San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-10
LOOKED MEEK, BUT WASN'T,
How Old Mr.. Graybeard Punished an In
sulting Ruffian.


sulting Ruffian.
A gray-bearded man who appeared to
be at least IS years old stepped into an
uptown Sixth avenue 81" train at
Eighth street the other day. Taking a
seat near the door, he adjusted his eye
glasses, unfolded newspaper and be-
gan to read. The car was we'll filed, the
majority of the passengers being
women.
"Say, wot der yer want-all er der
seats?"
1t was a brawny fellow next to the
gray-bearded man who put this ques-
ton, and there wasn't one in the car
who didn't hear it. Everyone looked.
Mr.. Graybeard smiled and replied good.
naturally:
my friend, 1 beg your pardon. 1
didn't mean to crowd you" 49,,
Then he went on reading his paper,
drawing his arms closer to his side. His
neighbor, however, was not amiable.
He was tough" There was a scrap
py" look in his eye as he turned and
looked his neighbor full in the face.
people like you dat wants de cart
ought ter travel in a private car" he
sneered. Mr.. Graybeard did not seem
to regard this as an allusion to himself,
for he did not interrupt his reading.
"Mebbe ye're der president O. der
road"
Up jumped Mr.. Graybeard, not to at
taoly bic +orroap+or bY,+ - +ol,a N -oo4
on the other side of the car. "Now," he
said, 81 hope you've got plenty of
room"
The tough man made another insult
ing and threatening remark.
Surely these men here will not allow
that brute to strike that inoffensive old
man." said motherly looking woman.
The men were all deeply interested in
their newspapers or closely studying
the signs to be seen through the car
windows, all except one athletic looking
young man, who held onto strap not
many yards away from Mr.. Graybeard
and Mr.. Tough. He looked significantly
ut the woman and she returned glance
that was full of gratitude.
Mr.. Tough leaned forward in his seat,
shot out his arm, and, pointing huge
index finger at Mr.. Graybeard, cried:
"Say, I'm a-gittin' out at Twenty
third street an if yer want ter make
anything out er dis all yer got ter do is
git off wild me. I'll wipe de street wild
you if you git off,"
When the guard slammed back the
door and called out thel station Mr..
Tough arose, and, snatching the paper
from Mr.. Graybeard's hands, he said:
I'D if don't lump yer now, you"
The rest of what he said was drowned
in a chorus of feminine shrieks. The
train was at standstill, and the ath-
letic looking young man, his cheeks
ablaze, was making his way toward
Mr.. Tough, when up popped Mr.. Gray
beard like a jack-in-the-box, out shot
his right fist, it hit something and up
against the end of the car went Mr..
Tough. The guard grabbed him and
yanked him out on the platform. Mr..
Graybeard was after him in an instant.
Biff! bang! biff! biff! The blows fell
fast and furious. Each one landed in
place and in a manner that did not add
to Mr.. Tough's beauty. That terrible
person was SO shocked by this sudden
display of ungentlemanly conduct that
he did not even raise his hands in pro-
test. Behind was the athletic looking
fellow, dancing up and down and shout
ing:
Give it to him, old man. That was a
dandy! Soak him again!"
And Mr.. Graybeard never failed to fol-
low the young mans advice. Finally,
two guards got between Mr.. Graybeard
and Mr.. Tough.
"The train is late" said one guard,
apologetically. eff you want to give
him some more, get off mere"
81 guess he's got enough" said Mr..
Graybeard, walking back into the car.
Mr.. Tough looked panied. His enor-
nous hands were covered with blood he
wiped from his face, and his hat was in
the street. He offered no resistance as
the guards pushed him off the car.
Mr.. Graybeard sat down and resumed
the reading of his paper. The athletic
looking young man looked at him adj
miringly, and SO did the woman. He
folded his paper at Forty-second street
and left the train.-N. Y. Herald.