Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-02-02
WHEN IhE TROLLEY Stops.
What May BE Expected to Take Place In
the Car In the Average City.

WHEN THE TROLLEY STOPS.
What May BE Expected to Take Place In !.
the Car In the Average City.
4 Now and then the best regulated cleo
trio road loses the subtle current, and
its cars are brought to standstiil.
There is regular programme for such
occasions. 1t begins with dude on the
right hand seat near the front door. He
ceases to nibble at the head of his cane,
readjusts his hat and eyeglasses and
carefully tiptoes down the aisle and out
OF tho rear door. He doesn't exactly
look at the conductor nor speak to him,
but as he drops to the pavement he
turns and feelingly exclaims:
"Ah, bal Jove, but how long will a
suffering people put up with this rack
ct. ye knaw:'
Next on the programme is the fnssy
woman who is ON her way to a store TO
exchange pair of stockings for two
sizes larger. She is impatient for fear
tho large sizes will be snapped up be-
fore she can get there. She hangs on
for minute, hoping it is false alarm,
motorman assuming positions which
should be labeled, ''Only waiting, she
rises up and makes for the door. On the
platform she catches the eye of the con-
ductor and gives him look which
makes him tired all day, but she does
not speak She dare not trust herself to
step there and tell him her inmost
thoughts, and he's heap glad that such
is the case
The next is the innocent young girl
and her ma AS the car comes to stop
the former looks ont of the window
and says;
"Why, ma, she's lost her power "
"Yes, it looks like it. -
"But can't we do sonlething?"
Dunno. If she's lost her power, why
don I the conductor go back and look
around and find it? If it had been tied
on as it ought to have been, it couldn't
have got lost. f"
"But won't there be an explosion or
something?"
Dunno, but we'll sit right here and
make 'em pay for damages. :"
"How DREADFUL Iwish had brought
a novel
Tho fifth and sixth on the schedule
arc the man reading newspaper, with
plenty of time on his hands, and the
stranger on the way to the depot The
man with tho paper isn't saying word,
and no doesn't care q copper when the
car resumes business, but tho other
stands up and sits down and finally
queries:
"She's stopped, hasn't she?"
Cunt growled the other.
Lost her power. they say?'
"Ur"
"Going to stay here long?'
Cant say"
"Who finds the power when it is
losf?''
Dunno"
But isis it exactly the right thing
to dor
II expect it is, or they wouldn't do
it. -
"And win We be detained long,"
Cant tell. You are not obliged to
sit here
mo, of course not. That is, I'm not
obliged to-that is, you know
And the stranger Gushes up and looks
hot and mad aud leaves the CIR and
makes for the sidewalk There Is one
more out of n possible 20 Or 80. She is
the fat woman with the bundle and has
been placidiy spreading herself over
three seats and congratulatiDg her soul
. that she is no hairpin to be tucked away
in corner Tho bundle is securely
tied, and no public eye can make oat its
contents. Two minutes after the stop
the fat woman has made up her mind
what course she ought to parsuc She
rises to her feet with majestic move
ment. yanks that bundle off the scat in
an imperious manner, and marching tc
the door calls out:
Where is the conductor of this car:
es'm, " softly replies the conduct
or, who couldn't get away as lie saw
her coming.
Has the electricity stopped oircu-
lating:'
II fear it has, ma am. -
"And the car may be detained in
definitely"
Indefinitely, ma am, though it is
seldom over 3 minutes before the in
definite electricity is all right again.
But l can't wait "
Nom, you can't wait. "
'And the company is responsible fo1
any pecuniary loss that | may suffer
through this detention. "
Yes IN. -
She lifts up her bundle and dcscends
and marches away, but has not yet set
foot on the curbstone when the cal
moves ON, and everybody is happy
again. She raises a hand to the con
ductor to stop, but she Is too far away,
and he shakes his head and mutters:
Sometimes it's the indefinite cleo.
tricity, and then again it's the indefi
mite woman, and between tho two Of
EN- it's wonder 1 don't lose my in
definite hold on this ere job. "-Det1oit
Free Press.