Evening star., 1884-08-02

LFE-THE REGULAR CALLERS AND HOW THEY
ACTIVITY YOUNG MEN MISS THE LAST CAR
LINGERING FAREwELLs AND PROLONGED GOOD
NIGHTS. II
THAT R-street young man is late tonight,
| remarked 14th,street car-driver to STAR
reporter as he bore down hard upon the brake
| in response to vigorous halloo that came up
from the shadows Of the side street. Presently
| young man rounded the corner at a rapid pace
and, boarding the car. placed his fare in the box,
| and then sank in the seat in breathless condi-
| ton. Is 81
The driver gaEced around at his passenger,
VINO was tanning his heated face with his hat,
and then, with humorous twinkle in his eye,
remarked In lower tone to the reporter:
"Somethlng unusual has happened. His
nights are tuesdays and Saturdays, and here it
is only Friday. He has always been the most
always ends.'
always ends7" echoed the puzzled listener.
"What always ends?"
perhaps you don't know" responded the
driver, with knowing look at the reporter,
and then he laughed at the thought of such
ignorance.
II suppose yon never went courting," he went
on with gOOd-humOred sarcasm, land suppose
that when you did you never waited for the last
car. Oh, no! Of course not" and the driver
chuckled to himself, at the keenness of his wit.
How do you know this young man has been
counting" rejoined the reporter quietly. ignor-
ing the appeal to his personal experience.
"HOw do know it," repeated the driver, as
ne stopped at the intersection Of Q street, and
two young men from opposite directions got in
the car A quizzical expression was on the
man 1ace as he glanced at the QuestiOner and
fOur?"
Without waiting to hear what reasons his
listener had for such belief or whether he
believed it at all, the driver continued.
CERTAIN YOUNG MEN AND CERTAIN CORNERS.
"When ever am on the last car down the
road at night, 1 notice that / always take up
certain young men on certain nights at certain
places 1t is as regular as clock work, and l
have got so used to it that 1 always stop my car
at these places. AS I said BEFORE this street
young man was out of the regular order, and
that is the reason l ran past and he nearly lost
the car. If it had been Tuesday night 1 would
have stopped, even if l had seen no one on the
corner, because would have been certain that
he was coming along some where. / used to
have Friday night young man on street. but
he don't come up any more" and the driver
heaved sigh.
'What do you suppose is the reason?" asked
the reporter in a sympathetic tone of voice.
81 am afraid that it was case of unrequited
love-" he replied shaking his head slowly. "He
was such bright young man, and when first
IL,
and then when l was on the late run he would
come bounding into the car with such happy
look in his eyes that it really did one good to
look at him. But after while 1 noticed that
his face wore more serious expression and his
step was not SO brisk. Finally saw him no
more. and then knew that the iron of great
disappointment had entered his soul"
''You mean theiron bar of the front gate,
suppose" said the reporter. cheerfully; "but
you speak feelngly," and the listener glanced
with some curiosity at tpe roughly clad man at
his side.
Yes" he said briefly, not noticing the au-
sion to the front gate. Il do. but l, too, have
had an experience"
''DO all the girls live on street "said the re-
porter, rather hurriedly, as he saw signs of an
impending flood of sentimental "reminiscences"
'All the girls live on street," exclaimed the
driver with start Great Scott | should say
not. Look at my passengers and YOU can see
for yourself"
The reporter looked. He saw two lines of
young men of the various types and species,
and a couple hanging on the platform sucking
cigarettes.
NEARLY all the regulars are here" remarked
the driver, as he, surveyed the group with eyi-
dent satisfaction. II have got so accustomed
to seeing them that I know just when they get
on. There are two from Q street. but on Sun
day night always get five, two on the east cor
her and three on the west. There are three
from Rhode Island avenue and four from n
street"
CONTINUED LOVE STORIES 80 .
"Do you see that Young man there" he con-
tnued indicating with his finger a very styl-
ishly dressed young fellow. Saint he daisy? i?
His girl lives on Q street. and she is daisy too.
He has three regular nights now and guess
things are shaping for wedding. remember
when he only came up once a week and went
down on an early car. He was only a caller
then. But now-bless my SOUL" exclaimed the
driver abruptly, sit Is like reading love story
to drive the last car at night on this line. No,
1t isn't either. 1t is like reading lot of con-
tnued love stories. Sometimes l get to the end
of One and then. again, | don't. But then,
new ones are all the time beginning"
perhaps these are only gentlemen making
calls on their lady friends" suggested the re-
porter.
mo, they are not" said the driver. very pos
itively. 'The mere callers have gone down on
the early cars. These are the regular bona tide
counting young men. You can't fool me on this
sort of a thing. 1 have been on the road too
long. These are the kind that come early and
stay until the last minute. and then are gener-
ally late for the last car You ought to come
down with me some Sunday night or SATURDAY.
night These are the great nights for the court
ers on this line. l begin to pick them up as far
out as Boundary. and at every corner the num-
bers increase, and when get down to street
the car is filled up. There are some regular old
stagers who have been travelling with me for the
past four or i've years. They hang on well.
often wonder how the girls are getting along,
and whether the bloom is not fading from their
cheeks and the crows feet becoming numerous
Love is rum sort of thing amt it," sudden
ly asked the driver. pauSing in the midst of his
philosophical reflections.
The listener assented in silence and the driver
turning around surveyed the passengers, most
of whom were induging in hearty yaWns and
showing other signs of WEAKNESS.
Them two young dudes hanging on to the
rear PLATFORM" he remarked as he turned
around, his disgust rendering him for the time
| ungrammatical, "have got what they call a
| mash on two girls living on CorcOran street
They are too young and giddy to be taking the
last Car with such regularity OF course. so
far they have only got one regular night, but
no telling when they will have two and then
three. Then there is that fellow over there in
the corner that gets on at p street He has
got 1t the worst sort of a way. He is all the
time complaining to the company about the
manner the last car is run. He saws that it is
run down earlier than the schedule time, and
then goes on to add that the driver is so anxious
to get through for the night that he runs past
the corners before people can get ON.
Prolonged GOOD NIGHTS
The trouble is that fellow hangs around his
girl bidding her good night. About two hours
before he goes he says, with sigh, that he
really must 60. Then after another half hours
conversation about one thing and another he
says he really, really must go, and lovingly lin
Uarc anofhor half hour Than ho %bot h,