It was Friday, slightly overcast with snow fluries, and a day when there would be little news to be gleened anywhere. What was worse, there had been these confounded flurries since Sunday past, and he was well ready for spring with sunshine and warmth. True, there had not been the disastrous snow of the year before, but it was still cold, bone chilling cold!

Phin though had a thought. Arabella had suggested he needed a shave, and he had some coin in his pocket, perhaps a trip to the barber was in order, perhaps he, Mister Chubby Cox the new barber, had some stories to convey. And, it would be a pleasnt visit. The man had been employed on the new hospital under construction but assumed ownership of the barber's chair, if not the building it was in.

So, he donned his heavy coat, which was in need of some repair if it might warm up to the point he did not need it. He stepped through the doorway, pulled the door closed, and locked it behind him, then made his way toward Cox's Barbershop. A building with a rather sordid history of its own.

@Javia

Chubby heard the happy sound of the barbershop door bell being struck as the portal to the chilly outside world sounded and jumped up form the barber's seat where he had been lounging reading the newspaper while he waited for his next customer. 

"My my! Mr McVey!! I was just, Sir, reading your very own fine newspaper: wonderful, just wonderful! Won't you please take a seat Sir?! Now what can I do for you Sir, this fine snowy Spring day?!" he burbled.

"Or have you come to write a story?! Well, well, I reckon we can do both at the same time!" he smiled genially.

Flip 

Mister Cox, compliments are always good to hear. Considering the recent issues are somewhat lacking when it comes to local news. But Kalispell has been quiet of late which, in and of itself, is not such a bad thing." Phin responded, realizing that, much of what was between the pages, was hearsay and filler. But at least he was able to get the editions out.

"So my friend, how have you been? And the business? Prosperous I hope." He added as he took a seat in the chair. "Perhaps a trim and a shave would be in order, per Miss Arabella Mudd."

"Mister Cox, compliments are always good to hear. Considering the recent issues are somewhat lacking when it comes to local news. But Kalispell has been quiet of late which, in and of itself, is not such a bad thing." 

The fat man nodded. "You should step into the saloon more often, Mr McVey, things are never quiet there - I can barely tickle the ivories loud enough to be heard most evenings!"

"So my friend, how have you been? And the business? Prosperous I hope."

"Can't complain" Chubby boomed "... though I daresay that whereas the winter months are difficult for a newspaper man, they're even worse for a barber, everybody wants to stay indoors and grow a beard to keep them warm!" Chubby chuckled. "Now then, what'll it be?"

He added as he took a seat in the chair. "Perhaps a trim and a shave would be in order, per Miss Arabella Mudd."

Chubby laughed "Ha ha, well, I doubt Miss Mudd shaves!" If he'd seen the photograph of her in her skimpy Cleopatra outfit, he might have changed his opinion. 

"Ha ha, well that little girl was in here only yesterday, ranting and raving about the political business in Washington, mad as a hornet she was. Says the Democrats have been robbed and so on and so forth. Course, in my position I have to keep entirely neutral on most matters: although most gentlemen would have to respect my opinion, I suppose, while I've got a razor at their throat!!" he laughed as he placed a napkin around Phin's throat and started to lather up his face.

"Don't get me wrong, I wasn't dressing Miss Mudd's hair, I'm not such a fool as to touch any woman's 'crowning glory' - there's a little girl at the saloon, Miss Cutts, comes in and does ladies' hair for them, all fancy curls and such, like they have back East. I don't mind telling you, she's a braver soul than me, Mr McVey! Imagine if you did a woman's hair and she didn't like it? There'd be Hell to pay! I mean: if you mess up a shaving a feller's beard, he usually takes it on the chin! Oh! Ha ha, takes it on the chin, that's pretty good."

He started to sharpen the cut-throat razor on a leather strop as he chortled away to himself "Ha ha, ''Miss Cutts', never occurred to me before, good name for a hairdresser all right."

He came over and got Phin to raise his chin slightly as he moved the blade closer to his Adam's apple. "Well, ha ha ha, say your prayers Mr McVey, here he go..." Luckily, Chubby was very deft with the straight-blade and even Phin's thick stubble gave way easily to the strokes of the razor.

Flip

"Ha ha, well that little girl was in here only yesterday, ranting and raving about the political business in Washington, mad as a hornet she was. Says the Democrats have been robbed and so on and so forth. Course, in my position I have to keep entirely neutral on most matters: although most gentlemen would have to respect my opinion, I suppose, while I've got a razor at their throat!!" he laughed as he placed a napkin around Phin's throat and started to lather up his face.

"Now that I fully understand political climes here in this small town I've found, as in most of my travels, it is best to feign neutrality politically for one's own safety, but you, sir, have the advantage of the straight razor," Phin said easily. "Washinton is too far away to do much about what goes on there, especially with us not being a recognized state in the union yet."

"Ha ha, ''Miss Cutts', never occurred to me before, good name for a hairdresser all right."

"It was a sad situation that. One I doubt anyone expected." And Phin had felt bad about her demise.

"Well, ha ha ha, say your prayers Mr McVey, here he go..." Luckily, Chubby was very deft with the straight-blade and even Phin's thick stubble gave way easily to the strokes of the razor.

As the blade came away Phin said, "I have no worries Chubby, I have heard of your remarkable talent with the blade. So I have absolutely no hesitation to allow you to shave me. I do like shaving myself, on occasion, however, I thought that today I would treat myself."

"It was a sad situation that. One I doubt anyone expected." And Phin had felt bad about her demise.

Chubby frowned for a second and then shook his head "Oh! You mean Miss, erm, what was she called - Matthews, yes, Zenobi Matthews, girl that shot her Father dead. Yes, well, I guess she escaped a hanging at least. And Miss erm, what's it? Wigfall, Miss Wigfall, too. Attempted Murder, serious business. Seems the gaols round here can't hold the ladies, Mr McVey!" he boomed jovially.

"Oh no, this Miss Cutts is an entirely different proposition - comes from the Fort. Pappy's dead, so I believe, so she can't shoot him down in the street! Cutts, Sally Cutts"

"Well, ha ha ha, say your prayers Mr McVey, here he go..." Luckily, Chubby was very deft with the straight-blade and even Phin's thick stubble gave way easily to the strokes of the razor.

As the blade came away Phin said, "I have no worries Chubby, I have heard of your remarkable talent with the blade. So I have absolutely no hesitation to allow you to shave me. I do like shaving myself, on occasion, however, I thought that today I would treat myself."

"Well, if I'd known it was a special occasion, I'd have given you to hot towel treatment: er, haven't quite perfected that yet, I'm scared of scorching the customers. I'll have to ask Sally, er, Miss Cutts about that, she seems to have the knack of getting them just right, like Goldilocks and the porridge!" he rattled on as he worked. 

Once the shave was through he held up a strand of McVey's hair and looked at him in the mirror "So what'll it be, McVey, a little trim or the full General Custer?" 

Presumably he was referring to the rumour that the ill fated long haired general had been given a 'short back and sides' before heading out on his last campaign, rather than the subsequent scalping.

"Oh! You mean Miss, erm, what was she called - Matthews, yes, Zenobi Matthews, girl that shot her Father dead. Yes, well, I guess she escaped a hanging at least. And Miss erm, what's it? Wigfall, Miss Wigfall, too. Attempted Murder, serious business. Seems the gaols round here can't hold the ladies, Mr McVey!" he boomed jovially.

"Oh yes, yes, Matthews. Not sure why I thought she was the woman you were referring to." Phin retracted. "And I agree about Miss Wigfall. A misguided young woman, but hopefully she has learned a valuable lesson from that unfortunate choice she made. And I would say there were a few to be gleaned from the incident." 

"Well, if I'd known it was a special occasion, I'd have given you to hot towel treatment: er, haven't quite perfected that yet, I'm scared of scorching the customers. I'll have to ask Sally, er, Miss Cutts about that, she seems to have the knack of getting them just right, like Goldilocks and the porridge!" he rattled on as he worked. 

Phin laughed, "Hardly a special occasion, Chubby. Just a treat for myself, which I don't usually splurge on. I mean the cost of whiskey seems to be rising for the brand name libations. Not to mention the cost of ink and paper to produce the paper." He cracked a smile, "Now the hot towel treatment, that would certainly be worth a try, and if Miss Cutts, or Sally as you call her can give you some thoughts on the how to's of that so much the better. Might be better than making attempts where they are too hot or too cold. Neither of which would get the results you're after."

Once the shave was through he held up a strand of McVey's hair and looked at him in the mirror "So what'll it be, McVey, a little trim or the full General Custer?" 

"Oh, just a trim, it's still a bit cold out there to leave my neck uncovered." It was then he realized what Chubby had said referring to the late General. "That's a good one Chubby, General Custer. So, no. No scalping the man publishing your reviews."

"Oh, just a trim, it's still a bit cold out there to leave my neck uncovered." It was then he realized what Chubby had said referring to the late General. "That's a good one Chubby, General Custer. So, no. No scalping the man publishing your reviews."

Chubby chuckled as he snipped. 

Then glanced up for a second as the door opened and another customer came in.

"Take a seat Sir, I'll be right with you!" he hailed the newcomer without noticing who it was. 

Then the bell over the door rang AGAIN!!

Chubby started to feel a little claustrophobic with a barbershop full of customers but only one pair of hands. Then, to his relief, he realised it was only the aforementioned Sally Cutts. 

"Hello Mr Cox!!" she chirped. She knew the other men as occasional customers of the saloon. 

"Hello, Mr McVey! Hello Mr Simons!" she greeted them eagerly, then more soto voce to Chubby, a business matter "Just wanted to let you know, Mr Cox, Miss Mudd won't be coming here later, I'm going to her at the Hotel, apparently she's got a 'touch of the ennui', whatever that is."

@[Flip] JulieS