The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-19

Two Young Women aud Their Attempt 60
Get Weighed for One Cent.


Probably they would have resented any i'm
putation upon their honesty, yet they stood
before the helpless penny in the-slot weighing
machine with guile. fraud. and intent to cheat
in their souls. The younger one-she was n
slim, tailor-made girl held q cent between her
well gloved finger and thumb. Only one cent
for both of them. Now, no penny-in he.slot
machine purposes to weigh ladies', no matter
OF what degree Of fairness. at the rate of two
for a cent, yet the thing can be done, and these
two proposed to do 1t.
I'VE ought both 10 get on before we drop
the penny In" said the elder, who looked as IL
she alone would be a pretty good one-cent con-
tact for anything short Of a hay scale.
"Yes, but II you get on there won't be much
room for me- said her companion. iii Just
have to cling to your outskirts, as IL were, and
I'll be hanging to you 20 hard that It Will take
away part of my weight"
What a goose you are. Madeline, T" cried the
other. How can It lessen the weight when
all the weight is on the scales any way?"
"Yes that's truc.'' ascented the younger
one thoughtfully. "It's all on the scales of
course; but 1t isn't my weight, Is It, II part of
1t comes on your
well, you can let go as soon rs you get
fairly on. Now, are you all ready2 I'm going
to get on"
Up she got with much swishing of skirts.
and her companion walked around her, looking
for the side atfording the most room. At length.
after much balancing and see-sawing, she was
fairly settled. ana she raised the penny, but
instead of dropping it in, said to the other;
How stupid Of you. Allie. You've got
your parasol In your hand"
And you've got your satchel," retorted
Allie. THAT weighs more than my parasol."
why. of course. / didn't think of that.
Here. give me the paraaol. and Ill mt them
both down."
That being satisfactorily accomplished. the
younger prepared to mount the machine
again, but paused as a thought struck her.
IF we both get on how can we tell what
each of US weighs?" she inquired. We'll
both get weighed together"
why, divide 1t by two, you goose" cried
objected the tailor made one. because that
would make It just half for each Of us.
This was a stickler for a moment, but the
mathematical brain rose superior to 1t after
" both Hst or, was it's decision; and it
subtract whatt' demanded the slender one
s1sRls'G talking al abS aan'' f hs!a iasi yG like sp sGc.s S hor:
rid x and y things we used to have In school,
I iss . z equal th you S Snd w y equal ysm III nn and sn5 4 s equal val
$50 eAN' ''iSh w" hiAN Si ~ abs hhu Nv tho
end you We got the ans~wer-wrong."
DO stop talking and get on. ri do the ng-
urlng. We both get weighed. Then we sub
tract my weight from your weight and that
giyes us gracious! what would II give us?"
Fits" replied her friend fippantly; lat
solve Il would result in epilepsy"
We'll. | know my weight. any way" said the
bigger one; so we can tell what your weight is
Then. II you know your weight. what's the
use Of your getting weighed at ALP"
why, it may have changed, mayn't itp
Allie, do be sensible"
I'm trying hard. but I haven't much of an
example to spur me on"
III ! could only spur you on to this platform
- be satisfied. Goodnessl Don't push me
in the I asns and a5e ri YpS q, h iHs ,vh All right. Drop
There was a click and a rattle from the in
tcrior OF the machine: then silence. The In
dicator remained motionless. In vain did the
girls. pound its face and Jig madly upon the
PLATFORM, Not n wigrle could they get out Of
the needle, Then they started IL and de-
the machine. its owner and inventor. and the
railroad company in whose station II stood.
They declared that they would write to the
he siidisis ana tie police. They were ysTF
much excited indeed. quite a crowd had gath
cred around to watch their nanGuvres. and it
first force of wrath was spent. a prim and se- |
overlooking twelye-year-old girl came forward |
to the machine that had swallowed the coin |
ana turned over a white placard which the two
-! think, she said: with a judicial emphasis
To cheat a machine' Two for a cent?"
WIN a Lady Macbeth sort OF gesture she |
pointed to the placard. II read:
THIS MACHINE OUT OF ORpER.N |