The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-12-05
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taxicab in Paris and New York, but as she has three or four elegant great big cars of her own at home, it was very unusual sight to see her sitting bolt up right in a taxi the other day with me right by her side.
 .The taxieab of Paris" she explained, lis more a question of a poor, old, delap- idated horse than anything else, so bony that you can count his ribs, and so lame that he does not make more than mile an hour. nc matter how urgent is the errand And that's the reason that the meter Cor Is it metre? on the Parisian vehicles, behaves so badly and piles up deliberately francs by slow degrees. Why, would you believe 1t, have ridden all afternoon In Paris and yet never reached any place in particular"
 As she said this, a perfectly new Bir- mingham taxicab, with bright shiny lights either side, and as pretty as new toy came rolling up to the door and as entered it's portals. the small boys of the neighborhood who had con gregated around in blissful admiration and curiosity sent up shout as if 1t l were an aeropiane or something equally as light hearted.
 | She startsl she movesi
 She seems to feel the thrill of life along her keel"
 I quoted as the chauffeur pulled out one | 1 ed off
 l At this the small boys raised a wild | cheer to celebrate the joyful occasion. l and I sat in perfectly perpendicular 1 posture, squarlng myself to make believe that the taxicab was the vehicle to which l I was most accustomed.
 | Mercy abover' cried Bettina." Take 1t away, or cover it's phiz!'
 What on earth are you talking about?" 1 l asked, and looked squarely in the face 1 of the meter.
 'swhy, isn't it nice that we can meet its friendly gaze. from any angle and note its changing expression every few l moments I observed.
 Don't you think 1t will detract some what from the pleasure Of the ride?' Bettina asked 'I am not used to paying for things to ride in, and this seems too funny to me-"
 well, don't let's think about it, then" said as averted our glances and whisked through beautiful and attrac- tive part of the city, which should fill every Birmingham heart with pride Then something clicked. t'Its the meter" said timorously. Don't you wish we could disconnect t?' said Bettina, and peered around, like a full-fedged burglar, until we dis covered some connection with the left hind wheel which is to the taxi what the
  the main spring of It's existence. Only. in the case of the left hind foot it's the poor little rabbit who doesn't profit by 1t. but some one else, who has it mount ed in silver and wears it as talisman long after the rabbit is dead.
 "Whenever I've been so extravagant as | to ride in a eab,' unused Bettina, "I havs had a real sensation in store for myself as to the pleasing uncertainty of what I would pay for the privilege. My indebt- edness has usually occupied my thoughts all during the ride, and then only to dis- cover that my estimate and the cabman's different completely"
 "Of course, his figures were always ahead monstrously of yours" I suggest ed weren't they?"
 l Certainly" replied Bettina. '"rhat fact lent zest to the adventure and then 1t afforded splendid srithmetical exhibi- tion on my part, at which. by the way. I've always been woefully deficient And the funny part is, that the cabman whom I suppose must be a splendid ''arithme- tic-er' to hold his job, always calculated on just the amount I happen to have in my purse, leaving me few cents for langiappe-as they say in New Orleans. '
 Times have changed, though" I said, since the meter has made Its appearance, and 1t, like George Washington, never lies.''
 
 Its name mentioned and gave us a roug- : ish glance in It's f1irty little way. "Ignore it," said eBttina Don't pay any attention to it. It's trying to make us mad. and mar our pleasure. Let's sit l on it. Wonder where the little metal lag } is? Guess the American taxicab must ) have one like the French cabs, standing bolt upright when the cab is for hire and ! modestly recumbent when it has fare.'' But before further barley took place we rode pleasantly and swiftly on past ] autumn-tinted terraces of suburban homes, riding smoothly and quickly, with the brisk wind blowing in our faces-here and there a stray leaf swiring and rp- bling before us.
 ] Isn't taxi just too fasoinating?' I gasped, bromidically, as we sped along Tt has such a nice, subservient way of obeying the chauffeur, and yet it's so l bright and agile"
 , And isn't 1t grand that 1t never limps, and slides and falls down on the pave ments." said Bettina-
 l Click again sounded the energetic f little meter and registered a dollar. : Why, it's the cheapest thing I ever heard of," said Bettina, with a sigh ot relief Think of the beautiful ride we've l had, and how much space we have anni- | kilated."
 'Go on." shouted to the chauffeur en. O l struck and I verify believe the meter l winked and brightened. Why, we can ride all day at that rate '' 5 replied Bettina enthusiastically Tt cer- tainly is reasonable"
 You know. I believe the meter is a sensitive little thing. said as I looked soulfuly into it's face. Its Just like melt hates disapproval"
 Hush said Bettna. T believe it can hear you it is so abomlnably alive" Just then the cheauffeur shaved the edge of great big numbering old ice wagon as we rounded a corner and did bit of scorching down 2 lovely turn pike and Bettina and l bounced glor- . l iously up and down on the elegantly up holstered cushions much to our delight , It's the very next best bet to fly ing" said Bettina enthusiastically. Why, I wouldn't give one taxicab foI all the flying machines in the world.'' exclaimed, laden as they are with theil , 1 idosyncracies and broken wings
 In the meantime we had arrived on one of the principal thoroughfares and at- tracted codes of attention. Why, if we had been riding on Howdah placed or top. of star spangled blanket and al
 that piled up on the biggest elephan