Evening star., 1900-08-18
WANTED PLENTY OF ROOM

The open 14th street car was only about
half filled. yet the young woman who got
on at Harvard street for the down trip
didn't appear to care to sit down. She got
on at the rear platform and stood up there
on. The other passengers looked at her Gu
riously. She leaned against the tailboard
with an Indifferent air, however. and when
the conductor came around for her fare she
received his glances Of curiosity quite as
matter Of course.
There's plenty O. room inside. lady"
said the conductor. y
$50 I perceive" sine replied. and took a
clutch on the taflboard as the car rounded
a curve. - =
It's bit dangerous for ladies to stand
out on the platform. ma am. said the con-
ductor, regarding the good-looking young
woman somewhat anxiously from his stand
on the running board.
rs it?' inquired the young woman anita
bly,. "Oh. l don't think so, really. l can
hang on at the curves"
BY this time the car was beginning 10
fll up and the new passengers inspected
the young woman on the rear platform win
| rather quizzical stares, especially the
| women.
THAT seat up in front hasn't got nobody
| on It," said the conductor to the young
woman In the rear, returning from 1are-
collecting tour up forward.
NO. she replied, but 1t will be nlleo
The conductor scratched his head and
thought a moment.
But it's a case O. first come, first served
| on these cars, lady" he said, land the seats
| are all busted and cleaned before the cars
| start out on every trip"
"Oh, know the seats are irreproachabiy
| clean." replied the young woman. calmly
Il am convinced of it. However, 1 prefer
| to stand-that is, so long as this platform Is
| unoccupied."
| The conductor gazed at the young woman
| as If he thought there might be something
| a trifie wrong with her from mental view
point. but he finally grinned and said:
Excuse me, lady. but you must be aW'
| fully fond Of standing up. Most passengers
! especially the ladies. take it pretty bao
when the cars are so crowded that they
can't get seats.'
| mo, I'm not in the least fond Of stand
| Ing up replied the young woman, cheer
fully. In fact, l am most unusually ad'
dicted to the habit of sitting down or re,
clining. and I have observed that mos'
street-car pass gers take 1t hard wher
they cannot secure seats for their nickels'
| Then the conductor, scratching his heaC
| again. decided to give it up. He proba bly,
| said to himself-at least, he looked as If he
might be saying to himself-"She proba bly,
knows what she wants a whole heap bettel
| than do, and there's no rule O the line
preventing her standing on the rear plat
form II she wants to, and II butt in with
any more rubber-necktng questions she's
| liable to Squelch me-"
!
rear platform until the car reached Frank
lin Square, when a fne-looking old lady
hailed the car and took place in the las
| seat. The young woman standing on the
rear platform nodded sweetly to the elderly
woman, whose eyes grew large as she re
| piled to the salutaton.
| why, my dear" she calculated, "wha
in the world possesses you to stand ou
there on the platform. when there are lot:
| of seats inside here?"
| The young woman smiled very sweetly.
Because" she replied. II want all thu
| room can get. 1 want to be as far re-
moved as possible from the contiguousnes,
of my species. just returned from a two
| day trip to the seashore yesterday. Yot
ought to see my arms. I wouldn't take {
chance on having human being come with
in four feet of me for worlds. and when
get down town I'm going to walk right IL
the middle of F street. even If the sun /.
| baking the pavement"
Then the conductor and the passenger!
| who had been wondering over the young
! Womans performance smiled sagely ant
the young woman got off at F. street hold
ing her arms out as If they belonged tt
| somebody else and she was trying to be-
stow them upon their rightful owner.