Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-29
SHE HAD HER REVENGE

midd -age& woman, with an exceed
ingly powerful law, and more evidences OF
hirsute oE her pper tip than were strictly
compatib@ wftf5Sa fine appreciation OF fem
inine beauty, Raried a south-bound 7th
street caEat til Center market the other
morning She Sd couple of small, stolid-
looking heys W3Sh her.
| When tie caefluctor approached her, as
| the car Nas fiAing by the mall. for the
fares. shd lhand b him three 10-cent pieces.
| which thS cen hctor promptly and cour-
teously hnded&back to her, shaking his
head. 81
II want q Hdarter's worth Of tickets"
| said the middle-agsd woman, shortly.
Il heard you lady" said the conductor,
but those are all three Canadian dimes.
and we anttake EN-
The woman reached out her hand and ac-
cepted the three dimes, and gazed hard at
them. She turned them over and over on
the palm of her hand. while her powerful
Jaw took on an added ioek of iron.
. i don't see nethfn' The matter with them
dimes" she said to the conductor, reaching
out her hand 20 hand them to him again.
The condustor, however, did not offer to
again take them.
They're Canadian, lady, that's ALL he
saids and the company won't allow us to
accept EN- asfares.''
We'll. took sem as change in the mar
ket. and took .em as good money" said
the strong-Jawed woman, determfnedly, as
she again offered to hand them to the con-
ductor. You gimme, quarters worth of
tickets for them dimes. young man, and
stop your nonsense
the conductor IF I'd turn 'em in I'd be
called down, ard I'd have to make good for
EN- out of my own pocket, and then try to
get rid of them the best way 1 knew how
mi nQC % RI in 1chi
ton"
Well. they were passed on me, young
man. said the woman, snappily, land 1
to take 'em."
well, I've told you. lady" said the con-
ductor, patiently.
Fare, please, for yourself and boys
The woman glared at the conductor as if
to shrivel him, but she made no move to
produce any other money, and the con-
ductor decided to pass on to the next fare
while the woman with the two boys made
up her mind what she intended to do.
The next fare was an old colored man,
marketman Of the curb, who had board
ed the car at. Center market, too. When
the conductor asked him for his fare, he
produced from his overcoat pocket siz-
able. seiled cotton bag, pretty well filled
with coins, and, opening it, he carefully
pulled five pennies from it and counted
them. one by one, into the hand of the
conductor. The conductor rang up the
fare, and then turned again to the strong
jawed woman for the fares for herself and
boys.
The strong-jawe woman had narrowly
watched the old colored man funbling in
his bag for his fare. and, before the con-
ductor had had chance to again request
her to produce fifteen cents or the price
of quarters worth Of tickets in American
legal tender, she leaned over to the old
darkey and said to him:
Uncle. have you got dollars worth O.
them pennies?"
Deed All is ma am" replied the old
colored man.
Let me have them for this. then" said
one-dollar3 bill; from her purse and extend
ing 1T to the old black marketman.
Deed All will, ma am" said the aged.
black, taking the extended bill and looking
at 1t. 90
Then he again pulled out his soiled cot
ton bag of coins. and making scoop OF
one Of his huge hands. went into 1t and
brought forth a big handful OF coins, nine
out Of ten Of which were coppers Slowly,
and with great elaboration. he counted out
100 pennies into the two hands of the
strengthened woman, while the conductor
looked on at the performance, wondering
ly. When she had received the last Of the
100 pennies into her hands, she held them
out to the conductor and said, raspingly:,
Now. young man, you gimme dollars
worth of tickets,
The amazed conductor. who hadn't
dreamed Of what was coming. stepped
back pace IN his surprise, and he didn't
0fI6r to take Lac plS nelp OIL pennies
I'm not compelled to accept all O. those
pennies. nam he said to her. Haven't
you got some other kind of money!"
you'll take the money I give you for
dollars worth of tickets, or you don't git
no fare at ALL" sharply replied the strong
jawed woman. "P'haps you'll be a-sayin
that them is Canadian pennies. too? Well
they amt; they're good American one
cent pieces, every one of 'em, and I want
dollars worth Of tickets for em. too, and
if you don't take 'em you don't git no fares
at all. and jest you put me and my boys
Off this here car If you dare"
For a moment the conductors young,
smooth-faced, mild-looking man-gazed
irresolutely at the heap of coppers and
then at the woman's iron jaw and at the
very obvious and bristly hirsute on her
upper lip-and then he caved. He pulled
out four strips of tickets, tore three tick
cts from one of the strips. and handed the
remainder to her. There was an express
sion Of malicious triumph on her face as
she almost grabbed the tickets out Of his
hand that spelt, as plainly as words could
have, "Y better had!'