Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-04-29
THE MISCHIEF MAKER


assistant. and he purposed to avenge
himself He was sacked for trife,
and his master should smart for it.
Moreover, it was this big, hot-tem-
pered Roland Cox who had said he
couldn't cut hair that started the trou-
BILE.
Thus he would be twice avenged
AS for the feelings of the young lady
well, she might take care Of herself
She was a naughty person, and he
hated haughtiness in women.
He rubbed his hands with nervous
satisfaction when Aid Clutterbuck
entered. The alderman was the very
| individual to begin upon. There was
council meeting that afternoon, and
ner time.
Much off, sir?' he asked
Bat the alderman wanted none Off
There was none to come off. The
BARRIERS assistant might have eaten
off the alderman's scalp.
Il want shave. | was out late last
night, and my hand shakes. Be quick
about it, said the alderman. You
| were out late yourself, L should
think
Pardon was begged and the lather
laid on. ~ suppose, sir then ven
tured the mischief maker, razor in
| hand, you haven't heard the latest?"
What latest?"
well, SIR, and he began to operate,
Il oughtnt to mention it, but Mr.. Ro-
land Cox and Miss Gladys Beecham
| are going to elope."
He went into details. The Beecham
under housemaid, he explained, had
told him in confidence It was, of
course, because MI Cox wanted her
| money and was not persona grata
with her father.
The alderman's establishment, al
| most led to bloodshed.
Well" he said, when his chin was
| clean, you take my breath away. |
didn't know they were even so-er--
intimate"
mo, sir"
And are you telling every one
this?"
"Oh, no, indeed, sir. 1t would be
as much rs nay place Is worth.
But"
Just sol" The alderman smiled
appreoiatively. "Yeu tell me because
you know it will so no further. All,
good morning, Mr. Fraser"
The newcomer was one of the
towns curates, a merry young gentle
man He shook his head at the alder
man. Some scandal, Mr.. Clutter
buck?" he suggested.
The alderman beamed. Hal" he
said Il leave that sort of wicked
ness to others. Well, so long. And
don't tell Mr. Fraser, young man"
The curate's hair required cutting.
The shears were we'll at work when
the BARRIERS assistant realized his new
! field Of operations.
Il don't think there would be any
harm in telling you Mr.. CIutterbuck's
news, SIR" he said.
Drive On them said the curate.
The BARRIERS assistant was almost
sorrowful about it, but he told it upon
the alderman's authority. Il dare say,
sir, it's what some would term a Sc
cret romance. but give me the Old
fashioned way of getting married.
| MI. Clutterbuck assured me there's
not the least doubt about it"
! The curate's Impotence burst
| bounds But, my good man." he
cried, its incredible. Miss Beech
anl's the last woman to do anything
clandestine like that
Precisely what | said to the alder
man, sir But persuasion goes long
way. Money is a great temptation,
| sir"
The curate agreed penSively. He
accepted a towel. still pensively. You
--bewilder mel" he murmured.
The BARRIERS assistant glanced at
the clock In half an hour his time
would be up. His reflections were
broken by the entrance of Mr. Stuart,
a bank clerk,
He saddled his master with the re-
sponsibility this time. There isn't
much he. doesn't hear, so you may
take it as gospel" he said. But
| please don't mention it if he comes
in. He likes to tell the good things
himself"
The bank clerk deemed it an awful
Joke. He accented the awful
vaguely, but profoundly.
Il say, is it true?" he asked on the
point OF departure And he accepted
| the BARRIERS assistants argument that
his master was scarcely likely to face
the risk Of being the parent of such a
canard
We'll, there'H be trouble over it to-
| morrow" said the bank clerk, and he
left, shaking his head.
Then the BARRIERS assistant stood
and twiddled his thumbs behind the
counter in well pleased idleness, ,un-
til the barber appeared. The barber
was cold and severe. You may 60"
he said And good riddance,' he
added brutality.
The BARRIERS assistant said, Thank
YOU. sir Goodby. I'm going
to London, you'll be interested to
know
"Goodby, and it doesn't interest me"
said the barber
Two hours later, as the barber was
initiating his new assistant into the
mysteries of his environment, Miss
Gladys Beecham entered the shop
She wanted nothing more than a new
hairbrush, but the barber noticed that
che Coopood uuuSJ1a1IV animated about
it. and paid considerable (and smil-