BEARDLESS BY BET.

Mataura Ensign, 9 March 1914, Page 5

BEARDLESS BY BET.

An amusing 6tory is.'being told about! a member of the French Chamber of Deputies whose long flowing beard gave him an appearance of such distinction and authority that he has never been opposed in his constituency since he won the seat many years ago. Recently he was spending a merry evening with some men friends in Paris when an argument arose. "Will you" bet on it?" asked the deputy's opponent. _ "Yes, anything you like, was the "Very well, then," came the answer, "I will wager my moustache against your beard that I am right." The deputy was proved to be wrong | and in the cooler mood of the following morning he found himself obliged to ' go to a barner and sacrifice his patriarchal beard. Two days later he was due to speak in his constituency. His appearance caused a sensation. At first his constituents did not recognise the lean-faced, bare-cheeked speaker who snood upon the platform. The strongly National section of the constituency considers that a French politician ought to be bearded, and holds that to shave the face like an American is an indica tion of anti-patriotic tendencies. An unfounded suggestion that tindeputy's beard was sacrificed through the wiles of a Delilah has added to, the humor of the incident, and in view of the apoearance of a rival candidate in the field for the first time, for the election in May, it is hoped that the wager will not result in tie deputy losing his mt well » his beard.