Evening star., 1905-11-11
HAD TO GIVE IT UP

The man whom this narrative chiefly
concerns is washingtonian, born and
bred. 1t therefore goes without saying
that he is polite to women. He always
takes off his hat when he gets into ele-
vators with em, opens and closes doors
for em. doesn't growl when they. in their
turn, calmly slam storm doors in his face.
helps EN- on and Off cars when 1t Is up TO
him SO to do. picks up after 'em, runs and
totes and traipses for 'em. and freely and
willingly performs all OF the other indul-
gent and gallant stunts that Washington
men habitually perform for women
And OF course, he always gets up and
gives EN- his seat in the street car. His
record in this last respect was stainless.
without a flaw TO mark 1t. until a few
evenings ago
He started uptown on a Fourteenth street
.car-which he boarded at 9th street-just
a the matinee closing hour He was very
tired-dog tired. He had been on his feet
all day, not even taking time to sit down
to lunch, and his feet ached and throbbed
with WEAKNESS. The car had plenty OF
room when he got on board at 9th street
and IIe wobbed up to one of the front cor
ners, plulnped himself into the corner seat
and breathed a deep sigh Of satisfaction.
1t was the first time he had sat down since
breakfast, and the relief to his legs felt
mighty good.
Il hope this car doesn't fill up" he said
to himself. Gee whiz, but I'm groggyi
Never felt so tired In my life Hope 1 can
hang on TO this seat till we get to Mt
Pleasant. Feels mighty good to me, it
sure does, this sitting down thing
A lot of people got on board at the 7th
street transfer corner-just about enough
folks to comfortably fill the car.
At 9th street about half dozen shopping
women, with their arms filed with bum
Prrf hn nu-c
lower part of the car had to surrender their
seats to these. The tired man away up
In one of the front corner seats felt COM
paratively secure. However, he glanced at
his watch bit nervously.
I'VE may catch the matinee gang of wo-
men, he said to himself. Hope not
Frald I'd just have to disgrace myself by
keeping my seat
The car did catch the matinee women.
They came bustling and crowding in. rear
door, and front, chatting of the shows
they'd seen. The men in the car-sone of
whom looked pretty tired at that though
the women, who had been snugly sitting
in theater seats all the afternoon. didn't
really look tired al al-jumped to their
feet. grabbed straps, and gave their seats
TO the prattling women. Some of them were
thanked for doing, and others weren't
but that's not the story.
All of the men got up to give the matt
nee women seats except that one dead
tagged man away UP in the corner seat at
the front. He just leaned back In his seat
and enjoyed himself and allowed the
women up in the front part to glare at
him.
IS all right the man said to himself,
composedly. I'm yaller dog, OF course.
and all that, for not getting Up and giving
that hatchet-faced woman with the maroon
dress or that tittering girl with the wrin-
kled-up felt hat. my seat. But-I-ain't-
a-goin n-to-do-no-sich-th thing-see? Brutal
o me, of course, and boorish. and yokelish.
n nd 40 fIch n1 1AS NXlr
But--rm- sit-right-yere-see
That's what l sure am. I'm as tired as an
Eskimo pack dog. These women can't be
tired. They've been lolling in theaters all
the afternoon. Let 'em look at met Let
EN- try to gaze me out o. countenance and
regard me as II l were wart on the dial
of time! I'm citizen and a taxpayer and
law-abiding. God-fearing man and
what's more. I'm polite man and /
blieve that women ought to get the best
of 1t at all times and at every stage of
the game. But-Pm-going-to-k
-seat--this-afternoon. This Is my after
noon to sit down. What's more. I'm
a-gloating over 1t. hereby gloat inward
ly. I'm having the gal-loat of my life for
L know that they saying to themselves
and maybe whispering to each other, that I
am lemon-colored mutt-wherefore lemme
gal-loat s-more"
The car reached the New York avenue
transfer station, and only a few passen-
gers changed there. But great many
others got on board-chie1y spck-and-span
women, and none of them SO ired-lookine
that you could notice it. They all lad to
stand. Women had all of the seats except
one-the one occupied by the dead-tired
man up IN the front corner
GO ahead, girls" said he to himself
with brutal exultation when the car started
up again, 'and look me out of eountenance
IL you want to. / know that I'm a Swami
poodle tough, and that l ought to be sand
bagged with a stockingful of horseshoe
m eff
guess yes. And I'm going to say sat down.
Right here. Let 'em look. I'll lust pull a
paper out of my pocket and make a-bluff
at reading. Not that I care for their
looking, but they sure can stare and look
eontempuous," and he did pull a paper out
of his pocket and glanced at the head
lines without knowing what they meant
he was too tired even to read with intelli-
gence.
The car stopped at Fl street There was
no chance for anybody to get on board at
the rear door. So the motorman opened the
front door The new passenger was a wo-
man with beady black eyes and a deter
mined expression.
She no sooner got through the front door
than she glanced sharply at the tired man
sitting IN the corner seat, up front He.
looking up. caught her eye His face
creased into sickly grin
The beady-eyed woman was his wife ua
pulled himself stiffiy to his feet. ''Heyo
hun he said to his wife. Just In time
Sit down and she slipped into his seat.
IS lucky I just happened to take tb,s
car" she said to him. I'D have had TO
stand. maybe. II I hadn't got this oar
And I'm so tired. I've Just seen the tire
soonest play?'
And the tired man, who. however b.d,.,
seen any tiresome play had to stand All
the way to Mt. Pleasant shifting from one
throbbing foot to the other
Dining With Franz Josef.