Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-25
MUCH TO HER DISGUST

The motorman adjusted the trolley and
moved the fender 70 the front Of the out
ward-bound Brightwood car, and all was in
readiness for the Journey. The first pair OF
passengers was young girl and her mo-
Their. The mother had very square coun-
tenance, and she wore common-sense shoes
and ringiets. She looked as II she might
be able to make a home peaceful by force
of arms. She stepped ponderously into the
next-to-the-last seat. Her young daughter
remained on the running board, and said:
Mamma. those are the smoking seats.
There are plenty Of vacant seats up In
front, aren't there?"
Never mind the vacant seats up in front
We sit here" was thu reply. II guess they
won't smoke. They wouldn't dare. Smok-
ing seats, indeed" And SO the young
daughter obediently stepped into the car
and sat beside her mother.
AS thu militant-looking mother made her
last remark about smoking seats, four old
soldiers. bound for the home, climbed into
the rear seat. They heard the remark.
They winked at each other. None Of them
was smoking, but their clothes smelt to-
baccoey. The young girl noticed this, and
said she to her mother:
Mamma. I told you these were the
smoking seats. These men will smoke"
Hush. you forward child. They shall
not smoke. They would not have the i'm
pudsnce to smoke"
Three brawny working men climbed into
the same seat with the defiant mother and
her young daughter in time to hear this
declaration. They smiled at each other sig
ntficantly. and then they caught the eyes
of the four old soldiers in the rear seat and
smiled at them, too. The car rapidly filled
up from this time on, and when the start
was made every seat was filled.
When the conductor pulled the bell-rope
the four old soldiers in the rear seat and
the three workiEgmen in the next-to-the-
last seat pulled out their pipes. as If at a
prearranged signal, filed them altogether,
and then seven matches furnished flame to
the bowls Of seven pipes at once. They
weren't fine meerschaum and brtar pipes,
either. Five of them were short clay pipes,
and the other two were corn cobs. The eff
fusion OF smoke was something to make
even a tobacco-seasoned man catch at his
breath. Probably no seven men ever smok-
ed so industrioIsly or so blindingly before.
They pulled and pulled until their faces
were hardly distinguishable in the clouds
they created.
The militant-looking woman got red in
the face with wrath when she saw the men
on her seat pull out their pipes. When
they Lit them she was in tempest.
"Ker-choo, poof! Oh, the nasty brutes!
How dare they? WHO'D! Ths impertinent
wretches! Ker-chiff! Did you ever see the
like in your life? H'nist-st-st! The filthy
stuff! I've good mind to have the con-
ductor stop the car and put them off! Ker-
choo! Kerst-st-st-st!'
The four soldiers and three workingmen
were enjoying the scenery great deal,
but not enough to cause them to relax their
Industry on their pipes. They all smoked
like men trying to color pipes rich, dark
bronze on one car ride. Their Eyes met &C.
casionally, and they smiled with beautiful
confidence at each other, but none Of them
spake any word.
'Ker-snift-ft-ft! Conductor, you come
here this minute. Don't you see these
filthy animals making a groggery of this
car? H'nst-st-st! How dar, you permit
such thing in the presence of Iadies?'
Smokin' seats, ma am said the conduc-
tor, calmly. Plenty of room up front
when you got on, ma'am. Three last seats
reserved for smokers"
stop the car-ker-choo!-this instant, I
say! Lena, we'll get OFF! We shan't stay
another minute In the company-ker- choo
of such animals! But I'll report this to
the
And she and her obedient daughter were
off, standing on the dusty road waiting for
the next car along.
The car from which they alightsd was no
sc oner under way than the four old soldiers
and the three workingmen as Il by COM
mon impulse, knocked the ashes out of
their pipes and replaced them in their
pockets.
Didn't want to smoke, anyhow, did
you?" they inquired of each other.