The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1894-04-18
PETTY DISHONESTY.
The Little Impositions That Some
Women Think All Right
A Charming Girl Who Was Highly Elated
at Her Success in Blumng Street
Car Conductor Out of
q Nickel

The readiness and enthusiasm with
which fair woman will beat the res
taurant keepers, soda water dispense
tories. railroad companies and all
other institutions of civilization for
the collection of nickels, dimes or
other small change is one of the
strangest phenomena of these fast
striding days.
1 was discussing lunch the other
day with very charming girl, says a
lady writer in the New York Herald.
The first thing she said after removing
her gloves and arranging her rings so
that they would show to the very best
advantage to the other women present
was:
well, my ride down town didn't cost
me cent. That stupid conductor never
came around for my fare"
Here she held up the nickel exultant-
ly and laughed in an almost fendish
glee.
AT the moment a pretty blonde girl
passed our table and saluted my COM
panion. The sight of the nickel up
held seemed to inspire pleasant
thoughts. She stopped and began to
giggle. Then they giggled together
and winked at each other.
u1CkcI IGInlnUo luC VI SOA4C-
thing funny, Susie,'' laughed the
blonde girl. whose costume cost her
husband cool three hundred dollars.
81 have ridden in five horse cars to-day
and it hasn't cost me a cent"
My companion instantly grew Sc
rious and knitted her pretty brows.
"How did you manage it?" she in
quired, eagerly.
Easily enough retorted the blonde
beauty. I'm two cases the impudent
conductor never even asked me for my
fare, and of course / didn't call him
and beg to be taxed. Three of the cars
L rode on were crowded, and when /
boarded them others did SO at the same
time. The conductor was way up in
front. He didn't know who or how
many got on.
FINALLY he came around with his
eternal cry of Fare, pleasep looked
straight ahead of me, for 1 wanted to
see what he would do. He passed and
repassed, collecting nicl1els from
idiotic women who were fumbling in
their purses. Each time he looked
suspiciously at me. At last he said,
ma amp 1 looked over his head as
ble Did 1 get your fare, lady?' he
lisped. How many fares do you
want?' l replied, sternly. At that the
poor man faded away to the back plat
form, thoroughly crestfallen. Several
good-looking fellows glared as if they
| had a mind to throw him out of the
window
The girls laughed long over this ex-
perience, but when the blonde charm
er was gone remarked savagely that
I thought such tactics dishonest.
''Nonsense!' observed my lady, Ia
conically, and refused any further dis
cussion.
| In due time the waiter brought me
my check.
Let me see it, said my beautiful
| philanthropist. OF course she got it.
She studied it for moment seriously,
then an amused expression crept
around the tempting mouth and final
ly she burst into peal of laughter.
''See," she said. eagerly. bending
across the table. ''He has cheated
himself out of fifty cents. Now, dom t
be q simpleton and have him correct it.
It's none of your business, anyway"
But 1 thought it first-rate oppor-
tunity for lesson in morals. 1 called
| the waiter and showed him where he
had erred and you may believe he was
profoundly grateful.
AS l collected my change and rose to
| go l noticed an ominous frown settling
over her lovely brow and am sure the
word ''fool'' issued from between her
set teeth.