Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-03
he WAS FOUND OUT

I'm just back from the first vacation
I've taken in eight years" said a sun
Drowned middle-aged boss barber who is
very well known in Washington. 1.-The bar
boring business began to pail upon me so
acutely about a month ago that l simply
had to pick up and run somewhere
wanted to forget that I'd ever been bar
Der the boss of barber shop. In my
anxiety to conceal my avoeation however,
and to sort O. pose as a somebody entirely
different from a barber / struck one little
snag that 1 will remember.
Went into a barber shop down at the
beach one forenoon to get shaved. For
some reason or other l felt a bit cross and
cranky that morning. The man into whose
chair sat had a Van Dyke beard and that
didn't add to my nature. l like to see
clean-shaved barber-whiskered BARRIERS
make me tired, and l wouldn't employ one
If he d work for nothing.
Razor hurt? the man shaving me
asked after he had made few passes with
the blade.
"'Yes, it does. replied testify. It's a
wonder to me you BARRIERS wouldn't keep
your blades sharpened up
IN try another one he said good
naturally; and although the first one had
really been all right-only 1 was cranky, as
l say told him, when he inquired that
the second one was passable enough.
- Going in bathing?' he asked me as he
plugged along at my tough beard,
Yep l replied. with the air of rail-
road president in barber shop who doeSn
care much for tonsorial conversation. II 1
feel like it.
Waters great now, they tell me- my
barber went on.
some of that lather. anyhow. out of my
mouth. Don't enjoy the taste of it right
on top of my breakfast
THE barber grinned good-naturedly, and
NIT bic in1,
''This'd be queer-looking old world
without BARRIERS, wouldn't it?' he came
back again, after another short pause.
oh; don't know l replied L think
1t would be firSt-rate world without EN-.
There'd be whole lot less conversa ton,
for one thing
well instead of looking crushed. blamed
if that fool barber didn't laugh right out
loud at that squelcher of mine.
" oh, WELL he replied with his undammed
flow of cheerfuiness, some of us have got
to be BARRIERS. Of course. Pretty bum bust
ness. at that
"'Well, 1 should say So 1 replied.
Seems to me that any young man OF spunk
and grit and ambition would rather drive a
truck or carry the bod, any time, than be
a barber
THAT got another loud laugh out of my
Van Dyked barber. He laughed so loud, in
fact, that it grated upon me, and l half sat
up and glared at him, which only caused
him to laugh the louder.
WISH you cut out Inat 1901 caCklinS
and let me get out of here, l said to him
then. I don't visit barber shops tor the
fun of the thing. I'd never go near one or
the blamed places if didn't have to- Now
hurry up and let me break out of here
"'Shampoo?' he asked me.
"'Nov
Face massaged?'
"'Nor
"'Tonic?
Mono!
" Powder on yOur faceS'
NO! l shrieked. Just pull this apron
from around my neck and femme out o.
here. I'd rather spend day in jail than a
quarter Of an hour In barber shop!
THAT grinning barber fellow almost fell
down from chucklng as he pulled the nap
kin and apron from around my neck. 1 hur-
ried my collar and tie and coat and hat
and paid him, and was just about starting
out the door when he said to me:
'How's things in Washington, boss?
Washington? 1 said. wheeling upon
him. What the deuce makes you think m
from Washington?
oh, nothing the cutthroat replied.
only worked in your shop in Washington
once bout nine years ago, that's ALL
And 1t was SO. l took another look at
him, and remembered him, even under the
cover Of that Van Dyke beard. He'd work.
ed in my shop for an entire winter, but l
have so many men coming and going all
the time that 1 hadn't recognized him.
hurried right anyway from that shop, and
for the remainder of my stay at the beach
1 did all sorts of lodging SO as not to pass
by 1t again.