The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-07
FREE RIDE CHAPTERS.
Automobile Sales Agent Tells of
 Some of Their Tricks.

Some of Their Tricks.
 A New York automobile agent, now boosting machines in Washington, re- gently told some curous tales about the free-ride grafters who make a business of pretending that they are going to buy cars.
 Women are petty clever at that sort of thing in New York" he said Some women of the stage-show girls, partieularly-are genuinely scientific in the schemes they work to get free motor car sides for themselves and their pals. Their impudence when they're unmasked is as colossal as their nerve.
 Not long ago show girl, who has been exploited lot in the picture periodicals on account of her good looks, and who, not more than a year ago passed through the bankruptcy court with liabilities up in the tens Of thousands IT which wasn't so bad, considering her S25-a-week income at the end of the chorus line-telephoned | to my place in New York that she | would like to try out one of our high | opWer touring cars, and asked me to | send one up that afternoon with an | experienced chauffeur. Now, I had | this woman tabled good and plenty I | was just waiting for her call. She's l been riding around New York and | New Jersey and Connecticut and all l of the purlieus and fastenesses there- | Of for more than a year in swell stock l cars that she was always going to buy but that always failed to make hit with her after she'd tried them, and I had her record on free-ride grafting all charted out from canape to Camembert
 That's why took the machine up to her apartment house myself. de- sired to see her and say few tren- chant words to her. I called up the tube to her that the machine was waiting down in front, and she re- piled that she and her friends would be down presently. Such a gay, glad lot of girls-all of the stage-they were when they finally rollocked down the hall and out to the curb where I was waiting with the machine stepped out of the car as if to assist them in, and then I addressed the free-riding grafting show woman
 suppose you are meditating pur- chasing one of these machines, are you not, Miss Tippletoes? said I,
 She looked me over in puzzled sort of way, and replied;
 Sure thing I am! Come on and get in girls addressing her pals.
 Just teenchy little bit, said I, barring their way to the seats. Have you heard about that new rule of the car agents with reference to all new machines that go out of stock to be tried?'
 Ruler said the show girl with the phony purchasing habit. What new rule? Sure, no, I haven't heard anything about any new rule. Don't you want to sell one of your old ma- chimes? beginning to swell up into imitation huffiness,
 Oh, yes; want to sell all of the machines I can unload I replied, but I want to sell 'em before they become secondhand The new rule that I mention is that persons trying new machines are required to pay for them at the rate of S1O an hour-to pay that rate, that is if they do not
 
 three hours is required in advance to make this rule binding
 "Of course, there never was any such a rule, but doped it out that the young woman with the getting herself-photograp habit needed a bit of a take down.
 But was she taken down any? Not any. She laughed merry, ripping, mirthful laugh.
 Say, you behave she said to me, gurglingly You mustn't let that bug habit grow upon you. Ten dollars an hour, and terms in advance, you say? Please don't make me litter. I've got by makeup on,' and she staked me to some more joyous gurgling.
 But, madam I said to her. solemnly, you don't want to buy any car, you know. I've heard all about you. You just want to ride you sec
 Why, of course I want to rider sch replied with the most beauteous and engaging candor you ever saw or heard of, What's the answer? Some body must have snitehed on me! And I am really going to get car of my some day, when Mir. Rockefeller, or Htnky Dink, or Bathhouse John, or somebody stakes me to it. But, in the mean time, it's all off with our little excursion out into the cool woody country, I supose?'
 An, pretty near all o:,' said I, stepping back into the wagon and be- ginning to start it up.
 Oh, well don't you care, little one, amiably remarked the show girl to me, continuing to give me the pealing hoot. You'll be able to poke hop into your arm with a needle and be a real cute little Sherlock Holmes some day. if you're good and behave. Dada! Shake dada to mamma! Mamma is busy-she's got to go right downtown and hunt up some other mark that runs a buzz-buggy shop!'
 Take it to heart, eh? Not much, did she! I pulled away from there with sort of sneaking feeling that she's sent me to the mat for the full count and if vou can't saa how ralinh