The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-29

I brought ne to terms. L agreed 10
, spare his life if he would show me how
, I could be shaved Immediately.
He pulled a key from his pocket
end unlocked the door of the barber S
shop.
, GO in there and shave yourselft'' he
! said
Well, that wasn't SO bad after all.
, There are worse BARRIERS in the world
than 1 am, but not very many. / went
, into the shop, found the tools, and be-
gan to lather my face. Meanwhile the
steamer was feeling her way through
one of those dense fogs which so fire.
, quently veil the beauties Of that coast.
The whistle blew al frequent intervals,
and from all around came answering
soEnds-other whistles, fish horns, din
ner bells, and such simple contrivences
as save the vencrs BILE cOasting schoon-
ers from collision. Suddenly our boats
engin4 bell rang an unusual mum ber.of
times, and very sharply. Then the
boat stopped With slight shock, and a
little list TO port.
Immediately rose the sound Of 4 voice
upon my right and thus evidently in
the water. It rose. as judged, in
prayer. Then we must be il collision
and the passengers had already begun
TO jump overheard! I could see moth
ing from the little window in the room;
1 and 1t certainly was not large enough
TO crawl through. With 2, razor in one
hand, shaving brush in the other, and
a face completely lathered, I rushed
. for the door. bounded up TO the saloon
( deck four steps at time. My thoughts
were all with Maude. She is q prudent
( woman, and ] thought Is possible that
sac had secured q Misrepresentation me,
/ and perhaps another one for herself.
/ She was not TO he found. There seemed
/ TO be little cOnmotion among the pas
I sengers except such as vas caused by
/ my raOrdinary appearance.
Some Of the passengers were moving
in ths direction OF the starboard rail,
and I followed them. anxious to see
what hid become of TIRE unfortunate
whose last petition I had heard arising
from the deep. That person proved 70
be the captain OF c0astinT schooner.
He was not IL the water but on lIisovyn
quarter deck And he was rot pray
ing, though his remarks were remark
ably fervent.
Ny fears being allayef. I began to
be sensitive regarding my personal ap-
paarance. It had already entirely
overshadUwed the collision as q sab /
Ject Of conversation among the passen- !
gers. The pace at which I returned |
to the BARRIERS shop waS even faster !
than that Of my departure therefron. |
The thin boy had Prudeutly locked /
the door. Nobody knew where he had |
gone. went in search of him, carry
ing the razor with ne. I did not really |
Intend to cut him IN two, but il was
pleasant TO imagine the Geed, and the /
razor lentrealism to the mental picture.
! needed that boy and his key very
badly. The BARRIERS shop was the only
place / knew Of where there was water
to wash away the soap from my coun-
tenance. and l was by this time 20
ashamed Of it that 1 would willingly I
have washed it in the boats boiler
In the course Of this pursuit met
man who said: Well, well; what's the
matter with you. Do you want to get
shavedP7
''Oh, no. said I. 81 merely put this
lather on my face for fun"
Don't get hot under the collar" he
replied. - didn't mean any offense.
I'm a sort OF assistant barber on this
boat and I'll give You nice shave il
you want IT,"
! fell upon his neck. He gently set
me upon my feet again. wait here"
said ne, while get key to the shop. !,
It's in nay room"
He opened a door which bore on the
outside the words: "Firemen and Oil
ers.' Which was he? I spent 2 few
moments Of his absence in wondering
whether l would rather be shaved by
q fireman or by an oiler. He led me TO
tho BARRIERS shop. and when we were
within h carefully locked the door.
We mustn't have people running in
here al the time to see what's the mat
ter" ne said.
What do you think is going to 10
the matterT l asked, in trembling
voice
But he evaded the question.
cit down there" said be, rolling ND
the right sleeve of his blue overalls.
I'm q nachinist and handy with all
kinds Of tools
IS = razor e tooi9 On this decision
hangs the veracity Of my friend. Itwas
well that he locked the door. People
were, as q matter Of fact. continually
coming TO inquire what was the mat
tor. ] really couldn't help il. Il was
necessary for me constantly to remind
the maChiuist that I was not made OF
the material on which he was E Gus
toned to work. Sometimes, indeed. I
yelled; and again, bosought him TO
let me finish the job myself But this
he took as an insult, and ne was 8
large strong man.
Among the last Of the people who
came 20 inquire what was the matter
was Mrs. Fielding. When told that a
gaunt, ungainly, bow-le--ed man was
the person who was making all that
Tumpus she wruu- her hands and
screamed that somebody was murder
ing her husband. I recognized her
voice, even as she had recognized my
description, and l shoutcd 10 her such
Is I could with 4 mouth
full Of ersan-uined soap and the ma
chinists heavy hand upon my nose.
Hurry up. Eowdy. she cried. when
her first fears had been relieved.
We're almost up 10 the wharf"
Great Cesar. Is that 500" exclaimed
the uacLiaist. I've got TO help make
the landing"
He LEFT me precipitatelv. I had lust
time II wash of the soap. 70 dress a
Kew Of r2y wounds and 70 hurry u1 %