The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-17
An Imaginary Shnve.

l was riding in wild part Of Colorado,
/ far from the whistle Of a railroad train
or the sound OF a church bell, and as I
| neared my destination, the mining town
| Of Silver Creek, 1 felt the necessity of a
! shave, my beard being of a weeks growth.
says a writer in the Chicago Times-Her-
| aid. carried a razor with me and expected
| to be my own tonsorial artist. So l rode
| up to an indolent-looking man seated in
| the doorway of 4 board shanty and asked
| for the privilege of making myself hui
man.
why, don't you let the barber shave
| you?" he asked.
What barber?" 1 inquired in surprise.
Dave Jones. over yonder."
l followed his eyes and saw a neat bar
Der shop, with all the latest adornmsnts
of the trade.
How is it I didn't see that when rode
up?" l asked.
Didn't look probably, stranger. I can
recommend it, for I am shaved there my
self sometimes"
l offered the man a fee, but he refused it
promptly. Not so with flask 1 extracted
from my saddle bags, from which he took
a generous pull. He was aweird-looking
object, with uncut hair and deep, glowing
eyes, but he spoke like an educated man.
Dismounting and hobbling my horse,
entered the shop, and to my surprise found
that the barber was a colored man and
good at his trade.
The place was finely fitted up, only there
were no customers, and so far as l could
see only one mug was in evidence, and
that had not seen service. 1 seated my
self in a luxurious chair and Dave shaw
ed me with neatness and dispatch, talk
ing glibly after the fashion of his kind,
to amuse me.
''Evar dream, sah?"
do you mean do I dream of certain
numbers?" l asked in return, knowing
the fondness of his folk for the policy
shop.
No, sab; it am always about watches
-yoh chin am as smooVe as silk now,
sah-sometimes deys gold watches, an
sometimes deys silver an one sah-would
you believe it?-was a duplex, an j says
I'm sell dose watch, an gets lots of
money Den l always wakes up"
l expressed my sympathy, having had
similar experience in dreams. and being
now shaved 1 asked the barber how much
| owed him.
Two bits. sah," he answered promptly,
and after struggling a moment with my
calculating powers 1 threw down the
smallest piece of silver in my purse,
50-cent piece. If l expected to get any
change back my expectations were not re-
allied. Dave did not touch the money, but
stood gazing with a curious smile on his
dusky countenance.
I rode off passing near enough to the
man who had directed me to hear him
call:
Get a good shaver"
First Glass; I called back, and 1 ran
my hand over my chin, confirming the
BARRIERS remark, "smoove as silk"
1 reached Silver Creek at nightfaIl, and
found the hotel where / put up all astir
over dance to be given there that night.
well, I'm shaved at any rate" I said,
lingering my chin.
But what! my face was as rough as a
nutmeg crater! A week-old beard covered
my face with its stubble. imagined 1 was
in for brain fever, and hurried to the
landlord.
do need shaving?'' asked as calmly
as 1 could.
He regarded me critically.
well, now, that depends, stranger. If
you air a sheriff, or even a dep'ty, that
uncommon growth of beard would be a
good disguise. But it don't quite fit with
the rest of your get-up as a tenderfoot."
= was shaved this very day." 1 asserted
desperately.
"Where?'' asked the landlord. There
amt any barber shops on the foothills"
Il found one at Four Corners"
You never did. There amt ennybody
ha, ha. no, no. I guess stranger, you
fell in with that old hpy-no- tiv-you sure
did, and he made you believe you was
shaved"
Nonsense 1 said angrily. Il was shay
ed"
you don't look It," said the landlord,
and again l felt of that stubbly growth,
and after looking in a mirror back of the
bar, l let a rough and ready artist, who
also served as barkeeper, hack off my alb
normal growth of beard
And the landlord was right. 1 went back
that way and saw the hypnotic doctor, and
was served with a table d'hote dinner,
with cOlOrqd walters and diDpd iuxurfOnSlV
on the choicest dishes, but there was no
barber shop and no Dave. 1 knew 1 was
being hypnotized but had no power to re-
sist And now am wondering who got the
fee / paid the waiter, the price of the din
ner, and the fifty cents 1 gave Dave. The
money went out of my possession, for L
knew to a dot how much 1 had.
And was il possible for the creation of
hypnotism to relate his dreams? and did
Oh pshawi