The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-07

she Buys n Tag and Waitb-Careful
or Careless. She Goes Unscathed-EVen
Its Loss Made Her No Less Lucky.
She had never thou ht that an accident
tag was a necessary part Of the feminine
outfit, but after talking with the business
woman, who happened also to be friend,
she concluded that there we're still many
things for her to learn.
4 have heard people telk just the way
you do, ~ said the business woman impa-
tiently. THE other day a very famous
Gctor-wel, won't mention his name, but
81 cid you would know right away-came In
here and said he had never realized that an
accident policy was 80 necessary. l gave
him his tag, he paid his dollar and going
out he fell down stairs, drew his salary and
his accident rate for six weeks. Wasn't
that providential9
Then another day a woman Just dropped
in for friendly call as you hRvei She was
simply obdurate, couldn't move her.
Going home she fell into one Of those open
coal holes, smashed her nOse-they say
it will never grow out-I mean they can't
graft 1t OF anything-A sight She was bad
enough before and now-wel, It's well she's
married, that's all I can say.
A man who was going on the road was
induced by friend to take out one Of these.
They weren't fifty miles outside Of New York
before they got into an awful railroad ash,
and II It hadn't been for that accident tag
which entitled him to 90 a week, where would
he have been? That was all velvet, for he
could sue the company besides
The girl took the tag and went out She
had never given the subject Of accidents
much thought, for like the great majority
she had believed herself immune from that
special form OF earthly chance.
The tag, No. SO,5O4. which looked like
the medal that good Catholic keeps along
side OF her rosary and cruciix, she stuck
into an empty compartment Of her vanity
bag.
She shook hands with her friend the
business woman very ingeringly. Sup
pose she should never see her again. She
remembered that her friend had been very
careful not to alude 10 the long list Of acct
dents that had terminated fatally and for
which the ak dollars per probably went
10 purchase an urn, suitably inscribed.
She crept down stairs very slowly, hanging
to he railing and peerlng anxiously into
the menAcing shadows Of either landing.
with the bright sunlight She wondered
how much longer she would have TO enjoy
st. She shuddered along the sidewalk,
looking for open coal holes and danger
signs by which she had formerly ooquetted.
t''v'ini 20 the fate that looks after the fool
and child. She had proved herself to lie
neither by the purchase Of a policy
She hesitated at the crosswalk; autos,
four-in-hands, cars, hansoms, a pushing,
s-fsh crowd bore down upon her. She
recalled wildly the story Of the young and
pretty girl who had been run over at the
first crossing after purchasing No. 7O452,
and who was cripple for life.
She beckoned TO a policeman and shlvered
into his dark blue embrace. She had
laughed at women before who depended on
the escort Of the force; It had seemed 10 her
provincial 80 unciiaed.
Should she take a carr II she did perhaps
St would start before she could get on and
she would be left MANNED and helpless
i Is true she could call a cab, but that
was even more dangerous. 1t = well
known that half Of the accidents that 90
cur in hansoms are never known to
the public. Intoxicated cab drivers, reok-
less ones, blind horses all menaced. No,
she determined TO walk.
She wondered idly as she peered along,
her eyes looking for runaways at the cross
walks and for banana skins between times,
n shs had done well 10 make her sister her
beneficiary. Perhaps she ought to have
made her brother. She hoped there would
be no jealousy in the family A beneficiary
sounded pretty grand and her family had
slways thought her rather black sheep.
They would feel sorry when they spent the
money coming 10 them.
Then she remembered that the dollar
tag did not entitle her family TO anything,
that was the other and more expensive
policy. This was simply 30 help take
care Of her, in oase-and In the other case
20 pay her funeral expenses. She won
dered what kind Of a funeral she could
get for six dollars
It was a week later and nothing had
happened. She had recovered from that
INST hypnotism that Assails the purchaser
or an accident policy. She wgs a little
Indignant now that nothing had happened.
Why should one go 20 all the trouble Of
writing the color OF ones mothers
not 20 profit 10y Il?
She did not want TO be killed, Il Il true,
nor 70 he MANNED, but Il did seem as n an
accident tag was as nnch proof against
st'lleilh a. an bbbeelOa suit against uro,
hhe commenced TO be more daring, TO
saunter across crossings, to refuse the
polceman's help, TO ignore footing horns
and cabby's whips. She no longer smiled
ht truckmen TO Induce them 20 allow her
night Of way. Nothing happened
Why had she thrown away a dollar and
Why had she received no retum7 There
We're other years coming, and perhaps she
would be induced 20 spend other dollars
and go through life without a scar. She
would throw the accident tag away and
IL bothered with Il no more.
The vanity bag with the tag was gonel
She had lost Il. II had been stolen, with
$40 TO boot. The last time she remembered
anything about II was when abe had swung
y a. she minced her way across Thirty
fourth street and Broadway, Just 10 show
that she could take her time n she wanted
TO-. She remembered a man who bad looked
at her admiringly. She thought it was her
nerve. IL was not, Il was her bag
Well, a. any rate, the accident tag had
accomplished Somethingi