News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-01-22
robbed, which 1t can't be. was right
here all the time"


here all the time"
It's near the lookin glass" said the
Watermelon. "He went close to the
counter to see himself, didn't he?"
YES" admitted the barber slowly.
HE did look at himself for a long
time"
And some of the time your back
was turned" added the Watermelon.
You were probably cleaning up or
looking for whisk."
YES" admitted the barber again,
still more reluctantly. But nobody
can bust into one Of them cash regis.
tiers, not without noise that would
be heard across the room"
"Pn bet he did," said the Water.
melon. DO you take me?"
But they can't be busted" reiter.
alter the barber.
Then why the devil don't you bet?"
demanded the Watermelon. "You are
bettin' on sure thing"
Yes, go on. Don't be scared" en-.
couraged Wilton's gay youth in joyful
chorus.
The barber started for his precious
register, but the Watermelon reached
1t first and laid his hand on it.
"Do you take me?" he asked. "You
have to say that before you can count
the change or the bets Say, is that
the galoot?" he nodded suddenly
toward the window and all turned
quickly, instinctively, to look up the
village street. The Watermelon hast
lily thrust thin comb between the
bell and the gong so 1t would not ring
as he gently pressed the twenty-five
cent key, registering another quarter
then he joined the others, pushing
and struggling to see the man who
did not pass, and gazed languidly over
their heads.
There amt no one there" ex
claimed the barber.
Hes passed out Of sight," said the
Watermelon, making a feeble attempt
to see up the street. "He was almost
by as l saw him."
'Do you take me?" he asked, as
they returned to the counter and the
ouoJOSb VI IuO Ccou ISSlSIoI.
Jaw, go on urged Harry, who was
a sport. what are you afraid Off"
"He couldn't have picked it," insist.
ed the barber, whose faith in his reg.
lister was really sublime.
"Sure he could. They are easy to
guy who knows the ropes" declared
the Watermelon. "The drummer was
handing you lot of hot air when he
said they can't be picked. You don't
want to be so easy"
The slur on his mental capacity was
too much for the barber. His vanity
rose in defense of his register where
his faith had failed. 81 have some
brains," he snorted 81 know the
thing is perfectly safe. Yes, take
you"
He started to open the register, but
the Watermelon objected. Here" he
cried, "let Harry do it. I'm not want.
ing to be bunkoed out of me hard
earned lucre." And he lovingly rat
tied the keys in his pockets.
'How much has been registered?"
asked the Watermelon.
Harry drew forth the strip Of pa
per and after a few moments of men
tai agony, confused by the different
results each obtained as all peered
eagerly over his shoulder he finally
arrived at the correct answer three
dollars and sixty cents. 1t was Sun
day and shaving day for the male
quarter of the population.
Three, sixty" announced Harry
in some trepidation, lest he be fatty
and promptly corrected.
The barber reached for the slip and
added 1t on his own account. "Three,
sixty" he agreed, and sighed.
Count the cash." ordered the Wa.
termelon, and Harry counted, slowly,
carefully, laboriously, and the rest
counted with him, more or less audi
bly,.
When the last coin had been count
ed, there was moment of puzzled
silence. The Watermelon broke it.
"Three, thirty-fve," said he. What
did I tell you?"
Here" snapped the barber, '1et me
count it."
He pushed Harry aside and again
all counted as the barber passed the
coins. Quarters, dimes, nickels and
pennies, the last one was lingeringly
laid on the pile and the sum was lack
ing a quarter to make it complete ac-
cording to the registered slip.
Three dollars and thirty-fve cents"
said the Watermelon again, like the
voice of doom.
"Well, 1 vum!" exclaimed Harry.
How'd he do it?" asked the gro
GERS son, with an eye out for pos-
sibly similar emergencies nearer
home.
The Watermelon shrugged. IT don't
know" said he. Cant do it myself,
but the fellers in the cities have got
ten so they can open 'em the minute
the clerk turns his back. They can
do it without any noise, too, and so
quick you can't catch 'em. I'll be
hanged if 1 know how they do it." /
Again the barber counted the
change, again he totaled the numbers
on the registered slip. They would
not agree. That painful lack of a
quarter could not be bridged.