The age-herald., 1898-11-06
\ SMOOTH"
 TRAVELLER Clever Trick of a Railroad Beat, Which Completely OUTWlTTED THE CONDUCT0 He Was a Smooth" Artist From the Crown of His Neat Derby to the Shiny Tips of His Russet-
 Leather Shoes.
OUTWlTTED THE CONDUCTO

From the Chicago Record.
 If the ticket seller of the Burlington rail- roa. office had noticed the man who bought inc ticket to Riverside at all he must have been impressed by his appearance of "smoothness." He was smooth from the crown of his neat derby to the shiny tips of his russet-leather shoes. There was easy confidence in his smile, suave determination in the hang of his box overcoat, his neck tie was ingratiating, and there was some thing conciliatory about the pattern and cut of his trousers. He might have been Board of Trade man, the advance agent oi a comic opera company, professional poll tician, or a successful criminal lawyer. Whatever he was, he was smooth and although he had told an inferior but similar type of person a few minutes before that he was going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, It seemed inconceiyable that he was buying the Riverside ticket in fit of absent mindedness.
 It wanted ten minutes to train time, and having purchased the ticket the smooth man took up an easy position with his back to the wall near the ticket window and be- gan to scan a yard-long time table with an air of intense interest. Three or four other suburb-bo people came along during the next five minutes, but the man with the time table never looked up. Then came man with couple of fat grips, and the timetable student threw swift side-long glance toward him as he bought his ticket, and then ran his finger along a column of figures as though he mad just found a clue to the train he wanted.
 Another man with grips hurried up to the window, and this time the smooth" look ing man began to fold up his time table in a leisurely way and then sauntered along behind the last conner to the train.
 Both men got into a chair car and seated themselves side by side, and the next min ute the train pulled out. Within five min- utes the man who had been described as of a smooth aspect thrust his left hand into his corresponding trousers pocket and pulled out some loose change and a bunch of keys. He counted the money and looked thoughtful-it amounted to $175-then he replaced 1t, and hunting though his other pockets produced a pencil.
 His seatmate held his ticket in his hand, and after another hurried search through his pockets the searcher turned to him and politely asked him if he might take the pastboard for a minute.
 Certainly" assented the owner of the valise, and he handed over the ticket
 You don't mind if write on it. do you?' asked the smooth" man. with a smile
 The other looked rather doubtful, but be- fore he could reply his companion was scrawling rapid memorandum on the back of the ticket. Then he pulled out his money again, recounted it, glanced at the memo Tduuum Wltn knltteu DrOWS and handed the ticket back with a smile.
 'I have lost some money,' he explained, and wanted to figure it out. didn't have a scrap of paper about me-"
 The man with the valise bowed, turned the ticket over and looked at it. He read: Dinner..... .75 Sisars..' ''' ..' ... '.. ... 20
 $1s.25 Cash left..... ... .. ... ... . . .,. l.75
 S2o.oo
 And when he had read 1t he looked as if he did not desire any further acquaintance with person who had only s1.75 cash left.
 I lost twenty" remarked the smooth man.
 'Is that so?" said the other coldly.
 "A s2O bill. Can't imagine how did it. pulled it out with my handkerchief, I SUD- pose"
 The owner of the valise grunted.
 'I see you're bound for Cedar Rapids" continued the other man, cheerfully. An other grunt was the only response, and the owner of the valise unfolded an evening paper and shut off all further attempt at conversation
 In a few minutes the conductor came through the crowded car and gathered up his tickets. He took the smooth mans INfcfsiue tiChtt, puHcutu II ana aQueQ IL to his bundle, and reached over and stuck a white slip in the band of the other mans hat, and passed on to get four or five hun dred more tickets from the other passen- gers. The ''smooth" man made no attempt to renew his conversation with his seat mate, and at Morton Park rose and strolled forward into the smoking car, where he pulled a big black cigar from his pocket and smoked placidly until the train passed Downers Grove. Here the conductor look ed at him as he passed walked on a few steps. and turned back.
 afsWhere do you get off?" he asked rTheA smooth man looked up a minute with ah> air of mild surprise, then f1icked the ash off his cigar. and said: q go through to Cedar Rapids"
 '.Wheres Nour train check, then?" asked the conductoh
 1T don't knbw," said the smooth" man. ''Perhaps-no.iI T guess you didn't give me any. Pm sure you didn't. I remember now"
 ly, eff you haven't got that train check you will have to get off at the next stop. That's all-there is about that"
 "Conductor." retorted the young man, in calm even tones, 'I don't believe you will put me off this train. I don't know any thing about your train check and I don't care continental but I do know that I've paid my fare and that you took my ticket and I propose to ride to my journeys end or your company will have a nice little damage suit on its hands,"
 The conductor looked at him keenly, and he sustained the look with cool. steady stare Then he laughed