Show q It- It A Street Car Ride Wy 1 FROM BOSTON TO O CA' CA CAMBRIDGE BRIDGE t. t Come on Belle I cried the blaze of generosity lighting my noble countenance countenance counte counte- L nance We have five minutes before the car comes and Ill I'll treat to an ice k cream soda r. r f. f My companion My-companion companion gave me a look of the sincerest admiration in which was a l faint glimmer of astonishment and we ordered two two vanilla r I opened my purse for the necessary G change and found just twenty cents Dear me I whispered to myself r Y We must ride home How stupid of me What was to be done Belle f you will have to pay my fare home Belle looked anything but delighted Z Gracious she said I was depending r on you I haven't a farthing left This Thi was indeed a delightful piece of f. f news Well I sa said d let let us enjoy our soda a and d trust to luck fo for what f comes after E y I wonder why girls will laugh on serious serious ser ser- fJ Y ious ious occasions l I have often wondered why and the more I wonder the less I reach a conclusion Echo answers t why And so we did just exactly what other girls would have done under the thet t same circumstances we we laughed It was that kind of a laugh best defined as asa asa r I a succession J pf movements s in fact a close observer might have imagined that we were personified earthquakes Really ga gasped ped Belle this is the z first pickle I ever got into into the pickle gets into me Please pass me one of those spoons With a shaking hand I lifted the spoon Alas it had no bottom Two dozen solid streaks of light shot through the air and fell with five dozen clear ringing sounds on the floor Of course this occurrence added greatly to the solemnity of the scene Belle sank faint and breathless on a chair I leaned wearily against ag the wall and the foun foun- o tain sprite gave such fiendish yells as he 4 picked up the spoons that the clock 1 threw its hands in front of its face and then stood still for very horror Here comes the car School thy feelings oh my sister and hurry up Say is my face red N Not at in the least I answered scanning scanning scanning scan scan- ning her physiognomy which just then most resembled a bit of turkey red calico You look perfectly cool and i collected If you don dont don't t hurry we will d. d miss that car ar We made a dash forward forward for for- J Jward ward and were soon seated Belle searched her com commodious h handbag handbag hand and 1 bag and discovered a three cent piece and two one cent pieces Then she dived into her coat pocket and brought j out two more pennies into her dress and lo another made its pocket appear appear- 3 ance anee Well here are eight cents Look j again in your purse You may have something Vain hope my dear Belle I haven't a penny Theres i something hard in that piece of paper 1 See what it is I unrolled the small i package and there was a penny The paper read In memory of July second j Eureka cried Belle hand over j that tombstone Oh dear That isa is a souvenir of the day we went to Ply Ply- mouth Belle you have weeds stick and boulders innumerable db do let let met mel t keep my one penny Heres Here's a postage stamp instead It It wont won't do This is a good cause and that penny must be sacrificed O 0 mercy Mr Lowe Hes He's going to get geton geton J on the car We gaz gazed d at each other with a look of inexpressible consternation consternation consternation tion but smiled on Mr Lowe II Belle I whispered pressing the coin and two-cent two stamp into her hand use your persuasive powers on the conductor He is fat and fat people are always natured good-natured you know Ill I'll try to keep Mr Lowe from looking at you The conductor ap- ap t preached and with ith a politeness born only of a months month's residence in that cultivated cultivated cultivated cul cul- region I completely turned my back on Belle and placed my elbow on the back of the seat in jn front of me I We were now on the bridge The water lay still deep and dark The buildings on the harbors harbor's edge stood calm and stately The windows bright with the smile of the sun shown like jewels The reflection in the water was indeed beautiful Look Mr Lowe the mermaids are pre going to have a ball tonight The palace is lighted already The gentleman turned his smiling glance towards the water I hastily looked over my shoulder The conductor was smiling With a sigh of relief I sat up properly while Belle joined in the conversation giving us a vivid description of what a mermaids' mermaids ball would be I I should like to attend one very much she said for for I really do not understand nd how they can put their trains over their arms while they dance You see as they have no feet it would be rather awkward Probably suggested Mr Lowe they would not make clothes clothesline line of their arms but would let their trains remain remain on the floor possibly do it replied Belle Belle- Dont 5 you ou remember the dress ball we had last January I was Amy Robsart and my train was the principal principal principal pal part of me I felt very proud of that train until Bob Williams Williams Williams-he he was Sir Philip Sidney stepped Sidney stepped on it Marion Marion Marion Mar Mar- ion Smith who was sitting with the spectators said that that was the only way Belle could catch a man Ill bred bred creature During the rest of that evening evening evening even even- ing my train tram was over my arm Soon Mr Lowe left the car and two blocks farther brought us to the station Before jumping off we thanked the conductor conductor conductor con con- ductor for his kindness to to to- us Oh never mind that he lie said But l' l I next time bring something beside stamps to pay your fare with Then he la laughingly laughingly laugh laugh- gh- gh helped us down and actually raised his cap We Ve watched the car r turn the curve and again the conductor tor lifted his cap Really said Belle it is quite a ro ro- ro mance Two fair we are re both both blonde 1 you know damsels III in distress the I 1 rescuer a gallant gallan t two hundred pound street car conductor It was all your fault anyway If you had possessed the least presence of rn mind i nd you would 1 have ordered th that at boy to take the ice cream out again Dear me what a i o pleasant conductor that was So polite t And do you know he gave me back f your souvenir souvenir because I had given him hima di a cent too much Whereas some peo- peo 1 Jj pie say that the street car conductor is isa IS a general nuisance nuisance be it herein resolved that we the undersigned do refute the he J charge and hereafter duly recognize the aforesaid party irrespective of age sex or color as the champion of the weak the defender of the innocent the benefactor of the er-er- er penniless er er er er Rise Sir Guardian 1 of the Fair Fare u |