Good afternoon , sir . Yes , sir ; Western Union time . Corrected every hour . Five minutes , sir ? Easy ! Easy ! Your collar also , sir . Well , sir , I try to do my work well . Yes , sir Thank you , sir .In a hurry , sir ? Oh ! The auction up-stairs ? Do n't worry , sir . There 's lots of time .... From the country , sir ? I thought so . I 'm from the country myself . Oh , that would be difficult to say . You see , I 've moved around so much that I 'm neither a Southerner nor a Northerner . I 'm just an American .I lived in a little town near Savannah for a year . Yes , indeed . I used to see you — quite frequently — though you never came into my shop . Then I went to Philadelphia . Let me think . It was April , twelve years ago . I saw you there , too , sir . I 'm hurrying , sir . And from Newark to Indianapolis . And then Muscatine — for a few months — and Chicago — and Louisville . Have you , sir ? It 's a little world , is n't it ? I could n't do anything else , sir . It 's my trade . Curious , is n't it ? But it may be the last . If I may ask , sir , where are you going ? Sooner or later , sir . It 's going to be a long journey , is n't it ? There 's a long journey we all take — sooner or later . Eh ? Am I , sir ?Fine weather we 're having . Though a little more rain would be good for the crops . You know , sir , the young man who keeps the shoe store at the corner was saying as I trimmed his hair this morning — Yes , sir ! Yes , sir ! And — and the young lady who runs the news stand up-stairs — right next to the elevator , sir — she was saying that she had never — Yes , sir . Do n't worry , sir . I always keep my promises . Why , I remember , sir , back in Savannah , when my poor daughter was alive , I promised — No , sir . I did n't think you did . Oh , no , sir ! It has n't begun . Do n't do that again , sir ! You do n't know how near you came to cutting yourself ! No , sir , if you will allow me to contradict you , I did not . Yes , sir . That is correct . Easy , sir , easy ! The razor is sharp !When I promised to shave you in five minutes , I did n't say anything about lathering . That takes several minutes by itself . Now you 've done it ! Smarts , does n't it ? Do n't talk to a gentleman like that ! You cur !I did it on purpose . You really must n't accuse me of being clumsy , sir . I 'm not clumsy . If I cut you , it was quite intentional — like this ! No , sir , I 'm quite sane .Oh , do n't do that , sir ! Do n't do that ! My razor is frightfully sharp ! Do n't try it while the razor is at your throat , sir . It is sure to be fatal . Oh , no , no , no ! When I am through shaving you — not before . Now take it easy , sir . Lie back quietly ! Quietly ! That 's it . What am I —Take that filthy thing out of your mouth !What am I going to do with you , sir ? Why , really , I have n't the slightest idea . Er — can n't you suggest something ? You need n't raise your voice , sir . My hearing is excellent . Oh , I believe you . Do n't let that trouble you . In fact , I know all about the meeting . There 's going to be an auction , and unless you bid , it will be all up with you . I 'm afraid I wo n't , sir . If I may use your own words , sir , I do n't give a damn about your meeting . Oh , shut up ! Beg pardon , sir ? I do n't hear well on this side . Try the other . I 'm afraid it wo n't do , sir . You see , the young lady who runs the news stand up-stairs says — you wo n't interrupt me this time will you ?— she says it 's important to keep customers in sight . There 's nothing so bad for trade as an empty shop . Well , sir , it will console you to know that my time is worth very little . I sha n't object , sir . So you are beginning to feel some regrets ? I 'm glad to see it . I always thought you 'd regret sooner or later .By the way , sir , have n't you recognized me yet ? Oh , I see . You thought I was just a lunatic . Well , I 'm not . Look at me . Look at me closely . No ? Well , just say to yourself , “ Twelve years ago this man 's hair was not so gray . Twelve years ago this man 's face did n't show so many lines of care . Twelve years ago this man lived — well , in a little town near Savannah , and — ” Say it . Yes , Kilburn ! For twelve years ! I was never more than a week behind you . Yes , God . I used to think of Him a great deal , John . I used to ask Him why He never brought you into my shop . But He brought you here at last , John ! He brought you here at last !For twelve mortal years I 've been hoping for this day ! Once , in Muscatine , you came in , but there was another man in the chair , and you would n't wait . Once , in Louisville , you crossed my threshold , looked at your watch , and walked out again . But sooner or later , John , I knew you 'd walk into my shop , and sit down in my chair ! That day has come !You and I , John , the two of us , have a long account to settle , have n't we ? I 've been one of your creditors , too ! And this is the reckoning , John ! You 're going to pay me — pay me in full — and you 're going to pay me now ! That 's a hard question , John . I 'd be justified in cutting your throat , would n't I ? Ugly word , is n't it ? Oh , of course ! I would n't run away . I 've been thinking about it for twelve years , John . You 'd run if I let you up . No , John , you get no chance . You gave Jennie none .She was just eighteen when you came to our town . She was only a child , John , only a child . Her mother was dead . I was all she had — and she was all I had . And I was trying to bring her up right — to make her the same kind of a woman her mother had been , if you know what that means . Do n't tell me what you did and what you did n't ! She loved you — and — and I trusted you . You were going to get married . You took her away with you — and you did n't marry her ! Marriage ? Why , you never thought of it ! You could n't get her any other way — you wanted her — and you got her ! You did n't care about me , and you did n't care about her . She was a toy . She amused you , and when you were through with her , you flung her into the gutter ! It makes me sick to think of it !She came home six months later . How she got back all the way from where you 'd taken her , I do n't know — and I do n't like to guess . And then-then — You 'll have to ask her about that . In two minutes you 'll be able to ask her . She 's dead , John — dead . Thirty seconds for your prayers , John ! So your nerve gave way , John ? Your nerve gave way ? You ought to be in hell , but I guess you 're still on God 's good earth . No . I did n't . John , when you 're just about to cross the river , when your eyes are beginning to glaze and your heart 's about to stop beating , you wo n't be nearer death than you were a minute ago ! It would n't bring back Jennie , would it ? After I had been looking forward to it for twelve years ? No . You 'll remember why !John , tell me : are fellows who are so brave with women always so cowardly when they deal with men ? Or ,, or , perhaps , was it on account of that meeting ? Yes , the meeting . I did n't kill you , no ! I left you your life , but I made it worthless ! I broke you ! I broke you ! Yes ? What do you mean ? Is that all ? Well , the clockis half an hour slow .