Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-23
TWO GIRLS AND A MAN.
The Young Women Found Life Less
Serious Than He Did.

From the New York Tribune.
He was carefully dressed. There was not
the slightest blemish on his silk hat. His
trousers were carefully creased. his coat was
long. and he held his stick in the approved
fashion. With him were two charming
looking young women. Their compilations
were fresh. their teeth white and small, and
their gray eyes bright with an honest,
mirthful sparkle. They boarded Broadway
cable car. the girls climbing up with uncon-
ventional alacrity. the man swinging him.
self to the platform with an assumption of
easy dignity. The girls pumped themselves
down on a seat and then crowded closely
together. for the car was about full to
make room for him.
sit here. George. There Is plenty Of
rcom." said one. patting about two inches
OF space with a little hand that in a mouse
cclored glove looked very pretty.
oh, no." said George, graciously. You
will be more comfortable IL l stand up" So
the girls smiled and laughed and chatted,
while he stood straight up with lofty.
'know-it-all' air. Those girls were delight
full to the rest of the passengers. There was
something about them that showed that
they were not New York girls, though they
were dressed in the proper New York fash
ion. They were wholesome-looking girls,
who smiled when they We're pleased and
laughed when they were amused. They
were full of youthful spirits and their inno-
cent frankness was reflected in their pretty
faces. When they laughed they made no
attempt to conceal the clear ring of their
voices. There was not the slightest affecta-
ton in their manner; not the faintest trace
of pose"
Every movement and posture Of the young
man was studied to give him cold. calm,
superior appearance. II he were not to the
New York manner born, he was at least
carefully trained to 1t.
1t was warm in the car. and he stepped
forward to catch the cAling breeze on the
front platform. The door was open and he
took up dignified position there.
NO standing on the platform" said the
gripman, CURLY.
"Oh. is that the ruler" said the other.
stepping back.
In two pairs of gray eyes there was a
CLEAN Of fun that George" should have
been caught transgressing a New York rule.
One pair OF pretty lips curved suspiciously,
giving warning Of little laugh. Another
pair, pressed tightly together. held In check
what would have been a musical peal Swift
glances were exchanged.
Just then the car gave a quick twist. and
George" went forward with lurch. To
save himself, he caught the handle OF one
of the doors. The weight Of his body drew
II toward him. Broadway cars, as those
who ride on them know, have double doors.
When one opens its half brother does the
same. When one closes the other comes
half way to meet it. Poor George work ed
his own destruction. His body kept the
doors from closing entirely but they crush
ed his splendid hat and they skinned his
well-shaped nose, sending his stick to the
floor with a most unconventional clatter.
There was alarm in the faces Of the two
young women then, but when he gathered
up his hat and stick, and, with bored, un-
interested look on his face, resumed as easy
a position as circumstances would permit,
the cCuntenances of the girls changed.
"A man-trap." he said, with calm scorn.
and at that ii came-two bursts of ringing
laughter. They tried to stop, but they
could not. He did look like a fool, stand
ing there with naughty look on his face,
but battered hat on his head. q passion
less. stcely eye. but skinned nose Peal
after peal came, not loud and vulgar, but
musical and Notwithstanding. There was no
stopping that merriment. They laughed,
and they smiled, and, 1t must be confessed
they giggled. Every time their eyes met
they either began with a giggle and ended
with a laugh. or starting with a laugh,
ran it on into giggle. And all the while
he stood in his end of the car like a statue
which some irreverent man had decorated
with a smashed silk hat.
The passengers. too, were Joining In the
chorus. That merriment was irresistibly in
fectious. and however much one could ad-
mire the unfiinching courage OF the young
man, sympathy with those girls who
did not take life so seriously as the man.
Finally they got up. Before they reached
the rear platform the young man began to
administer severe reproof In low tone.
Isn't IL enough" he said Ito have a
gripman show his insolence, and to have a
lot of stupid passengers smoker at a mans
unavoidable mishaps, without having his
own sisters humiliate him.
But, George" said one in whisper
you did look so funny" 't"
They were filing off the platform into the
street now
1T may be funny" said the young man
with lofty scorn, but / call 1t very unbe-
coming. My own sisters'-but the rest was
lost in the merry peals. which again burst
from the girls.