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The Prouty barber lathering the face of a custo a chicken coop, paused on an upward stroke to listen Then he stepped to the door, looked down the street, and nodded in confirmation After which he returned, laid down his brush, and pinned on a nickel badge, which act transformed him into the town constable

The patron in the chair, a travelling salesman, watched the pantomime with interest

"One moment, please" The barber-officer excused hie of the sidewalk, where he awaited the approach of a pair on horseback erewith a time-honoured ballad of the country: I'm a howler from the prairies of the West If you want to die with terror, look at htnin'---As they came abreast the constable held out his hand and the pair auto in their song: --if I ain't, may I be blessed I'm a snorter of the boundless, lone prairee

Other citizens than the barber recognized the voices, and frowned or s a sofa in the rear of his "Second-Hand Store"

Returning, the constable laid the six-shooters on the shelf ae

"Who's that?" inquired the patron, since the barber offered no explanation

"Oh, thehs--'Gentle Annie' Macpherson and 'Pinkey' Fripp," was the answer in a wearied tone "I hate to see 'em come to town"

The pair continued to warble on their way to the livery barn on a side street: I', bloody blizzard of the States I' stopped as Pinkey asked: "Shall ork together or separate?"

To this ether first"

After attending personally to thetheir horses oats, the two set forth with the air of having a definite purpose

Their subsequent actions confirmed it, for they approached divers persons of their acquaintance as if they had business of a confidential nature The invariable result of these ative shake of the head

After another obvious failure Pinkey said gloo to be a Senator that I do figgerin' how to git a bottle, I'd be elected"

Wallie replied hopefully: "So may turn up yet"

"I'd lift a cache from a preacher! I'd steal booze off my blind aunt! I'd----"

"We'll try soive up It's one out of town sober and I don't like to establish a precedent I's like that," said Wallie