The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1925-08-27

His customer grunted for response and
closed his eyes.
Makes q considerable change in q
mans face, takin' off his beard" vol
unteered the barber as he began shaw
ing. Generally a man looks younger
that way; sometimes 1t ages 'em,
though. Take man Of your age, now,
take out his false teeth, nd 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 Mr.. Ros-
well. Suppose you stop talking and
do It."
The barber had just finished one side
Of his customers face. He smiled at
Mr.. Roswell, smile shrewd and cum
ming, which seemed to imply a deep
knowledge Of human nature. "Speakin'
Of payin'," said he, maybe forgot to
say that Shawn boards Is extry."
"Well, I'm willing to pay you q
quarter" said Mr.. Roswell; go ahead,
man, you haven't got any time to
spare"
The barber stopped relathering 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
whizl Lay still; most cut you"
After the convulsive jump which the
BARRIERS remark brought forth, the
Honorable Rutland lay back weakly in
the chair, the shaven 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. I
kinder suspected you might be one Of
them kinder fellers when Abel jerks
spoke about you-Abers the depot mas
ter-but I amt pryin'; don't want
you to tell me nothin'; jest hand me
the money now, nd I'll finish you right
up. II you was to tell me too much I
might feel 'sif I 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. I read about him in tho
! papers some time after. He was q
bank president, nd"
Twill you stop your internal non
sense and finish shaving met 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-asgold mine he
had-'nd he sold Deacon Collins up
the street here a forty-pound sample
of 1t, solid gold, for eighty-five dollars.
The deacon's got it now for a door
striker to his best parlor, but that
amt the pint. I don't want to know
who you be. I'm constable here, and
If you should say anything to make me
suspicious, It would be my duty to take
you up, you and your grip. You car
| pay 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 I find you
here two hours later. No." in answer
to a tentative offer Of fifteen dollars
they amt no time to decker; three
hundred dollars or 60 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, 1.-The thought
came to me that that money he had
might not have been come by honestly.
Thinks I, he may have wrung 1t from
widders and orphans and I'd be takin
| 1t from them, but didn't think they'd
suffer for fifteen dollars, Abel-that's
what he offered me-and I promised
to give you hail." and he counted out
seven dollars and half from the we'll
worn cash drawer.