married TO a girl i'll a neighborlng
village, who had heartlessly Tilted him
for a rich man. The unfortunate fell
lows hopes were all bound up III this
girl, and he broOded over his cruel dis
appointment SO long that it crazed
him.
have no doubt that, in a moment of
insane frenzy, he had fancied that his
successful rival was in the chair, in his
power, and that his dreadful deed was
prompted solely by his fancy. Nor can
l doubt that, had L not opened my eyes
and thrown him off his balance just us
l did, with my look and my words, l
should have been his victim.
lie ended lis miserable days in an
insane asylum; and Susan and l are
reasonably happy here, with our chill
dren about us; and here you have the
reason why have always shaved my
self since that day.
Proofs of former exploration are