Judge — March 24, 1906 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

IIE lady-barber who had the first chair was idle, and she leaned against the cigar-case and stropped a razor with deftness. She was a blonde—a ripe blonde. He had always liked that shade of hair, but hitherto had been compelled to admire it on the dazzling beau- ties who pirouetted in the front row of the chorus and sang something about «simple village maidens, we,” or words to that effect. He had never tried a lady-barber shop in his life, He had heard of such things, but some- He walked down street, but at the Yes; he needed how or other had missed them. next corner stopped, turned, and retraced his steps. 4 shave, afterward. He entered the shop, removed his coat and collar, and slipped into the first chair with studied nonchalance. He was satisfied that any one who saw him would be convinced that he had been barbered hy a lady since he was a year old. The lady-barber—the ripe blonde— left her position near the cigar-case and came to the chair. “Shave, sir?” she asked softly. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, and then mentally kicked himself. He had mapped out a conversation in which merry badinage and apt repartee should show that he was a man of the world, and here he was answering her as if she were his school-teacher. She rubbed her taper fingers over his cheek At any rate, it would be an experience worth telling of and chin, and then carelessly slid them around under his ears. He was looking at himself in the glass, and he could see the ruddy blushes surging over his face. “You need a hair-cut,” asserted. «Cut it," he said weakly. She went to the shelf before the mirror, paused long enough to tuck in a wandering ringlet, then picked up her scissors and came back to him. “Will you have it trimmed close or left rather long?" + Yes—er—no—that is, just medium, Her scissors snipped busily, and from time to time she smooth- ed down his hair and looked in- tently at his head to see if she were getting his locks cut prop- erly, His courage began return- ing to him. +1 don't suppose it has the same effect on a man to get his hair cut here as it had on Sam- son," he ventured, a wan smile accompanying his remark. ‘When was he here?" she asked, briskly catching ‘his top hair h the scissors, she in the comb and slicing it off w “Oh, he wasn't here. He «Then how's it going to have any effect on him ?"” “You don’t understand me,” he explained in an embarrassed Samson got his hair cut a long time ago.” n, then,” she giggled. tone. «Time he got it cut aga Send him around.” *"Fraid [ couldn't. hair, you know.” “Delilah? That's a funny name. “+1 guess you don’t quite catch my point. Samson to let her cut his hair and he never was so strong afterward.” He was the fellow that let Delilah cut his Where did she work ?” You know Delilah got “Will you have it trimmed close or ** Yes—er—no—that is, just medium. “There's lots 0’ these fresh guys thinks they're strong with a person just because she cuts their hair,” declared the lady-barber with some emphasis on ‘fresh guys,” assuming considerable dignity and squinting at the crown of his head, «Tt wasn’t that way with Samson. Delilah cut his hair, as I say, and "— Never was any girl named Delilah worked in this shop. Least- ways, not as I can remember of.” “should hope you don't remember her personally. be a pretty old woman if she were alive now.” “Oh, was she the girl that worked here two years ago and got took with the typhoid fever ?” No, no! She wasn't a regular barber."* ++ Just subbin’ around trom one shop to another, huh?" «No; she didn’t work in a shop. You see, she got sore on Sam- son and got him to thinking his hair was too long, and then he let her cut it" «That's the only way to get them to let you trim it—make them think their hair is too long.” “Well, she cut it for him, and that queered him for good and all, I just wondered if it would do me the same way.” “«Tguess nobody ‘s got any kick comin’ on the kind of work we do in this shop, if Ido say it myself,” she replied, pressing her lips together at the last word and hurrying with her work. “Well,” he said, trying to catch her eye, but finding this impossible because the towel was pinching his neck, Delilah trimmed “— + Will you have bay-rum or a tonic?” He took both. “Neck shaved 2” Then he told her to shave his face, While this was being done he made several efforts to bring Samson up again, but each time she daubed lather in his mouth and apologized grimly, At last she was through with him, and he sat up in the chair while she combed and brushed his hair and sprayed cologne on his face. + Tl bet,” he said, throwing a tone of careless elegance into his voice; “I'll bet you Samson didn’t get any such hair-cut as this, or he "— “Here's your Thank you. Next!" After he had gone the lady- barber at the second chair asked, ++ What was that fellow tryin’ to tell you, anyhow, Lulu ? “Oh, he kept talkin” about some one named Samson, and "— “Gee! some folks don't know the Schley case is over and done She would check, sir. ft rather long?” with, do they ; JUST AS HE FEARED. THE great newspaper investigator was stopping at the leading hotel in Hoghurst, where he had gone to write up some of the local Seated in his room writing busily, he was Arising impatiently, he asked the packing-house conditions. interrupted by a tap at the door, bell-boy what was wanted. «Mr. Spoyltporque is in the lobby and wishes to see you, si “Show him up,” said the great investigator brusquely. “Ifyou please, mister, that's just what he says he’s afraid you're goin’ to do.”