The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-21

roommate. Kings snores were not OF
the kind that could be lightly ignored
and banished from the imagination of
the suffering nearer by mere force of
will power Murray tried by every
means in his power to find sweet obllV-
ion in slumbeT, but the vibrant, snor-
ing chant continued to set at naught
his most earnest endeavors, and he
speedily resigned himself to the inev-
liable. Sleep was out of the question,
and he tossed and turned uneasily un-
til the first faint streaks of dawn made
their appearance through the window
panes. Then, realizing that he was bad
ly in need of a shave. he resolved to
seek distraction and human compan-
ionship in d barber shop, dressed him
self and wandered out into the street.
None of the tonsorial establishments
was open at that early hour, but rath-
er than return to his room and hearken
to Kings hideous SHORES for an indefi-
mite period, he decided to put In the
time in strolling about the deserted
thoroughfares of Red Wing. For fully
an hour he walked around aimlessly
and finally sighted q barber shop which
had just opened for business.
AS he crossed the street while max
ing for his goal, a man of gigantic build
came slouching along and entered the
shop ahead of him. Murray followed
him into the place and sat down to
wait while the knight of the shears and
razor attended to the first conner. The
big customer was possessed of a luxu-
RANT beard and long, thick head of
hair. 1t was the beard which required
the exercise of the BARRIERS art, and
the owner thereof sat with closed eyes
while it was being trimmed
Murray, looking into the mirror fac
ing him, studied the big mans fea-
lures with languid interest. Then sud-
denly he Strengthened up in his seat
as though he had received an electric
shock. 1t had flashed upon him that
the customer in the BARRIERS chair bore
a startling resemblance to the descrip-
ton he had been given of the much
sought for Fitzsimmons. He recalled
the zigzag scar on the cheek, which
was expected to prove an important
link in the identification of the fugi-
tive, but he was at fault, for the heavy
beard on the customers face formed
an impenetrable mask to what lay be-
meath. Yet in every other detail the
description matched exactly. If it were
only possible to obtain look under the
meshes of that exasperating beard,
Snip. snip. snip, went the BARRIERS
shears, and the regular sounds seemed
to increase the customers sense of
drOwsiness. He had the faded look of
a man who had been up all night, and
presently his limbs relaxed and a deep
snore announced that he had fallen fast
asleep. The barber kept on with his
work, but paused suddenly as a voice
in the street called joel Joe"' in i'm
patient accents. AS he listened, the
call was repeated, and with glance
at his sleeping customer, the barber
- Ii II,
Murray, left alone with the slumber-
ing suspect, still wrestIed in his mind
with the unsolved problem of the zig
gag scar, and hungered for view of
the sleeper's cheek. The detective rose,
walked on tiptOe to the door and looked
out. The barber was talking busily
to a man in a wagon. with his back to-
ward the shop. Murray stole carefully
back to where the sleeper snored in the
chair, with his head tilted to one side
The scissors were within easy reach,
and Murray seized them, placed the
sharp edges close to the big mans beard
and brought them together with click.
Part of the beard, shorn away, fell on
the owners shoulder, but he continued
to sleep, undisturbed by the action of
the detective. Murray laid down the
scissors and quickly resumed his seat
for an instant. The experiment had
been satisfactory, for where the con-
ceaiing hair had been cut away there
ran the blue outline Of a zigzag scar.
AS the barber re-entered the shop
Murray rose to go. I'll be back in a
few moments he said. in response to
the prOprietor's look of inquiry, and
strolled into the street. His object was
simply to ascertain the exact location
of the jail, and having done so he re-
turned to the shop. The big customer
was just getting out of the chair, and
swearing fierceiy at the barber for
slashing his beard so close on the
checks. Murray sympathized with him,
denounced the barber for his careless
ness. and ended by leaving the place in |
the company of the offended customer. |
You did right not to let him shave |
YOU" said the big man disgustediy |
THAT fellow couldn't shave a pig for |
me; he doesn't know his business