The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-14

REFUSED TO STEAL A NICKEL.
Alderman Diver Tests His Judgment OF
Human Nature on = Horse Car

Alderman Diver Tests His judgment OF
Human Nature on . Horse Car.
"Tim," remarked Alderman Diver to q
| friend as they boarded 8 Fourth avenue
car the other day, "I'n bet you that theirs
isn't an honest passenger on this car except
yourself and myself"
"Whss are you driving att" inquired the
aldermsn's friend.
81 mean Just what say. You see there
are five men sitting inside. Yes; well, the
conductor hasn't collected the fares, has
her No; well, now, I'll bet you that III
prove to YOUR satisfaction that every man
| in there is dishonest. Is it goi"
Tim said it was Then the alderman
drew some small change from his pocket,
| and paid the fares for bis friend, himself
and the five men inside the car all of
whom were strangers to him
BY the time the City Hall was reached
three other people got on board and the
conductor collected their fares, but of
course passed by the original five men
They, however, appeared TO be very I'M
comfortable, although they tried to look
unconcerned. By the time the car had
proceeded as far as Duane street it was
full of passengers Time after time the
conductor went in and out, but the five
guilty men failed to offer him the nickel
which they were morally certain was not
rightfully their own Finally one fellow
who had held coin in his hand until be
began to perspire slyly returned IL to his
pocket and assumed an air of innocence
that was immensely pleasing to the at
tentive alderman, who, with his friend,
stood on the rear platform. Another man,
who for ten minutes had behaved as if he
were seated on pins and needles, and had
furtively eyed the conductor every time he
passed, was unable to longer endure the
mental strain So he arose, and without
daring to look the conductor in the face,
got off, evidently many blocks from his
destination.
A third man, who had the appearance Of
being an actor, and was evidently used to
being skipped by the conductor, but didn't
like to meet him face to face, got up and
went out the front door, So did two more
men, leaving but one of the original five in
the car.
The alderman was chuckling over his
prospects of success when, just as the car
went bowling by the Cooper Union, the
last man left his seat and approached the
rear uOOr. IN one manu- ne uelu d Gull,
which, as he reached the conductor, he ex-
tended to him with the remark:
81 hope you'll excuse me, sir, but here is
my fare which you failed to collect" and
pressing the nickel into his palm, jumped
off before the conductor could utter a word
of protest, even if he had been ever so Wig
orously inclined.
The alderman looked very i'll as he gazed
upon this transaction, but Tim was elated.
Lets get off at the Morton house." he
said with a grin.
Without a word he complied, but as they
walked up the street he turned to his
friend, and with an air of assumed savagery
exclaimed:
"You noticed that man who got off the
car last, didn't you? Well, l overlooked
him because he sat in the corner with his
face turned away from me. If I had seen
him / don't think / would have tried to
show off my knowledge Of human nature.
That man, sir, is Dry Dollar Sullivan, of
Center street and the United States. No
wonder lost. New York Herald.