Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-17
PEOPLE WHO FORGET

A few fore oons-Ago a perspiring, red
faced fat man at the head of perspiring.
red-faced fa< famu consisting of wife
ana -FOUR little girls with amazingly starchy
skirts and with pigtails pulled SO taut that
they didn't appear to be able to wink their
eyes. started through gate at the Balti-
more and Ohio station leading to an accom-
mediation train that was about to leave for
Maryland way stations
ricketts,, said the gateman. unenthu-
siastically, as the fat father of the fat
family started to hurl himself through the
gate.
'Huh?" said the father Of the family.
half sheepish half chopfalen expression
crossing his dripping countenance.
| dismally.
B iing." exclaimed the fat man, dismally,
Il forgot the tickets. Clean forgot to buy
EN-. Say. can't you let us through, and
III pay the conductor in cash for our rides
-hey?"
" 'Gainst the rules said the gateman.
Don't block the line please. Have your
tickets ready!'
The fat man souirmed back out of the
| line, encountering as he did SO the coilec-
tiVe slares OF the pushing people behind
MN. ana the much more intensified glare
| Of his wife.
Forgot to get the tickets Rosanna,"
said the fat man. looking foolish. to his
| spouse. Get EN- in half second, though
be right back. Wait right here with the
! And he dashed through the swinging
DOORS at a numbering waddle, while his
| wire cropped all Of the hand baggage with
thump and the four highly starched little
girls picked out grips and suit cases upon
| winch to squat until their parent returned
with the tickets
He returned to his family in about four
minutes. holding the tickets in his left
| naho' and agoniZedly hopping his face with
the handkerchief in his right. His fat face
| misery.
| MY dear girl" he said. edging APOLOGIZE
| cally alongside his wife, ITS a mighty good
thlhg 1 stopped to take a glass of water at
! the cooler inside Just nova mighty good
| thing. indeed
| well. what is IT nowq., sbe aeled biro T.,
tone hlled with the prophecy of trouble.
| WOW, uon be annoyed. my dear Ro-
| sauna. said the fat man. more miserable
.man ever. but | fear that we shall be
| shshtly delayed-but only until the next
| tram, You know. There's another one going
IN only two hours and forty-five minutes.
| ana II De back long before that"
| acridly. 'Sneu hiiii'
| NOW please, I beg of you do not make
| Things worse than they are by an exhibition
o OF temper my dear Rosanna," moaned the
lat man. hopelessly, but my taking that
| or1nk or water a the cooler inside lust now
reminded me that 1 left the cold water
turned on in the kitchen sink when I left
u! .ne mousse: Just you wait with the children
! III the waiting room-I'I buy you some pa
| pers and MISUNDERSTANDING see-I can
get out TO TenleytOwn and back in an hour
ana half, say and thatll give me plenty
| OF tlme for the next train. l couldn't be
coniIortabie, you know, away for two weeks
win that cold water running full blast The
burned sink might overflow and 1t nd cost
me all the money could make for the next
ten years TO pay for the damage Now
don't worry" and the fat man darted out
| OF the station at a waddling lope, while the
VIE or his bosom gathered up the trans
| once more and led the way to the waiting
| room, the four little starched girls trooping
glOOmily after her
Notice that?" said the gateman, dismal
| ~ slamming the gate leading to the ac-
| commodat1on train after the last belated
passenger had cantered through THAT'S
the way they're drifting along all the time
| the forgettors, I call 'em. Another one of
| EN- just like that fat old party came cata-
| paulting toward this gate only hour or so
| ago, with his wife all but hanging onto his
coat tails: He was racing for. the gate at
such CLIP tllat sire could barely keep up
with him tttheut maintaining a strong
| ciuleh on hsAapparef I.picked him out in
! stantly as one Of the forgettors, and when
| he handed me his tickets to punch 1 noticed
| that his tickets didn't have the b baggage
punch mark in them. -'' So
| You We checked your baggage sir. 1
suppose? said knowing, of course that
| he hadn't.
,r sW VIII ;n ne nhss s he surg out CIV
thing you reminded me Of that
| . Did you wait at the house for the trans
fer man to call for7the baggage, -James?'
his painting little wife inquired of him in
a tone of suspense.
| Well no, l did notr he exclaimed again
| Was that the arrangement? 1 thought
| you'd attend to all that
Now, don't you remember she plain
downtown ahead of you to do that little
shopping that I had to do, and left you to