Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-07-10
TROUBLES OF A coNDUcroo
Iix-Up on a Londons>.i .imnibus II, a.
Matter of Making Chanva

hiH-Op on a LonuonN>s mnibus in IN.
Matter of Making Change.
1t was upon an omnibus that M
own personal acquaintance with b,r,
began. | was sitting beside two ,ad,.-
when the conductor came up to colloo.
fares. One of them handed him a civ
pence, telling him 10 take to PIccadd
ly Circus. which was twopence
NO" said the otber lady to ho,
friend. handing the man shllinv St
owe you sixpence; you give me four
pence and I'll pay for the two"
The conductor took the shillin,
punched two twopenny tickets ana
then stood trying to think it out
That's right" said the lady who
had spoken last, give my friend four
pence" The conductor did so. "Now
you give that fourpence to me-" Thu
friend handed it to her. 'And youn
she concluded, to the conductor. "giro
me eightpence. Then we shall bo
right" The conductor doled out to ba,
the eightpence, the sixpence he had
taken from the first lady, with pennv
and two halfpennies out of his own bac
distrustfully. and retired, mutterny
about his duties not including those NJ
a lightning calculation.
"NOw," said the elder lady to the
younger, II owe you shilling"
l deemed the incident closed, when
suddenly fiorid gentleman on the on.
posite seat called out In stentorian
tones:
'Hi conductor, you've cheated those
ladies out of fourpence."
zoos cheated 90 out O. fourpencep
replied the indignant conductor from
the top of the steps. "it was two.
penny fare"
1.-TWO twopences don't make eight.
pence" retorted the florld gentleman
hotly. How much did you give that
fellow, my dear?" he asked, addressing
the first of the young ladies.
81 gave him sixpence," replied the
lady, examining her purse. 'And then
/ gave you fourpence, you KNOW" she
added, addressing her companion.
That's dear two pen-oth," chimed
a communicating man on the seat be.
hind.
"Oh, that's impossible, dear" re.
turned the other, because owed you
siXpence to begin with"
But | did," persisted the first lady.
"You gave me a shilling" said the
conductor, who had returned, pointing
an accusing forefnger at the elder of
the ladies.
The elder lady nodded. "And gave
you sixpence and two pennies, didn't
IL"
The lady admitted 1t.
And | gave her" he pointed to-
ward the younger lady, ''fourpence,
didn't IY'
What | gave you, you know, my
dear" remarked the younger lady.
BLOW me If it amt me as as been
cheated out of the fourpence," cried
the conductor.
But" said the florid gentleman,
1.-THE other lady gave you sixpence."
"W'ich gave 'er," replied the con-
ductor, again pointing the finger of
accusation at the elder lady. "You
can search my bag, If yer like. |
amt got a blooming sixpence on me-
BY this time everybody had forgot
ten what they had done, and contra.
dicted themselves and one another.
The tiorid man took it upon himself to
put everybody right, with the result
that before Piccadllly Circus was
reached three passengers threatened to
report the conductor for unbecoming
language. The conductor had called
policeman and had taken the names
and addresses of the two ladies, intend
ing to sue them for the f0urpence
(Which they wanted to pay, but which
the tiorid man would not allow them
to do), the younger lady had become
convinced that the elder lady had
meant to cheat her and the elder lady
was In tears.-From Jerome *. Je'
rome's "The Man Who Always Inter
feres."