The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1881-11-19
ITO be continued.
For THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
SHAVED BY A MADMAN.
BY GRIF.

! For The NATIONAL TRIBUNE
SHAVED BY A MADMAN.
BY GRIF.
"Why don'tS on go TO barber to get shaved?'
asked of my friend, Tom Burney, as l sat one
day in his bachelor lodgings watching his convul-
sive efforts with a razor clutched between the
thumb and only two remaining fingers of his left
hand, part of which and the whole of the right
arm had been lost during the war" why don't
you 60 to barber?"
wait till get through with this scrape and
I'll tell you," he replied, land meantime make
yourself comfortable There's cigars and pipes
on the mantel; help yourself"
Tom and had served together in the army
in fact, were old chums, and So lighting fragrant
Havana, settled myself down comfortably on the
reflected in the large mirror, in front of which he
was standing, meanwhile keeping up running
conversation on divers topics
AT the end OF nearly half an hour he had suc
ceeded in removing the greater portion of his
beard together with more or less of the epidermis
from which it. sprouted, and, after bathing his
face, donning his smoking jacket and setting his
pipe ago, put himself to rights in large easy
chair and began:
why don't go to barber? Well, I'll tell
you. / came very near going once too often.
That's why. You see, Jack, after being discharged
l was in a great hurry to get home, and took the
first train from Washington, which left in less
than an hour after became a free man. Reach
ing WilliamspOrt about ten at night, found
that an accident few miles north of that place
would detain the train for a couple of hours, at
least, and, to while away the time, decided to
stroll about the town.
Passing down one Of the streets, noticed a
hc~',o-'- -'s.''' l.leIi, ilii,'aItfE 'i.Nla -.
and. .a. ~ II sas concluded e. have the leali +
week grew. IL = b~er3 taken eli ls'y face 20 taa.
m,gH. 7f1s.g5fbls appearance gl
arrs1a' home ext day. Entering the piace, I
Io1ui uu- e single occupant q strongly baltt.
muscular looking young man, Of perhaps thirty
years of age, who sat in one corner of the room
stropping razor To my inquiry, if l could get
shaved he replied in the affirmative and directed
me TO a chair, of which l at once took possession.
Il paid no particular heed to his movements,
although remember thinking it little strange
that he should draw down the colored curtains
hanging at the windows and door, the upper half
of which was of glass, and when he came with cup
and brush and commenced spreading the lather
over my face, / barely noticed him. I was very
tired so that the large chair, with its head-rest
and cushioned bottom and arms, was a decided
luxury
"Not word passed between us land that was
the strangest fact of ALL for BARRIERS are generally
voluble creatures you know until he had gone
over one side of my phiz. Then he spoke rather
abruptly: i knew you were coming-they told
me so. / waited on purpose The old man thinks
I'm at home in bed. Ha Ha! Ha!' and he gave
a wild sort of laugh that sent the blood pulsing
through my veins with rapidity 1 was little
used to-
"'Who told you?' asked, with an astonish-
ment but lily concealed They! they! You
know. They told me while was asleep. They
are always telling me something he replied
Who the devil are they | again queried.' The
spirits-see there is one of them now He is
looking at you. He wants you-and mel he
fairly hissed, as he made sweep with his razor.
and then brought his face down close to mine
so close could almost feel it's warmth. SO soon |
as fairly caught sight Of his visage realized
what allied him. He was as crazy as June-bug |
His eyes had wild, manacal glare I had fire. |
luently observed in those Of patients in asylums |
for the insane.
"What was | to do? If / cried out he might |
murder me at once. How could stand him off |
,r outwit him, and regain the street? These ques-
ions were revolved rapidly in my mind while
nstinctively sought to get out of my chair. But
le was too quick for me. AS / made the effort
o lift myself up-I was still quite weak from
ny wounds felt moose drop over my head and
around my body, and which, instantly frightened
IS it was, bound my solitary arm to my side and
ny body firmly in the seat They told me you
would try to get away he cried, in voice made
loarse with passion and got this pointing
o the rope that held me fast
Well, now, old comrade, you know I've been
n some tight places in my life, and when l had
O look death pretty square in the face; but l
ssure you never got into situation that caused
ne to feel the fear that one did.
when he had secured the rope beyond danger
f slipping-I was helpless as child-he began
devils dance about the room that froze every
rop of blood in my veins. was paralyzed with
ear. / own it to you Jack, because believe
on know that no ordinary danger could make
le quail. He would occasionally stop in his mad
vOlutions and make dash at my face with his