The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-24
The BARRIERS Second Brother.

!
were all away
Shave me-, he said. and settled him
| self in the chair. His beard was fun
! black one and handsome.
| You wish to sacrifice your whole beard,
STRIP
Every hair down to the roots. And
you may alos cut my hair, AMI do il
rather close The hair was luxuriant
and a degree longer than that worn by
nost gentlemen OF fashion.
When the barber had completed his ap-
! pointed tasks, his patron arose, shook
| himself, and laid ten $100 bills on the
| counter which contained the pomades and
| the bay rum.
Il like your conversation" said he,
"and I like the way you shave. I am
| going to remain and learn the trade with
| you. / am your second brother"
Excuse me-" replied the barber, po-
| litely, the hand with which stroked his
| pale mustache trembling perceptibly. but
What is the nature of the trouble YOU
are in? It will depend upon that whether
| 1 give my consent or not"
"One thousand easy dollars" unused the
man, spreading out his brfhe attractively.
Are they likely to come your way again,
and for the thing so agreeable as the
| requirement of new relative?"
| "But 1 have a wife, cried the barber
What am 1 to tell her?"
Tell her I am your second brother.
| friend No, stay; 1 will tell her my self.
| Where is she?''
IN the room behind"
The man went TO the door and called
| A black-eyed woman with a sharp nose
| entered. She was tidy and her elbows
| jerked as she walked.
SIS this she?"
! The barber nodded
Madame said the stranger, gravely
| it has come to my ears how poorly pro-
vided your husband and yourself are with
desirable relatives. Also 1 have learned
| that there is a breath of BARRIERS ap-
prentices. Therefore I have come to Of
| fer my services in a double capacity.
desire to learn this ancient trade of your
| husband, and also TO call myself his
| second brother. In consideration thereof
1 tender him those ten bills, each, as
| you see, of noble denomination.
I'VE may get ourselves in a peck of
trouble, said the woman, shrewdly. II
think It is worth more
An almost imperceDtible sigh Of relief
escaped the strangers lips.
How much more?" he asked.
Il should like as much more as lies
there for pin money for myself"
9 reasonable request. If l give it to you
I shall trust you to refrain from letting
the world know of my generosity?'
The tone was testing, but the man was
| really a terrible thing to look at at that
moment
There was menace in his eye that
made the pale-haired barber faint
Il shall never mention it myself, and
will undertake to see that my husband
keeps still. too
MIC eie -
mo familiarity, if you please"
Pardon me, none was intended. It was
a jest. Almost everything is a jest. Do
not let me detain you any longer"
why, are you our second brother?'
she inquired. She was smiling. The bills
had been a spiritual emolient
why not?" said he. And he smiled,
too
All that afternoon he took lessons from
the barber.
This is my second brother" said the
barber to everyone who entered. "He has
grown tired of professional life-he was
on the stage, you Understanding he has
come to me to learn the trade
But he was not an able apprentice.
That evening, while scraping his own
cheek, the razor slipped and made a hid
eous cash in his cheek, almost letting
his eye slip from its socket.
You will carry the remainder of that
piece of awkwardness to the day of your
DEATH" said the physician, who took five
good stitches in his face.
Congratulate me-" said the BARRIERS
second brother to the barber after the
physician had left. You heard what he
said-I shall be SCARED forever?''
You pay high price" said the bar
ber
The next day the man appeared in the
full outfit of a barber and he devoted
himself to his work. He kept the shop
scrupulouslY clean, he polished windows
and oiled the floor. He brushed the Gus
toners and blacked their boots-this last
was an enterprise of his own AT the
end of a month the shop began to feel
his influence. 1t had become popular
Men who felt sociable. or whose children
cried too much, or whose wives did not
ardently enjoy their conversation, got in
the way OF frequenting the place. It was
odd. for the BARRIERS second brother said
little. But he had way of making ev-
cry one feel at home. and he put padded
cushions in the chairs and bought the
finest towels and best SOAPS
You have made an excellent barber,
sir" remarked the barber to his second
brother
Thank you. You have been an excel
lent brother
The man lived with the barber and his
wife six years-slept in the little bedroom
off their kitchen. ate at their table with
them, walked with them to the park and
read aloud to them evenings. At the end
of those six years he remained as much
a mystery as the day ne came. but he
had inspired affection and even gratitude
in the hearts of the barber and his wife,
who by all reckoning should have dis
liked him mibhtily. One day he disap-
2eared.
Ny brother has gone back to the
stage" explained the barber. He said
it sadly He was really lonesome. He
tried to keep up the habit of reading
evenings. but he could not be interested
He endeavorode 10 make the shop look
as it had for the six years past, but he
could not succeed. Trade began to fail
of Everything seemed dull. The barber
found fault with his wife tand she found
fault with him.
'He ought not to have left US" they
sighed He might have known how
lonesome we would be-"
They were like children who have sud
denly become orphans.
One day Il letter came FOR them from a
distant city-a city al the under side OF
thewor,d
shave no more chins, dear brother
II read II send you and Miranda the
means OF rest And ! wish. BY the wav
II you have the desire you would come
over here and see ne. / have a palace
here beside the sea. and servant fer
every different want. But an lonesome
! do not require II q you-but ! long for
Won Il IS easy FOR me - send You tae
jnclosed
YOUR SECOND BROTHER