The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-07-19
STORIES OF THE TOWN.

avenue? I am a stranger" She fuubIed
in her i,0cketbook. chased FIVE pennies
into corner. let one fall, handed him four
. and went on. while two men inside
searched !cr tie coin. II don't know a i.
city. and--l:crc II IS WI you pi.tss
let nic - 1T { Ind avsnde?'
The man in blue slipped the pennies int
his coat. rang the register with gesture
Ike brushing of q fly and Tipped on the
car as II he meant TO abandon II then and
there. The little woman stared after him
in astonishment. saw him catch onto III.
rear platform and gave a sigh Of relief
Then she began to read the advertise.
ments. The train had gone five or six
blocks when she came 10" with a sud
den start, and, leaning toward the man
next her, said:
Excuse me- sir but can you tell me +:
/ We've passed Grand avenue yet?'
Don't know he grOvled, thrusting his
face back into his paper. She becams
very restless then and '.rubbered'' at the
conductor until the two girls behind her
began 70 nudge one another and litter.
She watched the man in blue come swing
ing along again. and when he passed her
seat she laid her trembling hand on his
! arm and said:
Have We passed Grand avenue yet?''
''Nupi" And he did another graceful
fip-fiap. A newsboy got on and waved Il
paper at her.
How much is it2" she said.
Penny, he grinned. staring at her.
I'll take one" And once more she
Teeped and poked about the dim insides
of her pocketbook while the impatien,
boy. eager TO be of, was carried four
/ blocks beyond his corner. She tried hard
to read. but every time the conductor
called a street name down Topped the pa
! per, around turned the frowning face.
''A-aa-aang-lee-eew cried the conduc-
tor.
Did he say Grand?7 s1e murmured to
the surly man.
Cant say" snapped the bear.
Every time the conductor came along
she eyed him with wistful humility as
much as 10 say, Have you forgotten
me?" but he seemed utterly oblivious OF
her. At last the car stopped while the
conductor was passing her seat He stop
ped, too, his eyes on the alighting passen-
gers ahead, his arm appraised TO give the
bell" She looked pleadingly into his ex-
pressionless face, edged a bit nearer TO
him and began:
I'm afraid of being carried past Grand
avenue. You see, I'm not acquainted in
the -"
"Zing-zlHs." went the bell. The conduc-
tor, expressionless as a sphinx, sazed
calmly at her for an instant. waited till
the train had gained full Roadway. swuns
his Off leg -nto a quick Sroceful Gu =. >
snd repea I'll his disappearing act. She
watched h'r, Soc to the su"face at the
back step Eiueh,s! as she nouceo that the
two kris bin! her were CON- ulsed with
laughter, 80. e a look al the nearest
one, blushed again and resumed her paper
which was Upsi1T down.
Then she trieo rearing the signs or the
street corners end got n3sI;s when she
missed one
This is Grand isn't it?" she heard one
of the girls say, as the car came jolting
stop. She waited for no more, but made
a heading dive for the crossing. The
conductor grabbed her by the arm with:
Thought you wanted Grandr
Isn't this Grand ?" she gasped, settling
back into her place.
''Nupl" he popped.
'Zing-zing.' went the bell. and away
flew the train, while the impassve arbi-
ter of her destiny did another flying trap
exc stunt.
At a cross line a number of men and
women crowded into the car so that she
was wedsed in between a fat woman with
a basket and a sinister looking old fellow
with a roll of papers under his arm. The
little woman with the lace mittens gazed
furtively at her new neighbors, edged
away from the irritable old man and sid
led toward the perspiring woman.
''A-er-beoutifuI day, isn't it2' she hes
itated, smiling sweetly.
The fat woman stared, astonished.
is it?" sh retorted, with that falling
infection which turns a query into a
Fhort answer
The little seeker after Grand avenue
shrunk, rallied and charged.
Excuse me. ma am" she said. looking
askance at the statuesque conductor, who
seemed to have forgotten her in the ex-
element OF his continuous performance
of pantoninnic acrobatics, but could you
tell me where Grand avenue is2'
I'VE passed it, growled the fat woman.
and the worried one would have risen to
leave the car right then, but the grouchy
old man shrilled:
Grand avenue? Why, we haven't come
to it yet
In default of any evident method Of set
Ting the question the poor little woman
sat silent after she had uttered vague
and impersonal thank you The fat wo-
man glowered and sat dumb. The thin
man shifted his papers and was silent.
The two giggling girls whispered. laugh
ed and .'guyed" the hat the hair-dressing.
the ribbons the trimmings and the utter
wretchedness of the nervous creature.
whose whole soul seemed to he absorbed
in a doubling determination TO set of at
Grand avenue.
and shouted as the train stopped at an
sther Grass line:
''Hoo-oop-la aa-avnooi Chaa-aa-ange
for a-ah-lip and augh!"
There was a scra mble TO get of; the lit
tie woman with the tan shoes heard
voice behind her say, very clearly.
Grand avenue at last: goOd-b by. inezi'
She escaped from her place wit ha sigh
of relief, and noticed that one OF the girls
who had been sitting behind her also
alighted.
The train sprang forward again, almost
empty.
.'Gra-aand avenus." beloved the man
in blue. rushing forward 70 help OF the
fretful passenger. He stared AZ the empty
seat then under 1t. Sch was gone Ha
looked at the girl sitting alone behind the
empty bench. grinned and said.
''Where'd she go7"
"Oh. she jumped of in that rush al the
junction" smirked the girl
she wanted 10 get OF al Grand ave-
nue.. he said
Did she?"
Yep
Zing-zingl FIip-fap.
And while the janEiing train rushed ont
into the lonely aisIes OF the suburbs lit
tie woman. with lace gloves and tan shoes
and very. very worried look was lister
Ing with avcd gratitude 70 a red-faced
policeman. who helped her on another car
xi;h.
Nav. don't you git an till IN conduc-
tor tlils We. JOHN II. RAFTERY
Ewes Carelessness.
Look here. Eve said Adam. where
did yen get those ieavcs sou patched NJ
trousers with yesterday
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