The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-06-29

But as he crossed the pavement 10
the brilliant glass doors OF the barber
shop, a second newsboy grasped the
arm Of the one who had thus cried his
wares.
Say, Yallern." said this second,
hoarse with awe, INT chew know
who that Isl"
"Who?"
"It's Sheridan!'
"Jeestw cried the first, staring In
sanely.
At about the same hour, four times
a week-Monday, Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday-Sheridan stopped at
this shop to be shaved by the head bar
Der. The BARRIERS were negroes, he
was their great man, and 1t was their
habit to give him a reception" his
entrance being always the signal for
a furry of jocular hospitality, followed
by general excesses Of briskness and
gayety. But 1t was not so this eve
ming.
The shop was crowded. Copies Of
the extra" were being read by men
waiting and by mel In the latter stages
of treatment. Extras lay upon va
cant seats and showed from the pock-
cts of hanging coats.
There was a loud chatter between
the practitioners and their recumbent
patients, a vocal charivari which
stopped abruptly as Sheridan opened
the door. His name seemed to izz in
the air like the last suffering of n
firework; the BARRIERS stopped shaving
and clipping; lathered men turned
their PROSTATE heads to stare, and
there was a moment Of amazing silence
in the shop.
The head barber. nearest the door,
stood like a barber In a tableau. His
left hand held stretched between
thumb and forefnger an elastic Sec
ton of his helpless customers cheek.
while his right hand hung poised
above 1t. the razor m~otionless. And
then, reused from trance by the doors
closing, he accepted the fact Of Sheri-
dams presence. The barber remem
bered that there are no circumstances
in life-or just after it-under which
a man does not need to be shaved.
He stepped forward, profoundly
grave. II be through with this man
in the chair one minute, Mist Sheri-
dam" he said, in a hushed voice. YES
suh." And Of a solemn negro youth
who stood by, gazing stupidity, you
goin' resign?" he demanded in a fierce
undertone. "You goin' take Mist
Sheridan's coat?" He sent an angry
look round the shop, and the BARRIERS,
taking his meaning, averted their eyes
and fell to work, the murmur OF sub
dued conversation buzzing from chair
to chair.
"You sit down one minute, Mist
Sheridan" said the head barber gen
tly. II fix nice chair TO- you to wait
in"
"Never mind" said Sheridan. $50
on get through with you man."
"Yessuh." And he went quickly
back to his chair on tiptoe, followed
by sheridan's puzzled gaze.
Something had gone wrong in the
shop, evidently. Sheridan did not
know what to make OF it. Ordinarily
he would have shouted a hilarious de-
mand for the meaning of the mystery,
but an inexpllcable silence had been
imposed upon him by the hush that
fell upon his entrance and by the odd
look every nan in the shop had bent
upon him.
Vaguely disduieted, he walked to
one Of the seats in the rear of the shop
and looked down the two lines Of bar
bers, catching quickly shifted, furtive
chances here and there. He made this
brief survey after wondering IL one Of
the BARRIERS had died suddenly, that
day, or the night before; but there was
no vacancy in either line
The seat next to his was unoccupied,
but someone had left a copy OF the
extra" there, and, frowning, he
picked it up and glanced at it. The
first Of the swollen display lines had
little meaning to him.:
Fatally faulty. New process roof coll
lapses hurting capitalist to death with In
ventor. Seven escape when crash comes.
Death claims
Thus far had he read when q thin
hand fell upon the paper, covering the
print from his eyes. and, looking up,
he saw Bibbs standing before him,
pale and gentle, UNNECESSARILY COM
passionate.
sI've come for you. father" said
Bibbs. Here's the boy with your coat
and hat. Put them on and come
home"
And even then Sheridan did not un-
derstand. So secure was he in the
strength and bigness Of everything
that was his. he did not know what ca
lauity had befallen him. But he was
frightened.
Without q word, he followed Bibbs
heavily out through the still shop, but
as they reached the pavement he
stopped short ana. srasping his sons
sleeve with shaking 1ngers, swung
him round % that they stood face to
face.
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