The Opelousas courier., 1890-01-18
THE THOUSANDTH SHAVE.
BY JAMES HARVEY SMITH.

81 am extremely sorry, Jack, but"
"But you don't love mel"
CHOW, Jack, that's unkind."
''But it's true"
"No, it isn't true; not one bit of it.,
and you know it. Haven't engaged my
self to you in spite of papa'sc GOODNESS and
mammals positive hatredg"
'tHum2"
"Hayen't I stood by you in spite of
everything people said about you?"
"All lies" cried Jack, hotly.
81 know it., said Adele, laying a low
ing hand on his coat collar. II have al
ways said that you did love me, and were
not careless and idle and ~improvident
and"
Jack shook off her hand quite rudely.
"And yet when / ask you to marry me
you say no. Do you call that loveg"
81 call it common sense, Jack. Why,
you know you haven't anything but your
salary of fifteen hundred ayear."
Glove in a cottage with a crust, be-
gan Jack.
"You know" she cried, ''you detest
suburban life and like anything better
than crusts. Oh, Jack, do be reason
able! Papa is not unreasonable and he
loves mi dearly. Mamma will come
around in time and then we can have a
decent wedding"
"That's enough" said Jack, calmly,
taking his hat. "We will not discuss
this matter any further"
! "You are not going?"
Eyes, | am. And when you see me
again -
"Oh, Jacki"
"Good morning, Miss Aylesford."
Jack Ashton passed out very haughti-
ly. There is no more exquisite pleasure
than feeling that one has a genuine griev.
ance.
1t was ten o'clock and Mr.. Ashton
should have been at his desk in the bank
ing house a full hour before, but he was
not troubled with scruples and Kenyon
& Co. knew his ways. He wa a very
clever accountant, a man who knew the
market and could on a pinch do the
work of three men.
IA cunning chap, said old Kewpor
to the Co, land will make his fortune
when he buckles down to it. We vii
keep him until he knows his worth"
1t was also September and Jack wa
due for a weeks vacation, so his absence
did not cause comment.
There isn't much for a fellow like mt
to do, he said to himself celebrating
this idea, land / suppose I'll have to en-
list as a soldier. Still, that wouldn'
do. Precious little soldering and plenty
of wood chopping and road making. ]
there was only q war!"
By this time he was on the docks and
the shipping diverted the current of hi
thoughts. He would be a sailor and q
away never to return. Perhaps whel
she read of his perishing in a gale Of
Zanzibar or somewhere, or knew that h
had been tossing for days and days in Al
open boat with a daily ration of a spoon
full of water and an ounce of raw porl
But these things rarely got into th
papers ana when they did the recor,
generally read Captain Jones and fou
seamen,' and as he would be one of th
seamen, how would she know?
That be would do something desper
ate he was, however, quite resolved.
was absurd to think that he could go 81
living.
1t was the afternoon of the third day
He had been to the Park in the mornin
and had walked back. There was
strange dizziness in his head. his knee
Knocked together more than once, an
twice his eyesight seemed to be leaving
him. He was hungry; he had not cate
for nearly three days, but he thought b
was dying.
1t gave him a certain sort of grin
satisfaction. He would not have take
his own life, but if death would com
without his direct aid. And the
he looked at his reflection In a plat
glass shop window and shuddered.
1t would never do to die in such
plight. His clothes were dusty, hi
boots grimy and scuffed, and he had no
been shaved for three days. Comei b
might as well die like a gentleman. Th
boot-black fell to work ait once as b
sank into the chair and Jack was diml
conscious that the boy was making
good job.
a Dye street ran on the thoroughfaf
and half way down a slender red an,
White-striped pole protruded from \ door
Jack sauntered down to the shop an
paused on the sidewalk to make q sui
Vey. Reckless as he was, he had n
notion of a fve-ccnt shave or one at un
clean hands. The survey was en1inentl
satisfactory. It was q very cabin Of
place, SO small and SING. Jack though
that the barber looked like d Germa
professor-nut of music, theology, pei
haps, or maybe ethnology or physics
"A Well-bullt, brown-bearded man. wit
ms naif coInbed smoothly back from
high forehead and eyes Of limpid blue
calm and reflective.
sShave2 Yes, SIR said the barber
III ! voice quite ii keeping with hi
looks.
"A pleasant day, ! said Jack, drearily
as the barber Iathered him deity.
Exceedingly pleasant, : said the bar
Der. The weather IS one Of the fey
things ne can enjoy without price,
The idea struck Jack IS original, ID,
he smiled for the first time ID tire
days
In this world, pursued the barber
where ! man has but ono life, and cha