The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-08
A Tale of a Nose.

1t was few months before Haskell sold out
that I called on him last. says the New York
Recorder man. You may remember him. He
kept little fancy goods store in the Bowery.
AS I had not been in the city for over a year
previously, l was particularly anxious to see
him
When I entered the place he was apparently
waiting on q customer in the far end Of ths
store and cid not observe my entrauce. But
when the profile of this party was turned
squarey. so that got view of his face, it was
Immediately evident to me that he was not my
friend Haskell.
Haskell, if you recall his face, had very regu-
lar features, and withal, perfectly straight
nose. This mans nose was a decided pug.
II any man ever loved cigar that man was
Haskell. and thinking he must be out to lunch
stepped around the corner and bought a couple
Of prime perfectos and returned. boyish
looking clerk came forward and asked what
desired
Il wish to see Mr. HASKELL"
''He has just this moment gone out"
That was not Mr.. Haskell IN the back Of the
store a few moments ago."
Indeed it was
But it could not have been; that man had
pug noss."
But haven't you heards''
mo. whati'
why it was in all the papers. 1t was the
strsngest thing. too that be wasn't murdered.
What was it?'
You know Beppo that kept the little barber
shop just above
YES, slightly"
We'll. he was bright looking young fellow
well liked by everybody around here. He was
educated for a surgeon at Naples. But it
appears that he was very moody Something
prayed upon bis mind. 1t might have been
bushes or it might have been love affair.
No one knows
about six months ago, one rainy morning
Beppo came down to his shop in one of his ter
rible states of dependency.
"'Me feela very bad, he said to me as he
opened the door.
What is the matter. Beppo?
"'Ah, no matta no matta-what re deval
could be 70 malta with Beppo?' he said with a
scowl, Struggling his shoulders and gesticulat-
ing wildly"
Il laughed and came into the store.
Mr. Haskell went into Beppo's shop for his
usual shave that morning and took the chair
with cigar in his mouth
"Beppo, it appeared afterward, had been al
ready especially annoyed by two circum-
stances. One was the smell of gas arising
from one corner of his apartment and the
other the sound of squeaky hand organ, run
by one OF his own countrymen, in the street
near by. If there was ANYTHING he detested
more than these two sources of ANNOYANCE. it
was to have a customer smoke while he was
shaving him. He Immediately concluded that
Mr. Haskell was smoking that cigar for the
very purpose of insulting him. The thought
made him furious. Though unobserved by his
customer his eyes glared. He stropped his
razor with the vehemence of a mailman. Then
he approached the chair as he admitted after
ward, with the purpose Of severing Mr. Has
keI's head from his body. The latter was
quietly reading his paper, with his cigar burned
down to within about an inch of his mouth
'Beppo seemed to be baked by the cigar;
such trivial things sometimes change the pur-
pose of a mailman He drew his razor lust
over the end or the burning weed and sliced off
the tip Of Mr.. haskell's nose so quickly that
the latter hardly knew what had happened
AT that instant Beppo came to himself. He
not only realized that in cutting off his custom
er's nose he was more than likely to cut off his
own, but he felt profoundly sorry for what he
had done.
For Goda's sake, Mr. Haskale me flxa your
nosa, he said, and before poor Haskell, be-
wildered at the state of things, could make OBJ
lection, being of course only too glad to get his
nose back again, Beppo had fixed the piece on
and securely fastened it with adhesive plaster
Unfortunately, as you noticed, he got it
wrong side up"