The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04

lzind OF nx. and want you to help me
cut. I've got plenty OF money the
other side. but"-here he dug down in
his trousers pocket-"honest Injun. I
can't rake up morn 19 cents for two
tickets. Will you let me have them?"
He had the unmistakable air OF a
prosperous farmer A woman was with
him. She might have been his mother
or his wife. Thin. sallow. anxious. she
waited breathlessly for the answer.
The ticket agent. used to swift de-
ciphering OF human nature. sized the
pair up at a glance. The 10 cents lay
on the window ledge, making, its pa
thetically hopeless appeal. The big
man, trying to smile confidently,
waited. He didn't wait long.
There you are" said the seller OF
tickets laconically. "All right" In an
swer to the Oaklander's profuse thanks.
May need a cent myself some day"
and as the couple passed out Of sight
he grinned at the other agent.
What do you think OF that?"
"Stung for a cent?" queried the other
as they both laughed.
After IL the belated ones come creep
ing along. They are the stranded ones
the derelicts They haven't the 10
cents to get across and they know 1t.
but a vague hope that something will
come their way forces them toward the
big arches blue in the glare OF the
electric light.
won't you give me ticket? Just
a ticket. 1 don't want any money, so
help me Godr'
The ticket agent sticks up his paste
board in front of the window impa-
tiently He is used to these appeals.
but not being quite hardened to the
business, prefers to shut out the sound
of her pleading voice. He would gladly
he knows too well the hordes that
would descend on him the next night.
and in sheer pity and self-defense he
turns away and busies himself count
ing the receipts. the pasteboard screen
between him and the outside world.
When he looks out a little later the
woman has disappeared. Later still
he sees her still wandering aimlessly
in and out the big marble fioored build
ing and the echo of the complaining
voice reaches his ears:
Just a ticket-won't you please give
me-a-ticket-I don't want"
But the life, the rush, the excitement.
the happenings, and the captivating
power of the ferry are felt best in the
daytime with automobiles whizzing by
and the streetcars changing. while all
the noise. confusion. dirt and squalor
of Market and East streets lie in the
full glare of day with the glorious blue
of sky and bay stretching away for
miles and lending to the air that pc
culiar freedom and braciness which
seems a heritage OF the San Franciscan
The ticket agent has been musing. Now
he comes back to earth with laugh.
Those Foolish Questions
'T don't want to be mean to the
ladies', but It's funny what senseless
questions they will ask They seem to
than their eyes. I've had hun
dreds of them come right up to the
ferry window, where big sign. Ferry
Tickets Only stares them in the face,
and say: Give me { ticket to Santa
Rosa, please and when try to ex-
plain that the main line window Is
down a little farther they look as II I
had insulted them. Same way with the
main line; they'll have a hundred ap-
plications for ferry tickets in a morn
ing Signs are placarded everywhere,
but the average woman never sees any
of them. don't know howsit is. but a man
will walk into a strange station and
begin to look about him the first thing
he does. BY and by he sees q sign,
Information Bureau and he makes for
1T and finds out what he wants to know,
but woman will hustle around like a
fiurried hen, dropping bundles the