Evening star., 1915-06-20

to the fair traveller, and she bit her
lip with annoyance as she filled out the
slip he gave her.
How stupid Of me-" she murmured.
How could I ever have been so dense.
And she grabbed the morocco bag and
suit case and fed.
Well that was rich. laughed the
checkman: best I ever heard pulled.
You haven't got anything on me,
said one Of the older checkmen, join
ing the group. I've heard and wit
messed some mighty funny things since
this change in baggage arrangements.
Yesterday two women blew in to
check their baggage. One OF EN- said
to the other:
You know. Isabel. we've got to tell
the value of our luggage. There's a
revision of the baggage rules
LAS 1 turned away to get the decla-
ration of value forms on which they
could insert the value of their bag
gage the one called Isabel commenced
to figure out what her stun amounted
That flet lace gown cost $500 at
least. Aunt Arraldine sent it to me
from Paris And I paid $50 in New
York for the little hand-embroidered
frock you admire so much. My dear.
YOU can be mighty glad you have only
got a few clothes. because It's such a
nuisance to figure up big wardrobe
like mine
"As was returning with the slips
I happened to glance at the face OF the
woman who was told she just had a
few clothes 1t looked like sour
ounce. 1 guess you fellows understand
how well a woman likes to be told
she's short on the duds. I handed the
slim to the woman who had been tell
ing all about her simple imported
clothes and noticed that her face
flushed up when she read what was
printed under the dotted lines. One
septence. you know. reads; Zen cents
will be charged for each 500 or frac-
tion thereof of excess value.
"Well. there wasn't anything left for
her to do but pay the dollar or more
due, for, after all. shed spilled about
her expensive clothes to her friend. she
simply had to value 'em at somewhere
around a thousand dollars, and every
thing in excess of 500 costs 10 cents
on the hundred dollars. She didn
know she was going to get her oluH
expression on the face of her com
panion as they walked out. She fairly
showed her teeth in Cheshire grin of
satisfaction"
At this point an old lady. apparently
from the country, entered the baggage
ROOM She carried a straw suit case
and a large, black crocheted bag filled
with parcels. She asked to have them
checked through to certain point IN
Indiana. The checkman handed her
valuation slip and explained TO her
what 1t was for
Now, amt that too exasperatin' for
anything?" she queried OF no one IN
particular, as she started to draw on
her black chamoisette gloves. Here
am I, just a-dying to set down and rest
myself before train time, and. instead
l got to go through all these bundles
and tell what I paid for everything.
Young man, I don't only think 1T puts
your customers to lot of trouble, but
it's also considerable nervy and bad
bred to be SO curious about what folks
own"
She opened the straw suit case and
threw the cover back with bang.
Hauling out several blue and striped
flannel affairs, she flung them on the
counter and said:
We'll. I'll commence with these here
nightgowns. Let's see. three Of 'em at
"It won't be necessary to go to all
that trouble. madam" advised the
checkman. You can just make a
rough estimate of what your luggage
amounts to and let it go at that"
my boy. I always have believed In
at all is worth doing we'll If there
is a law that the railroad company
can demand that l tell 'em what l pay
for everything I'll do it whether I
like to or not. Not but what I appre-
ciate your offering to let me Off easy
by just guessing at what things cost.
1t was a mighty kind way to treat an
old lady. But I amt SO lazy that I'll
risk having a nice young man lose a
fine job like you got just because he
wants to do a kind act. II your boss
was to find out that you was willing
to let folks slide their baggage through
like that likely as not you'd get fired.
"Now I amt good at arithmetic so
I'll Just dgger that these gowns cost