The flow of anecdote was often of a pungent quality, and the amateur learned some words and phrases that would have caused Winona acute distress; but he learned about men and horses and dogs, and enlarged his knowledge of Newbern's inner life, having peculiar angles of his own upon it from his other contacts with its needs for ice and express packages and crates of bulkier merchandise.
His father had once said barbering was a good loose trade that enabled one to go freely about the world, but the boy had definitely eliminated this from the list of possible crafts, owing to unfortunate experiences with none other than Judge Penniman, for the judge cut his hair.

At spaced intervals through the year Winona would give the order and the judge would complainingly make his preparations.

The victim was taken to the woodshed and perched on a box which was set on a chair.

The judge swathed him with one of Mrs.Penniman's aprons, crowding folds of it inside his neckband.

Then with stern orders to hold his head still the rite was consummated with a pair of shears commandeered from plain and fancy dressmaking.