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Show r SHORT STORIES OF STREET AND TOWN J There Is a teamster In Salt Lake who for thirty yeara wore a flowing full beard. Now he Is as beardlesa aa a youth of twenty. Because of thla he nearly lost hie happy home Saturday night. He was with a party of fellow-workers, and in a Jest they dared him to shave off his beard. He showed no inclination to take the dare until a bet of $10 waa made that he would not da're'to do it. This interested the bearded man, but ; he woufcj not take the bet. Finally it was raised. When it had been posted at (IS against 12.60 he put up the money. . A trip was quickly made to a nearby barber shop. "Snip, snip," said the shears. "Swish, swish." sighed the brush, and "Scrape, scrape" sang the razor. In a few minutes a beardless, amooth- faced, youthful appearing man got put cf the chair and put $15 into his trousers trou-sers pocket. . Then he went to a clothing store and, with hla easily earned coin, bought his winter suit and. with a chuckle of exultation, ex-ultation, went home. A few minutes' later a young man in a new brown-suit and carrying a large bundle entered the teameter'a yard. The door was locked. He rang the bell. A woman's face appeared in a narrow crack lrr the door, which waa stealthily opened from within. "What do you want?" ahe asked, In a auspicious voice. "I want to come in," said the young man. "Who are. you V ' ' , "I am yoyr husband, James; don't you know me?" 'Bang! went the door; click! went th bolt. "I'll call the police if you don't gel out of this yard Instantly," said the woman. Aa he heard her call "No. 8" he ambled am-bled out of the yard. She did not finish the call when she saw the stranger leave. The teamster hied himself back to the barber shop, eecuaed'hls amputated hirsute appendage and returned to hla home. Then, when the door waa again cautiously cau-tiously opened, he Bald:' "I am James, your husband." No response. ."Here are my whiskers," he said, humbly, aa he passed them through the door. . They were carefully examined by the woman, who waa convinced, and admitted admit-ted her husband. What Jones' wife said to James after he got in is not related by the beardless James. A well-known local Democrat waa speaking on the subject of the reorganization reor-ganization of the party. "Tea,"! think that we Bhould reorganise," he aaid, "and we ought to do it Quick or else I am afraid that we will be like Jonathan Joiner. John lived in the State of Tennessee Ten-nessee along In the '70s. He waa a good old soul, but dW not belong to any church. A revival was being held in his neighborhood and nearly everyone, except John, took part and 'got religion.' relig-ion.' His wife had long been a member of the church, aa well aa several of hla children, and all were more or less concerned con-cerned about John'a future welfare. On the last night of the revival John waa prevailed upon to attend and waa urged by numerous friends to Join the church. He waa urged to pray that he might be converted. But the old fellow knew but little about prayer and hardly knew how to go about it. Finally, at his wife's request, the minister urged him to pray, saying: 'Pray. John, ask the Lord to save you: thla ia your laat chance.' That last chance brought John. Dropping to his knees he delivered deliv-ered himaelf aa follower 'Oh, Lord, have mercy on Jonathan Joiner; if you don't he'a a gone aucker, for thla is hla last chance.' That's about the way I feel about reorganization; it'a about our last chance." |