Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-11-17
HOW THEY FOUND HIM OUT
He Used to Run 4 Barber Shop and
Couldn't Conceal the Dis
agreeable Fact.

Der VINO ID very well known In Wash
: ington, relates the Star. "The barber
Ing business began to pail upon me 8
acutely about a month ago that l sim
ply had to pick up and run some
where. ! wanted to forget that T.,
ever been barber or the boss Of
barber shop, In my anxiety to con
ceal my avocation, however, and I,
sort o. pose as a somebody entirel!
different from a barber l struck on,
little snag that / will remember.
Went into a barber shop down a
the beach one forenoon to get shaved
For some reason or othes | felt a bi
cross and cranky that morning. The
man into whose chair l sat had a Var
Dyke beard, and that didn't add to my
nature. like to see q clean-shaved
barber-whisker BARRIERS make me
tired, and wouldn't employ one II
he'd work for nothing.
Razor hurt?' the man shaving me
asked, after he had made few passes
with the blade.
"'Yes, 1t does, replied, testify.
It's a wonder to me you BARRIERS
wouldn't keep your blades sharpened
up
"T'll try another one he said good
naturedly; and although the first one
had really been all right-only 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,' replied, with the air of
railroad president in a barber shop
who doesn't care much for tonsorial
conversation, If feel like it.
Waters great now, they tell me,
my barber went on.
"'Um,' said l. L wish you'd try to
keep some of that lather, anyhow, out
of my mouth. Don't enjoy the taste
Of 1t right on top of my breakfast
"The barber grinned good-naturedly,
and went on with mis- job.
"This'd be a queer-looking old world
without BARRIERS, wouldn't it?' he
came back again, after another short
pause.
ooh, l don't know l replied. 4
think 1t would be first-rate world
without 'em. There'd be a whole lot
less conversation, for one thing
well, instead of looking crushed,
blamed II that fool barber didn't
laugh right out loud at that squelcher
of mine.
"'Oh, we'll he replied with his I'M
damned flow of cheerfulness, some Of
us have got to be BARRIERS, Of course.
Pretty bum business, at that
We'll, l should say So" replied.
Seems to me that any young man of
spunk and grit and ambition would
rather drive truck or carry the hod,
any time, than be a barber
THAT got another loud laugh out Of
my Van Dyked barber. He laughed
so loud, in fact, that 1t grated upon
me, and half sat up and glared at
him, which only caused him to laugh
the louder.
81 wish you'd cut out that fool
and let me get out of here
| said TO him then. L don't visit bar
Der shops for the fun of the thing
I'd never go near one of the blamed
places If l didn't have to. Now hurry
Up and let me break out of here
'Shampoo?' he asked me.
"'No!"
"'Face massaged? 4
"'No!"
"'Tonic?
"'No-no!'
"'Powder on your face?'
"'No!' I shrieked. Just pull this
lpron from around my neck and lem
ne out O. here. I'd rather spend a
lay in Jail than a quarter of an hour
n barber shop!'
THAT grinning barber fellow almost
ell down from chuckling as he pulled
he napkin and apron from around
ny neck. / hurried on my collar and
le and coat and hat and paid him, and
vas Just about starting out the door
then he said to me:
elbows things in Washington,
oss?
Washington said, wheeling
pom him. What the deuce makes
on think I'm from Washington
"'Oh, nothing, the cutthroat re-
lied, only I worked in your shop IN
once. bout nine years
go, that's ALL
sand It was so. j took another look l
/ him, and remembered him, even
nder the cover of that Van Dyke /
card. He'd worked in my shop for l
n entire winter, but have SO many
len coming and going all the time
lat hadn't recognized him. l hur- I
ed right anyway from that shop,
nd for the remainder Of my stay at /
10 beach l did all sorts of lodging
, as not to pass by 1t again" q
Freak Of Whirlwind.
A k-..f- A.. / q