The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-08-26

the barber as he lathered copiously.
His customer grunted for response and
closed his eyes,
Makes a considerable change In q
mans face. takin' of his beard" vol
unfeered the barber as he began shay
ing. "Generally a man looks younger
that way; sometimes II ages en-.
though. Take man Of your age, now.
take out his false teeth, md he'll look
ten years older without q beard than
he does with"
I'm paying you to shave me before
my train comes" remarked Hr. Kos
well. Suppose you stop talking and
do It."
The barber had just finished one side
Of his customers face. He smiled at
Mr.. Roswell, a smile shrewd and cum
ming, which seemed to imply deep
knowledge Of human nature "Speakin'
of payin'," said he, maybe l forgot TO
say that Shawn boards is extry."
well, I'm willing to pay you a
quarter" said Mr.. Roswell; go ahead.
man, you haven't got any time TO
spare"
The barber stopped relatherfng the
other cheek, picked up his razor and
leaning over Mr.. Roswell said, with a
wise smile, It'll take about three hun
dred dollars to finish this side. Gee
whiz Lay still; i most cut you
After the convulsive jump which the
BARRIERS remark brought forth, the
Honorable Rutland lay back weakly in
the chair, the shaver cheek whittier than
the lather on the unshaven one For
a moment he thought the man crazy,
but only for a moment The barber
went on. You needn't be worried l
kinder suspected you might be one OF
them kinder fellers when Abel jerks
spoke about you-Abel's the depot mas
ter-but 1 amt. pryin'; l don't want
you to tell me nothin' jest hand me
the money now. nd I'll finish you right
up. If you was to tell me too much
might feel 'sif was compoundin' fell
ony. Three years ago they was a
Teller come here from across Moose
range. nd he gives me two hundred
of his own accord He WAS goin' north
to Canada / read about him in the
papers some time after. He was
bank president, nd"
"WiIl you stop your internal nom
sense and finish shaving me? My name
is Rutland P Roswell. I'm president
of the Consolidated Mine trust Haven't
you ever heard of my camp over on
Tauquomoc lake?"
you lay still" responded the bar
Der: you'll git cut / don't want to
know who you be, or what you done
They was a mine president up here
some nine years back-a gold mine he
had-'nd he sold Deacon Collins up
the street here a forty-pound sample
of it, solid gold, for eighty-fve dollars
The deacon's got it now for a door
striker to his best parlor, but that
amt the pint l don't want to know
who you be- I'm constable here. and
If you should say anything to make me
suspicious, il would be my duty to take
you up, you and your grip You can
paw me three hundred dollars for
Shawn ye-you've got more'n than
that. Abel see it when you paid him TO
the depot-'nd I'll finish We right up
and ask no questions nd you'll get your
train. Or you can get right out Of my
place as you be now. and I'll arrest you
as a suspicious person If find you
here two hours later No." In answer
to a tentative offer of fifteen dollars !.
they amt 10 time to dicker, three
hundred dollars or go as you be"
The Honorable Rutland thought rap
idly. His great success as a financier
was largely due TO his ability to think
rapidly. He couldn't take the train as
he was. He couldn't prove his identity
to this idiot. If he lost his train he
would lose-certainly more than three
hundred dollars, perhaps thousand
times more. He was cornered and he
respected the man who could corner
him. He unwrapped six fifty dollar
bills from a fat roll and fifteen min
utes later, smooth-faced and redolent
of bay rum. boarded the south-bQund
train
ABEL said the barber that evening
as they sat together in the little office
behind the drug counter. the thought
came TO me that that money he had
might not have been come by honestly
Thinks /, he may have wrung IT from
widders and orphans and I'd be takin'
II from them, but didn't think they'd
suffer for fifteen dollars, Abel-that's
what he offered me-and l promised
to give you half" and he counted out
seven dollars and half from the we'll
worn cash drawer.