Evening star., 1900-10-27
HE> WANTED TO GET EVEN

The stout, slouchy-looking man got on
the crowded 14th street car at ten minutes
past at the corner of 10th street and the
avenue. He took up his stand on the rear
platform and began fumbling in his cloth
ing for change. He eventually produced
a nickel, which he placed in his mouth,
between his teeth, so that only the rim
of it was visible.
The conductor was up in the front of the
car collecting fares. As he gradually
worked his way to the rear of the car 1t
could be seen that he had caught sight of
the stout, slouchy-lcoking man who had
the nickel in his month. The conductor
frowned 1t could be plainly seen that his
line of thought was something like this:
THAT chap out there on the platform is
going to try to give me a nickel that he's
keeping in his mouth. Well, he's not go
ing to make it stick. The rules Of the
company don't require us to take coins
from folks mouths. and that chap ought
to know that keeping coins in the mouth is
filthy and an unhealthy practice. I'm
just going to call that fellow down and
demand another coin, that's what I'm go
ing to do
However, the stout, slouchy-looking man
didn't see the conductors frowns, and it
isn't a bit likely that he'd have blushed
and hung his head any if he had He
kept the nickel between his teeth and
hung on to the rear rail with both or MS
hands at once.
The conductor finally worked his way out
onto the platform.
Fare. please he said, addressing the
stout, slouchy-looking man.
The latter made a movement with his
right hand to remove the nickel from his
mouth. With his left hand he made dive
for his left-hand trousers pocket, but the
conductor didn't see that latter movement.
''You can just pass me another nickel
said the conductor. You've been carrying
that one in your mouth for several squares.
and you ought to know better than to hand
people money that you've been carrying
that way.
Even while the conductor was talking
the stout, slouchy-looking man had re
moved from his left-hand trousers pocket
about five dollars worth of nice, new,
shiny-looking silver change. and from this
he extracted a nickel and handed 1t to the
conductor.
Don't get so giddy all of sudden. Bill y
he said to the conductor. amiably. Il
wasn't going to hand you no nickel that |
had in my mouth. l separated that nlckel
from the rest of the bunch because news
boy at the corner of 18th street and the
avenue give it to me yistiddy in change.
and l want to buy paper with 1t from
that same boy. It's a bum nickel. and l
want to work it off him again. Jes'
don't be so mirthful and cheSty on snort
'quaintance the mex time, see?'
Then the other men on the rear plat
form grinned at the conductor. When the
car reached the corner of 18th street and
the avenue the stout, slouchy-looking man
vhistled for the newsboy between his teeth
and the boy ran alongside the car.
Gimme Starpaper,' said the stout
slouchy-looking man, handing the newsboy
the bad nickel.
The boy passed up the paper, took the
nickel and returned two pennies change,
and then the stout, slouchy-looking man
srnned at him.
'Got it back, didn't you?' said the
~ J,o 70 fha O.
boy, and the newsboy grinned back at
him sheepishly.