The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-18

H
shears and cut abont an inch of the
ends as well as d barber. Understand.
though. ] Gon't want any monkey
work about IL You want to look at it
as u very serious business.
Mrs. Bowser tried TO beg of. She
had never even cut n ch;ld's hair. and
she had 40 hope OF satisfying Mr..
Bowser. She also remembered that the
shears wanted sharpening and that
she had had rheumatism in the right
elbow that day.
You can do ii il you follow instruc-
TONS was Mr.. Bowser's firm reply.
And ne went away after the towel and
shears and left her growing pale and
her heart increasing its beats.
IF l make a bad job of it you won't
blame me-" she said as he returned
n sat down and tucked the towel
under his collar.
But you Will be to blame, of course
1 am going to give you instructions
that any child can follow, and you see
that you follow them. Now, then,
comb the hair out straight first. Ouch,
What in thunder are you trying to
do?'
"I'm combing."
We'll, don't rake those old harrow
teeth into my brains. You go at it as
if you were using a currycomb on a
horse. Got through?
YES"
Then begin over the right ear and
snip gently. If you snip off too much
1t will destroy my professional look.
What are you doing nowT'
I'm shipping"
Then don't jab the points of the
shears into my s, III. Circle down to
the back of the neck and then around
it. 1t wants to be a true half circle IN
the back. | have been told that my
head is exactly like CiceTo's. but
WHAT'S The matter now" asked
Mrs. Bowser as she stood back.
You are clipping too much off"
I'm only taking the ems. as you
told me-"
Woman. told YOU this was a seri-
oUS business. and ] kopeNou Will see
il in that liz. If look like Cicero l
can't help ii. and try to be modest
over it. but if you in your envy and
jealousy try to change my appearance
TO that of John i. SlGggerville | won't
be responsible for my actions. Have
you got down to the back of my neck
yet?"
YES, I'm there"
Then work up on the other side,
and don't jab the points of those
shears into me over forty times more
What are you stopping for?"
II was looking at the freckles on
your poll. 1 didn't know hat a bald
head ever freckled. 1 hope you never
take your hat off in the street car"
"Oh. you do, eh? Well, let me just
freckle on my head. and you know it
as well as l do. l might have known
you'd think up something to hurt my
feelings before you got through. What
are you trying to do with that ear?
Don't you know that it's attached to
the kead:"
I'm bending it down so hat 1 can
cut the hair. l wonder why the hair
is thinner and more reddish on this
side?'
Never you mind about the thinner
and more reddish. Have you got
through at last?"
give done the best l could. 1 told
you I'd never cut hair before and that
the shears were dull. but l think I've
made 4 pretty fair job of it."
Mr.. Bowser removed the towel and
- --I @ooI -10olv % ;pnralf IN
the mantel mirror. One glance was
enough. and he threw VI his hands
and turned on Mrs. Bowser and shout
ed:
woman, you have done it at last"
"Done what!" she asked.
"Failing on fourteen different occa-
sions to assassinate me, you have cut
my hair and changed mt from Chris
topher Columbus to a fifteen cent pu-
gilist, The children will boot me in
the street, and as for the Browns
You never looked better, Mr.. Bow
ser. You look ten years younger, and
there's a gay and hilarious something
In your general demeanor that is quite
fetching. You remind me of the pic
lures of Daniel Webster"
Mr.. Rowser walked up and down
the room and breathed hard. Then he
stood before the glass and swore to
and at himself. Then he walked down
the ball to the hatrack and clapped on
his hat and strobe out into the selfish
world. He walked he knew not where,
and he passed and repassed people
seeing them. Only one hin
did he remember when he woke Up in
bed next morning an hour later than
usual. He had gone into a saloon and
stood at the bar and called for some
thing TO brace up n ruined man, and
the bartender had passed him a de-
canter and muttered at the same time;
We'll, by John, if old Captain Kidd
hasn't come back TO give the pirate
business another push along"