Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-01-06

As the barber proceeded with his
task. Abe walked the shop nervously.
A presa0e Of danger oppressed him.
The chestnut curls on his forehead grew
damn with anxiety. He knew life, In
his rough wnv, and he knew BARRIERS.
The fair young girl would be no match
for the frontier hair-dresser, II the worst
should como. And why should It NOS
Gomez Had she not millions In her
pocket He glanced at the tiny feet
planted suuarely and firmly on the stool
before her, and recognized character.
He knew nothing Of Boston, but ne un-
derstood feet. :.
{" And do you live in this funny place,
te heP'' asked the girl, smiling at Abe's
reflection in the glass.
al do" sighed Abe. "Midortuncs
have cast my bark of life high upon this
barren shore and left me with only tho
shelter the sea-weeds afford"
"Te he! how odd. Ouchi"
But Abe grasped him and laid him
upon the floor. The barber had made
a dive for the dainty pocket and had
failed.
Leaping Antelope Run was aroused.
Such an attack found no apologists
among the wild, rough miners. WHAT
ever they nights be inherently, they
would tolerate nothing OF the kind In
the barber.
"Away to the dull thudi" demanded
one. more intelligent than the rest. And
they echoed the cry till the moonlit air
was shiyered and the beams crept away
They may have expected
him to beg. but he eyed them sternly.
"Oh! my! what will they do with
himp" asked the beauty with one eye:
She had no need to speak. The thrill
of that eve struck chord in Abe Wal
lace.
"They'll sprain his neck, darling"
Wallace, in tender accents.
This feeling was new to him, but he UNI
il.
"Graciousl and may I see himP"
whispered she with the other eye.
Abe's answer was lost in the sullen
roar of the crowd.
Out under the grand old trees that
fringed the mines. Out under the whis-
per of the leaves. Out through tho
shadows. The wind swept down from
the sierras-velvet winds, but pitiless.
They shook sweet voices out of their
satin garments, but not pleading tone
for that human barber, soon to be mel.
Their barber nor human.
The rope was around his neck. Will
ing hands were ready. A cloud foated
across the face of the moon, but she
from behind it, held by the
horror of the scene.
"Hold!" commanded Abe. And
then addressing the barber, he asked:
" You are Justice of the Peace, are you
notp"
at am" responded the condemned,
in low, steady tones.
"Then marry u.s." said Wallace,
the Boston girls arm within
his own. rM
"You do take this woman for your,
welded wifep" asked the barber, with o
strange glitter in his eye.
al do" responded Abe.
"Do you take this man for your we'd
ded husband ?" inquired the barber, with
a peculiar smile. rt
"Te. he! I suppose so, te, he!" whis-
pered the musical voice.
"Then l pronounce you man and
wife. Go to the deuce" is
The rope frightened, but as he went up.
the barber uttered a wild, demoniac
laugh.
Then with the shadows of the Sier--
ras gathering around him, he hung
dead.
Try as he might Abe could not shake
off the influence of that laugh. Ii was
ghost in his life. fl.sf
"Good heavens!" he screamed, as he
sprang from his seat day or two after
ward. .I understand il now"
Understand what, lovep" asked his
beautiful bride, looking up from the bite
Of an apple.
al know why he laughed. I know
why the barber laughed with his dying
BREATH" he moaned.
"Goodness gracious! Wat was it
Forp" she demanded, with dimpling
smiles.
"Because he died without giving us q
marriage certificate"
With wild shrek the Boston girl
sank dead ut his feet.
The barber was avenged.-Brookiyn
Eagle.