The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-08-06
BURkLEFS
INDEPENDENCE
He Was Not a Success ct
Handling the Razor.

"What'll the barber do to it?"
"strop it."
Cant II"
He was going out that evening -
he left the ONCE about half an hour
early.
As soon as he reached home he
peeled off his coat and vest Then he
hitehed the strop to doorknob and
went to work with will He felt so
confident and self-reliant that he be-
gan to whistle He might be bit awk-
ward at 1t, but he'd put an edge on the
thing all right. Just then the razor
turned and cut long cash in the
Btrop
That about ruined the strop, but
Burkley believed the razor was sharp
enough, anyway. Accordingly he deco.
rated his face with a fine coat Of lather
and then sliced confidently at the stub
Bile near his right ear. Instantly
panied and astonished expression
shone from the eyes Of Burkley-the
rest of his face, Of course, being
masked In white
"Je-e-e-e.hosaGaatl" he exclaimed.
He again began stropping furiously
and again slashed the strop.
Father" suggested Mrs. B. mildly.
father used to strop his razor differ
entity"
Burkley had genuine affection for
his wife, but he felt that no woman
should presume 50 far as 10 tell a man
how to DO something which was essen
TALLY mannish. He treated her sug-
gestion with the silent hauteur It do
served. He kept on stroppings slowly
and carefully He believed he had
mastered the art now, Presently he
moistened the dry lather on his coun-
tenance by adding a fresh coat, and
once more started to scrape the bris-
ties away from his ear. But he only
started
\ Well, rll-be darnedi" he ejacu.
lated. Seems to be getting duller all
the time"
Father" began Mrs. Burkley used
-"
"Confouud father" snapped Burk-
ley styles have changed since
fathers time"
Mrs. Burkley subsidized Burkley re.
sumed his muscle-making exercise.
The strop was now getting a surface
Ike a chopping block. but Burkley was
still determined After ten minutes
Of pore-opening work he heaved a deep
sigh of relief
I'm bet it'll do now be said
But he tried the edge on his thumb
this time. And from the ease with
which it almost severed that digit It
seemed to be much improved
Mrs. Burkley cried out at sight Of
/ the blood Burkley declared it was
I nothing, but Mrs. b. anointed and
bound up the wound none the less,
and Burkley began feeling he had act
ed like a brute. That Is he did until
Mrs. B. yentured:
Il remember hearing father say"
Well" snapped Burkley, what in
thunder did father say?"
HE used to say that unless one
turned the razor over sort Of back,
wards after each stroke on the strop
the edge would be turned"
What an idiot ami" eroaned
Burkley Il knew that all the time.
but didn't think Of It"
Burkley's hope revived. He might
be humbled bit Ia the eyes Of bis
eife. but he could still hold up his
head when he met Hawkins. He
clenched his teeth and stropped
viciously but triumphantly for some
minutes. Then ne tried the edge-gin.
gerly-on his fingers and--ecstasy! II
seemed to be sharp
But when he applied # to his face
it still pulled painfully. He turned tc
Mrs. B.
Myrtle he said, have you any
recollection how your father used ia
tell when a razor was sharp?7
"Oh. yes. He used to pull a haii
from his head aud cut at it"
"Thats right I've seen BARRIERS do
that"
Bdlk,ey tiled to pull a single hail
from HIS scanty crop. He found II
rather difficult to separate one from
its neighbors But lnally he got hold
Of what seemed to be just one and
'ierked. It hurt. but Burkley was
game and ierked harder. When Il
came out he saw that It was six. The
razor wouldn't cut them. Burkley
stropped some more, then stopped tc
try again The hairs had mysterieusly
disappeared, so he had to pull another
one This time he got four. But still
the razor only made them bend double
Burkley faced a dilemma. One
thumb was cut, now the other was
blislered. He gave up.
When Burkley reached the office
next morning the first man he ran into
was Hawkins. who eyed him critically
so YOU got shaved by a barber?'
remarked Hawkins.
Burkley didn't ask Hawkins how he
knew. He merely meekly nodded.
I'll bet l do sharpen the thing
though. he added. "as soon as my
thumbs get we'll
But Mrs b. Is going to try to have
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