The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-12-22
CH1vALRY IN a CABLE CAR.
the Passengers knights Of
50" the Round Table.

New 1Ork cnlValry may % worn
threadbare in spots, but every now
and then some great event, or tlifling
occurrence, gives proof that the warp
and woof of-it are still intact. One
of the little things that proves the in
nate generosity Of humane nature &C.
CURED the other day in a south-bound
Broadway car near Union square.
A hunchback was sitting well up
toward the front, immersed in the
reading of municipal report. A mag
azine and some congress blue books
lay in his lap. His long, spider-like
legs stretched almost across the car
His body was so short that child ON
his right lowered above him. He was
we'll dressed, and his disproportioned
face and head, sunk deep upon his
shoulders, bespoke intelligence and
education.
A heavily built man entered the car
at Seventeenth street and sat at the
dwarft's left. He had removed his
cigar as he came in, but it was still
smoldering, and as he held it between
the fingers of his left hand, dying
and almost imperceptible wreath of
smoke arose, and was blown across
the little mans face. The dwarf
dropped the report which he was
reading, and glanced up startled. His
eye fell upon the cigar which the new
ly arrived passenger still held. Then
he raised a thin, piping voice in an
angry cry of protest.
"Conductah! Conductah!"
The passengers glanced at him, but
the conductor did not hear.
"Conductah, conductah!" exclaimed
the little man again, with his voice
raised in a shrill shrek of childish
anger.
The conductor came back and stood
before him. There was an expression
of concern, almost Difference, in his
face and attitude.
Eyes, sir" he said.
"Conductah,' squealed the little
man, jerking his thumb at his big
neighbor, that man has cigar. It
offends me. Please remove him."
The great size of the offender, the
littleness and deformity of the dwarf,
the childish querulousness of his voice,
his important manner and imperious
command combined to form an effect
simply farcical. It was enough to
make a theatrical audience roar with
laughter, but in that Broadway car
not a smile was visible. The passen-
gers looked at the furious dwarf, and
the only expression on their faces was
one of commiseration and sorrow.
The man with the cigar had right to
look angry, for by this time his cigar
had gone out, but he only looked I'M
comfortable. The big conductor stood
towering above the little man in the
attitude of schoolboy who expected
to be caned.
"EIcan't put him out, sir,' he said
Ellis cigars Quit"
It'll report you," piped the dwarf;
"we'n see if the company's rules are
to be broken this way; I'll"
But the big man with the cigar had
moved to the opposite side of the car
nobody had smiled.
"Conductah, conductah!" squealed
the dwarf again, and the conductor
came back quickly &+7s@ go .s'@@
eyes, SIR" he said.
"Give me your numbah; I shall re.
port you for insolence."
By all the traditions of comedy this
sally should have aroused roars of
laughter, but it didn't. The man with
the cigar looked more uncomfortable
than before, and threw the blackened
Havana out of the window, as though
to destroy every vestige of a casus
belli.
The conductor gave his number and
bent his head humbly, so that the
dwarf could make sure of the figures.
The little man jotted them down and
then buried himself once more in his
reading.
Everybody looked relieved. The
conductor withdrew quietly, the man
whose cigar had caused the trouble
followed him minute later and fur
lively slipped his card into the con-
ductor's hand. Not a man on that
car showed the feelings which each
of them must have. felt. They saw
the bitterness and scorn that filled
the little creature, and pardoned him
for it as part of his deformity.
I'm those days." said a great poet,
speaking of the age of chivalry which
some people say is gone-''in those
days no knight of Arthur's noblest
dealt in scorn. But if a man were
halt, or blind, in him scorn was al
lowed, as part of his defect, and he
was answered softly by the king and
all his table."-N. y. Sun.