The Tucson citizen., 1902-04-29
JUST ONE BOYS WAY
THE DRAMA THAT WAS ENACTED ON
A STREET CAR.

| F@ssengers BreathlesM and Proved
Eminently Satisfactory to the Per-
sietent Youngsters.
When this small boy on the Ninth
street car went into his clothing after
MS car fare, the other passengers be-
trayed little or no interest In him. He
was an ordinary, snub nosed, freckle
faced boy of nine or ten, and it seemed
pretty safe to assume that he had the
| nickel necessary for n ride or he would
not have swung aboard, and so the
passengers paid little or no attention to
him. The men, as usual, occupied
themselves In pretending that they
weren't looking at all at the good look
ing women In the opposite seats, and
the women, also as usual, endeavored
TO convey the impression that they
didn't know there was such q creature
as a man within a hundred miles Of
them
But when this small boy began to
have his troubles all hands got to look-
ing him over, Everybody, it would ap-
pear, likes to see small boy In trouble
anyhow.
The boy plowed around In the lining
Of the right hand pocket of his shabby
little overcoat, screwing himself into
many possible attitudes as he stood
and wrigglcd In the aisle, and finally.
after terrific exertion, he brought forth
penny, half buried in lot Of woolly
stuff from the coat. Then he turned
his attention to the lining of the left
hand pocket of his overcoat. After al
most superhuman difficulties, in the
process Of which It looked as IL the boy
might get himself wrapped around an
invisible axis several times In such
manner that he could never get right
again. he produced another penny. also
plentifully wadded In woolen lint be-
longing to the overcoat.
A couple Of elderly men who were
reading papers side by side at the end
of the car began to get nervous. They
pushed back their spectacles and stud
led the boys movements anxiously.
Fare, there, son.' said the conduct.
or.
The boy gazed reproachfully at the
conductor, stuck the two found pennies
In his mouth and continued his weird
exertions TO assemble his fare.
He unbnttoned his overcoat by the
simple process Of giving II yank from
bottom to top. and then he dug into
the right hand pocket Of his jacket
That pocket, too, seemed to be lining
less. and the boy had to grope through
1t like O cat clawing for the exit Of
bag. At length he got to the end Of II.
and an expression Of acute relief cross
cd his freckled features. The hand was
wedged In 90 tightly that he had about
a. much trouble in getting 1t out as he
had had In getting 1t In. but it elutched
another cent when II finally made its
appearance. This went into his mouth
10 Join the ether two. AT this point the
two elderly men coughed violently and
scowled At the boy as II to say that
they wished the internal business were
done with. but the others who were
watching the boys moves looked sym
eatheuc.
The boy next began a laborious ex.
pioration of his right hand knicker-
booker pocket. from which he pro-
duced and bestowed In his overcoat
pocket many articles peculiar to boys
marbles. a piece Of wax. a rusty look
ing knife. two or three printed cellu.
loid buttons, and so on-and at the
very bottom Of this salvage was yet
another penny. All the other passen-
gers except the two elderly men
breathed sighs OF relief, but they want
cd to read their papers, and yet they
couldn't while this boy was engaged In
his eventfui search, with the chances
about even whether he'd win out or
not.
Fare now there. kidv' said the con-
dnctor, once more tackling the boy.
The boy handed him the four pennies
from his mouth after very politely rub
bing them of on his oyercoat sleeve.
and he said, with very boyish grin:
II got the other one somewheres.
Wait q minute. mister"
Then the boy gaZed up at the ceiling
or the car and studied for a moment.
while the other passengers except the
two elderly men. who looked ferocious.
rooted for him with all their might.
The boy felt tentatively at his left
hand knickerbockers pocket. but ii was
plain to see that he knew that was no
go. For about half minute he looked
and the sympathetic passen-
gers worried along with him. as could
be seen by the tense expression on
their faces as they regarded every
movement OF the boy with strained.
almost feverish attention, Then the
boy reached into back pocket Of his
brought forth one of
those celluloid travelling soap boxes.
battered, took Off the lid,
and there, buried in a lot Of junk, was
The other cent.
The sigh of relief that ran around
that car was distinctly audible. The
passengers. men and wo-
men. settled themselves back In their
seats and smiled at the boy. and two or
.hree Of them looked as IL they wanted
to Jump up and suggest cheers. The