Evening star., 1898-06-04
ONE TOO MANY FOR THEM

iorcioie, on the Erand stand out at the
ball grounds on,l Wednesday afternoon.
Among the first arrivals were four young
women, dressed, Or, rather, shirt wasted,
pretty much alike. ard. evidently, exceed
ihgiy thick chums for the time being. An
OF tnem were chewing gum voraciously
and they looked aneffably happy, as, TAX
ing four seats in the very front row, they
further seized four more seats for reserva-
ton purposes, holding the extra four by
seating themselves not all in bunch. but
with intervals between them. These unoc-
crpied seats they piled up with various
articles Of womanly gear, their idea being
thus to hang on to them until the arrival
OF icur more girls OF the party, delayed,
probably, in transit. Now, these four
girls mad no more right to do this than
they had to set fire to the grand stand.
Ihey had all come in on the green passes,
and-Well, they did 1t all the same. When
the crowd began to arrive in droves. and
the stand became almost filled, the new ar
rivals, casting about with their eyes for
seats, commenced to get their eyes on
tnese Tour unOccupied seats. Men VINO had
given UP IS cents at the gate to see the
game naturally wanted to sit down. and,
quite as naturally. when they made out
THESE four unoccupied seats they navigated
toward them. Each and all of these un-
feeling men got crushed by the girls who
We're holding the seats. A man, or pair
OF men. would struggle down the aisle and
approach the unoccupied seats. One of the
men would essay to open one of the seats
and sit down on it.
THAT seat is taken, sir" one of the
girls would say haughtily. Then the man
would move on to the next seat with no
one in 1t. THAT seat is taken, Sir"
other one of the bunch of four girls would
say, still more freezingly. Then the man
VINO mad given up his 70 cents to get u
good view of the game would apologize,
mop his forehead and sneak way aft be-
hind post. This happened time and again.
The retreating men who had given up their
20 cents each didn't look as if they en-
Jeyed 1t much, but they resigned them
selves. Women suffered the same humil-
iation. They too, were calmly informed
by the bunch of four girls occupying eight
seats in the front row that the four va
cant seats were reserved" The women
who had this bluff worked on them did not
look pleased, either
Finally, the right woman came along.
She had three women friends, ALL appar-
emily, good-natured young matrons, with
her. The right woman had been standing
back in the passageway for some time,
with her eyes glued on those four vacant
seats, and when she signaled her three
friends with her fan to follow her she
looked as if she might mean business.
Several hundred people in the stand root
ed with the prayerful hope that she did
mean business.
The right woman, followed by her some
what less confident-looking friends, walked
boldly to the vacant seat space. She sat
down in one of the seats, and calmly beck
oned to her women friends to seat them
selves in the others.
These seats are taken, madam Choir
used the four gum-chewing young women.
so you'll perceive" said the right wo-
man. with an angel smile on her sensible
ccuntenance. Delightful view, too, is it
not?"
Madam" said the eldest Of the gum
chewing girls, frigidly, these four seats
are all engaged"
"And by whom, pray?" said the right
woman
by friends of ours" said the mouthpiece
of the gum-cheWers.
Are thesei friends of yours now in the
No, but they're7ccring later on
''Doubtlessjthey have coupons for these
No. they haven't any coupons5 but we've
saving these four seats for them"
''Oh, you are, are you?' said the right
woman, stilla wearing her beatific smile.
We'll, 1 don't know. Perhaps you just
think you are. Which would you prefer
TO do, move, along together, so that you
may all be together and permit our party
to remain together. or to sit here in sub
lime magnificence, with one of each of us
between you, exchanging lead pencils and
score cards over your laps, and enjoying
conversation among ourselves behind your
shoulders? | think, the first plan would be
the better, don't You? All, thank you so
much!" H "'
The gum-chewing four had capituated.
and moved up together, not. however,
without the inevitable nasty thing" and
''overbearing creature
And when the right woman and her three
friends seated themselves in a solid-looking
sensible bunch of four, there followed such
volley of applause from the several hun
dred men and women who saw it all that
the ball players, still practicing, looked UP
to see what was the cause of the enthu-
siaSm in the stand.