The sun., 1907-08-11
I ABAN LORlS'S
l. MISADVENTURE
A Chance Visit to a BARRIERS Shop
and the Disappearance Of
100000 From Bank.

raban Loris, as he took his seat In the
chair. cracked joke with the barber, though
he had never seen him or the shop before.
This WAS in accordance with his jovial habit.
a habit all the more attractive for it's unex-
pectedness. For Laban face was as solemn
as his manner was gay; it's long. dropping
mustache casting a melancholy shade.
Iaban's good nature was the all the more
Conmendahle because the day. thus far,
had been filed with petty annoyances. He
had oversight. necessitating hasty toilet
and hastier breakfast.
lie had rushed to the station and caught
tho last car Of train as it was rolling out.
only 80 learn as he swung himself on board
that it did not stop until 1t reached Fair
graie, ten miles beyond Mr.. Kladen's
country seat. On arriving at Fairgrade
he had learned that he must wait an hour or
uore before he could take returning train.
Moreover, the day was to be day Of days
with Iaban. The compliment Of an invita-
tion 10 spend it at the home Of the million
aire bank president. whose faithful teller
he was, alone would make it red letter.
Bu, he was also to be with Kitty Granger.
- spend adorable hours with her, as hitherto
he had only been able to spend adorable
moments Most men would have fretted
anI fumeI themselves sick over such delay
in tho fruition Of their fondest dreams; but
lahan got shaved, thinking meanwhile that
even at the worst he still had much the
better Of his friend Roosa.
" least he submitted himself to the oper-
alton, in a quiet, village shop. at the hands
NJ l.s only tenant. the barber with whom he
h' passed the joke. wall eyed. pasty
fac" person. this barber. who act about his
task in an abrupt and jerky way uncon-
du"lye 10 tranquility. But Laban. after his
WI had been rebuffed by stony silence, lay
back IN the chair and slept with baby's
s"regifv
Not for long, however. There was a
RrRIiug sound, a rasping jerk along his
cA"'N laban looked up just in time to
81" that the pasty face was distorted, the
wall eyes rolled back, CLASSY and white.
lH' not IN time TO avoid wholly furious
sweep Of the razor.
Dodge. ho did. or otherwise. he might
have lost his head literally as he was about
g. lose II dguratively; but the blade caught
u" mop Of his mustache and sent two
thirds OF 1t like thistledown 20 the floor.
The nest moment the barber unconscious
W. 'l''Il'f'l, WIS WTltnIIlg OUT MS III ih
u" ""rror while Laoan ruetuiiy scanned
his own rejection in the glass.
u was noi the loss OF beauty nut OF identity
mat appalled, I.aban He. was a better
I"",Irg man now than when he had sat
down. lighter, brighter, younger; but he
"a' different looking man.
Not only had the saturnine shade been
snai"het away. but the mouth was now as
manifest ~ it had been hid; parted. with
WIN" teeth glistening between round red
EI- 'hn upper one short and sharply curved
I'D merry, mocking mouth fit TO make the
l'N", habit seem as inevitable as it had
seemed strange.
NiH~ laban was no longer addicted to
'h" habit az he clipped away the few re-
INNING tufts and made complete the fatal
work. + demolition. In that one fell swaoop
h' Hli been sent into exile.
N'' only the places but the people that
nai known him must know him no more.
'l'i "hen his plans seemed most promis-
hg llScomilture had come.
u WAS not that he had suddenly become
stranger TO Mr.. kladen the accident
might be- explained. A disguise had been
removed. and the secret. which he had
frv"n 10 hide until fortified by marriage.
was rendered palpable. unmistakabls,
sholll hr now be seen.