how me my room----"

"You go up one flight, by them stairs there, and you pick out the best
room you can find--the one that suits you! That's how much I'm willing
to cater to a city waitress. And you needn't worry about wages."

"I shall not worry, sir." She hurried up the stairs.

The hostler-waiter slammed down the tray with an ejaculation of
thankfulness. Brophy picked up the tray and banged it over the youth's
head. "You ain't done with the hash-wrassling till she has got her feet
placed. Sweep up that litter, stand by to do the heavy lugging, and take
your orders from her and cater to her--cater!"

Latisan, lingering on the porch, had hearkened and observed. He caught a
glimpse of himself in the dingy glass of the door. He scrubbed his hand
doubtfully over his beard. Then he turned and hurried away.

The single barber shop of Adonia was only a few yards from the door of
the tavern. There was one chair in the corner of a pool room.

Latisan overtook a man in the doorway and yanked him back and entered
ahead.

"I'm next!" shouted the supplanted individual.

"Yes, after me!" declared Latisan, grimly. He threw himself into the
chair. "Shave and trim! Quick!"

The barber propped his hands on his hips. "What's the newfangled idea of
shedding whiskers before the drive is down?"

"Shave!" roared Latisan. "And if you're more than five minutes on the
job I'll carve my initials in you with your razor."

So constantly did he apostrophize the barber to hurry, wagging a
restless jaw, that blood oozed from several nicks when the beard had
been removed.

"I've got a pride in my profession, just the same as you have in your
job," stormed the barber when Latisan refused to wait for treatment for
the cuts. "And I don't propose to have you racing out onto the
streets----"

But the drive master was away, obsessed by visions of that fresh
drummer presuming further in his tactics with the new waitress. The
barber, stung to defense of his art, grabbed a towel and a piece of alum
and pursued Latisan along the highway and into the tavern office,
cornered the raging drive master, and insisted on removing the evidences
which publicly discredited good workmanship. The affair was in the
nature of a small riot.

The guests who were at table in the dining room stared through the
doorway with interest. The new waitress, already on her job, gave the
affair her amused attention. Especially absorbed was the sullen youth
who halted i