has my height, the color of my eyes and hair, and my general
description, punched in the margin. "Why, you ain't middle-aged!"
he shouted, and a singular croak sounded behind me. But the lady was
writing. "I have been growing younger since I bought that ticket," I
explained. "That's it, that's it," he sang; "a man's always as old as he
feels, and a woman--is ever young," he finished. "I see you are true to
the old teachings and the old-time chivalry, Gadsden," said the lady,
continuously busy. "Yes, ma'am. Jacob served seven years for Leah and
seven more for Rachel." "Such men are raised today in every worthy
Louisiana home, Gadsden, be it ever so humble." "Yes, ma'am. Give a
fresh sprinkle to the floor, Julius, soon as it goes to get dry. Excuse
me, but do you shave yourself, sir?" I told him that I did, but without
excusing him. "You will see that I have a reason for asking," he
consequently pursued, and took out of his coat-tails a round tin box
handsomely labelled "Nat. Fly Paper Co.," so that I supposed it was
thus, of course, that the lady came by her fly-paper. But this was pure
coincidence, and the conductor explained: "That company's me and a man
at Shreveport, but he dissatisfies me right frequently. You know what
heaven a good razor is for a man, and what you feel about a bad one.
Vaseline and ground shells," he said, opening the box, "and I'm not
saying anything except it will last your lifetime and never hardens. Rub
the size of a pea on the fine side of your strop, spread it to an inch
with your thumb. May I beg a favor on so short a meeting? Join me in
the gentlemen's lavatory with your razorstrop in five minutes. I have
to attend to a corpse in the baggage-car, and will return at once."
"Anybody's corpse I know, Gadsden?" said the lady. "No, ma'am. Just a
corpse."

When I joined him, for I was now willing to do anything, he was
apologetic again. "'Tis a short acquaintance," he said, "but may I also
beg your razor? Quick as I get out of the National Fly I am going to
register my new label. First there will be Uncle Sam embracing the
world, signifying this mixture is universal, then my name, then the
word Stropine, which is a novelty and carries copyright, and I shall
win comfort and doubtless luxury. The post barber at Fort Bayard took a
dozen off me at sight to retail to the niggers of the Twenty-fourth, and
as he did not happen to have the requisite cash on his person I charged
him two roosters and fift