The Washington times., 1902-08-10
THE COUNTERFEIT CAB DRIVER.
By H. C. PAINE.

stood aside 10 let the interloper follow.
''As the man with the high hat step
| ped in. Balcom tipped me wink and
made a quick motion with his wrist
| which i understood. So, as Balcom
stood en- the step and looked over the
top to give me the number of the house
| in Thirty Street I closed the
aocrs quickly ana whipped UP the steed,
while Balcom shouting to the man in
side. Thank you for your tip.' jumped
of and bearded a downtown ear. I
drove rapidly across town to the board
ing house wondering greatly who Miss
Grace's companion could be, and wish
ing that my sense of propriety did not
prevent me from opening the little
square trap in the Roof and listening to
their conversation.
The stranger helped her out politely
enough, accompanied her TO the door,
ard waited until he had seen her safely
inside Then he cane up to me and
said. abruptly. not to say rudely:
Get down.
"'What for? | demanded.
Get CC"u, young ltiieT, anu Settio
for the cab
Settle for the cab?. laughed: I
rather think the boots en- the other leg;
you'll settle for the cab
Come of. now; that biuff won't work,
see, This happens to be my cab. There
Lis coat. and here's my license pro-
4eucing a paper from his inside breast
Yocket You've had your fun. and it'll
cost you just $50. or Ill turn you over
to that cop for horse stealing and call
that lady and gent as witnesses. Now,
VIII you get down.
II got down; and though 1t came hard
not TO have it out with him then and
there. l put my chagrin in my pocket
and purely for the sake Of protecting
Miss Grace, produced the required
amount, which fortunately or perhaps
unfortunately l happened to have con-
cealed about my person / watched him
drive OFF, with mingled emotions, and
then ran up the steps. Miss Grace
opened the door for me and exclaimed:
oh. how can l ever thank you for
running such risks for me? Why, you
might have been arrested for what you
did,
'' oh, no. hastened to reassure her.
He was perfectly satisfied when Of
Tered to pay for the cab
And did you?'
Well, pretty nearly laughed.
The villain,' she exclaimed, did he
have the effrontery? Why. he's not the
cab driyer.'
Not the cab driver?' l gasped.
No. but it's all right. Come in the
pGrlor till I explain. This man. for pur-
poses of his own. having learned in
scme underhand way that my relative
- Mr. David Balcom, / interrupted.
She gave a start, and then went on Mr..
Balcom. VIII: was to meet me this even
irg, bribed my regular driver TO let MIN
take his place. l expected some trick,
and felt sure of 1t when l learned from
the waiter that he had followed us into
the restaurant, and taken seat in the
Eext alcove. However, being warned, my
uncle and I sat together on the farther
side OF the table, and spoke in whispers:
so fancy he was not much wiser for his
He joined us as we
started to come out, with some common
place remark, but when he saw you on
the cab and you spoke to us, he made
us stop, and told US that he recognized
you as a reporter of the Daily Tele-
phone and that he was going to see
Just bow far you would go, and then
have you, run in.
a 4 begged him not to do it in such
a public place. and he asked US how
much it would be worth TO put OF ar
resting you until you had taken me
home Uncle David said $50. and gave
it to him. Then he said he would have
to go with us. David consented, and
then. with your help, cleyerly gave him
the slip. We had seen you in the res
and l had told Uncle David why
you were there. The cabby was furious
at first. but there was nothing for him
to do but stay where he was, so he at
once confessed that he was Morn
ing Phonograph'' reporter and put up
the whole game to get a story about
Uncle David, and he made me all sorts
of offers il l would give him one. He
said it would be worth S1O0 to get such
a beat on the Daily Telephone"
Well. as you know. have no love
for the Telephone and the 'Phouo-
graph" has always given me splendid
notices. so | was willing to do his papes.
a favor. especially if in so doing l ,o1ld
save you and Uncle David and myself.
So told him that nothing in the way
Of money or notices. or even full page
portrait could tempt me to betrag my
friends. but that If he would promise
not TO use any names | would gi e MIN
a story he could print next Sunday ard
score on the Telephone" He Was wiIi-
ing to agree to the proposition, and
told him to write uD the incident Just
as it stood, but without stating in what
the incident had occurred.
He laughed. called me cheeky but
said the idea was a good one. l see.
however, that he is apparently going to
make better. story of it than l sus-
pected.'
That. sir l concluded. ''is all the
explanation | have to make"
Well" was the city EDITORS COM