The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
FERRY T ALES /
BY LINDSAY CAMPBMLL

vaH southern PaclHc mas take
one step m6re toward an allnight
: ferry service and the Alameda
commuter doesn't have to go home now
until morning. Up to the beginning Of
this month tho last boat on the mar
row gauge run left the city ct 1915
2. m. Beginning August !, q later
boat was put on, and the narrow gauge
division OF the commuter brigade can
linger 1T the ferry depot until o'clock
q. m.
This makes 1t more necessary than
ever for the Alameda commuter to have
latchkey and gives the afterdeck
squad an extension OF As minutes on
its playtime<
. o o
Listen to the tragic tale OF q harem
drape, ! simple story OF suburban
life. don't dare reveal her identity
and 1t doesn't really matter q great
deal, as her name is legion anyway.
She IS spending the summer In Marin
county and when she comes to the city
she boards the little local train that
carries her to Mill Valley, at Blythe
dale This local train stops only on
signal.
message the other day to meet hubby
In the city.
"come right over he said. I'll
meet you at the ferry. You can catch
the next boat II vow hurry"
She had just put on new dress.
It was "harem drape," which Is the
name for sheath skirt in disguise.
The disguise consists OF curtains or
wings draped to initiate pantaloons.
This drape gives the effect Of full
ness that implies luxurious freedom
for the neither limbs. The freedom,
however, is purely imaginary as In
order to- give the curtains. or wings.
room to flutter. the skirt Is what one
might call scant without exaggerat-
ing or leaving much liberty Of stride.
1t is possible that dressmaker or
ladies' tailor might consider these
specifications, bit vague, but as I'm
telling how a dress was wrecked and
not how to build one they will serve.
g q e
She reached the Blythedale station
ahead OF the train. All she had to do
was to stand on the platform and wave
her hand. The train would stop. It
was just . little bit OF step that led
to that platform, but. maneuver as she.
would. she was unable to negotiate It.
There was a small board across the
street and. there being nobody about,
she would get this and use 1t as a
gangway. Just gas she reached the
board, however, the train showed up
and was passing the station. when she
turned her head. In eloquent parito-
mime she expressed her disgust at
missing 1t. Conductor Cookery. who is
a modern knight errant, saw and un
derstood. He stopped the train ana.
called back:
Come along Well wait
step aboard" he said, as she came
alongside the rear platform.
She stood on a roadbed that sloped
down. The lowest step OF the car was
three rect from the ground. SIruBSie
as she WOULD she couldn't lift her foot
more than six inches from the ground.
You'll have to help me-" she ad-
mitted.
Conductor Corkery did his best, but
1t was too much for him.
"Oh. Joer' he called to the engineer,
come back here a minute
After several failures conductor and
engineer succeeded so far that she got
her knees on the lower step. After
brief rest they gave another "One, two
and altogether" and she was safely
aboard the train
q q q
But a harem drape is not an athletic
costume. The hem or ankle band stood
the strain, but the rest of 1t was split
into strips SO numerous that the two
bits worth OF safety pins that hubby
was ordered to buy did not suffice to
restore faith in its protecting power.
This story shows that the North
western Pacific has at least two very
accommodating train hands In It's en-
ploy, and it teaches us that pantaloons
to mean freedom must be the real
thing.