The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-04-04

Jne very nrSJ g6HuuTW6 ne ShWs He
would find out whether there was no
protection for respectable father of
family riding to his place of business in
u public conveyance; it was an outrage
of the most audacious kind, and some
body would have to suffer for IL.
The conductor appeared just as calm
as the old gentleman was excited, and
never said word in return, only tight
ened his grasp on the coat-collar he was
holding, and never stopped his pulling
and tugging until he had the old gentle
man standing right in front of me;
then he inquired in n loud voice: mad
anne, is this man your husband?"
"Oh, dearl No" | replied, in shal1
ing voice, almost ready to cry. "You
have made dreadful mistakel Please
do take my fare out of this!" again pre-
senting my five-franc piece. "My hus-
band certainly does not understand
you; that is all"
My evident distress must have molli-
fed the old gentleman somewhat, for
he slipped away quietly, only stopping
once on the stairs to shake his fist at
the conductor and call him "an old
fool" which l certainly thought he
richly merited; for why in the world
would he not take my fare as was beg
ging him to, and thus have no more
fuss about it?
BY this time everybody in the bus
was intensely interested in the proceed
ings. Old gentlemen laid aside their
morning papers as if they had no fur
4 A1,.,,,
glasses an extra rub so that they might
have a better look at me; while fat old
ladies nudged each other and chuckled.
Even the babies stopped crying sudden
ly, to see the fun, for everybody seemed
to feel that more was coming. AS for
myself, my face kept growing redder
and redder, until knew from the burn
ing sensation that it must be flaming
scarlet; while instead of wanting to
cry, felt possessed of strong de-
sire to shake whether the
conductor or j., or both, it did not much
matter.
AS soon as the old gentleman had es-
capped from him, the conductor, nothing
daunted, and taking no notice whatever
of my outstretched hand with its APP
pealing fivefranc piece, started for the
stairs, repeating: II go to search for
the husband of madame"
All necl1s were craned forward as
this time he appeared in view, leading,
in the same captive manner, tall,
lean, lank, individual, apparently half
scared out of his wits. All this poor
fellow could say was: "NonSieur le Con-
ducteur, assure you l have no wife. /
assure you, sir;" while his knees
knocked together and his legs trem-
bled SO violently that he could hardly
stand upright.
His feeble protest did not save him,
however; he also was marched up in
front of me; and the same question
asked in the same loud tones; and when
l made the same answer, disclaiming
him as my legal protector, everybody
in the bus Uttered audibly at the re-
lieved expression that came over the
young mans face as he skipped away,
and the puzzled look that settled on the
conductors visage.
If / had been at home and such a mis-
take had occurred / certainly would
have left the car at once; but 1 did not
dare to do so here, as l could not find
my way about, and the idea of going
boldly up those stairs and discovering
j. myself never once entered my head,
though that of course would have been
the most sensible thing to have done.
The conductor after his second fail
ure seemed dazed for a moment, and
stood scratching his head; but in a
little while he frightened up, saying:
Il cannot stop now, as my honor is at
stake as well as madame's, and find
monsieur l must;" while several of the
passengers cried out "Bravo!"
Four more innocents in turn were
brought before me; one, like the first
old gentleman, wildly indignant, swear
ing dire vengeance on everybody; an
other was timid and scared; while two
of them treated the whole thing as a
huge joke, and did their best to afford
the passengers all the fun possible,
which of course only added to my
misery.
Though we had gone some distance
no one seemed to think of getting out;
consequently no one could get in, as
Paris bus never carries more passengers
than there are seats. While the people
downstairs We're enjoying themselves
so much at my expense it seems that
those on top were likewise having a
pretty good time. j. told me all about
it several days afterwards, when | had
grown less touchy on the subject and
could listen to him without flying into
a passion.
1t seems that as soon as he had found
a seat upstairs he drew out of his pocket
book in which he was very much in
terested, something about ''the unequal
distribution of wealth among the in
habitants of the globe"-a most en-
crossing subject, L should say, and
when the conductor came around he
handed him only three sous, having
completely forgotten all about poor me.
he positively declares that the conduct
ornever asked him if he had wife down
stairs, as of course that would have
recalled me to his wandering senses;
also that he knew quite enough French
to understand such demand had 1t
seen made; otherwise, how would he
have been able to have enjoyed the fun
that followed. That he had enjoyed it
there was no doubling.
So absorbed was he in his book that
he did not become aware that anything
unusual was happening, until after the
first two men had been led below; and
as by that time everybody was laughing
and talking so loud, he knew that some
thing must be up, SO asked his neighbor
what was the joke. This Frenchman,
hv means of a abundant 1nnntnmi1ne and