The log cabin Democrat., 1909-05-29
A KNIGHT OF THE BEARD
It Was to Be as His Dear Wife Wished

My love?"
 Augustus. 1 think that boards are so distinguished-do youu-u-u-u-u?'
 And her voice so trembled in it's pleading and, when l looked at my be- loved, her lip so quivered and her eyes so filled with the tears of her longing that l groaned in my spirit, for l knew that my fate was near at hand and that if 1 should deny my hearts desire she would peak and pine and fade away until ner tender heart would break at last and my love would be no more.
 "Augustus," she whispered.
 To which 1 bravely made reply:
 My love-"
 Augustus! I wish that you, my sweet, would grow beard!"
 And pr sing my darling boldly to my heart l raised my hand and sol emnly 1 sWore that never more should razor touch my face till 1 was bearded like the pard and that l would ever emulate the pirate in his business till men should tremble at the mention 's
 
 me with the kiss of pride and joy, and thus the pact was made.
 And in fear and in trembling 1 fared forth into the world the following day. for never before lad l faced my fellow men in the morning until l had passed the gleaming steel over my lathered Countenance. And my fears were all too justified and my trembling was not in vain, for as l walked along the thor oughfare it was as though l had walked along through a gauntlet of eyes; large, rounded eyes, insistently staring, bold eyes and prominent eyes that never winked or wavered; eyes to the right of me, eyes to the left of me, eyes all around me-and every eye upon my unshaved beard.
 My glance fell in shame and con fusion and 1 slinked along the pave
 "Augustus."
 To which l made my sorrowful, fond reply:
 My love?'
 "Augustusl How slowly it grows."
 l pressed my darling sadly to my heart and soothed her, for l saw that she had expected my beard to flower like a plant that grows beneath the hand of the conjurer and that in a few short hours she wished to see it toss ing in the breeze, triumphant, fiery and untamed. And sadly then l pointed out to her that the grand, imperial city was not built in 6 day and that only perseverance brought success i'll that field of endeavor where We had thrown our die and cast our unshaved lot.
 And when the morning broke fared out into the world again, unshayed, un. shorn, and seeking the solitary places of seclusion; but all the friends that ] had ever made and all the chance ac- quaintances that l had ever met; all, all Were there to greet me and to look with pity and with wonder at my woe
 The policeman gave me the second look of sharpness, and when l passed the parlors of the tonsors they pressed their faces to the window, melancholy, mournful and full of deep reproach.
 On the cars my neighbors sat away from me, and all day long when rising in the elevators I was always carried past my stated floor.
 "Augustus!"
 To which 1 made my fond, despair ing cry:
 My love-"
 Augustus. Can't you hurry it?"
 But in sadness and in sorrow I ex plained to her, my love, that the exc. cution of our plan must take it's own appointed time and that, come heat or cold, rain or snow, day or night fire or sword there was nothing that could hasten the even tenor of it's way, and nothing, nothing, nothing that could soften now the blow.
 And the third day came. and the third day fared forth, looking no man in the eye except with a fierce def ance. At the restaurant no man would come and sit at the table where l was, and on the streets the youth of the land made capricornian cries. exclaim. ing also "Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z," and "Whish. sh-sh-sh-sh!"
 "Augustus,"
 To which l made my fond. lamenting cry;
 My }ove?'
 Augustus, How much bearded is the pard?'
 T do not know" I stammered forth, a great and sudden joy infusing me T do not know, my love!" stam mered forth
 "A strange and fearful name" then unused my Josephine, and l am sure that he was bearded so, The pirate, too. it was agreed that we should emu. late, so that all men then should trem- ble at the mention of thy name. And do they tremble yet, dear heart?"
 They tremble exceedingly" then cried in my eagerness The barbers scarcely can restrain themselves. and when my friends must come and talk to me they trembIe for fear they win