, 1925-01-29

I've been sojourning in Denver the
past week. Took advantage of the
rates and went down with the cow-
boys and the other prize cattle. No,
l did not go to the stock show. Nat
tiers of far more Importance to the
feminine MIND occupied my time
night and day, but l had an exper-
fence hat has taught me that even
if the rates are low, n can't get by
without a fat purse. After a hectic
three days of shopping l returned to
my room, Saturday, at n O'Clock,
only to find a wire that required my
presence in this neck of the weeks at
once. l called a taxi, asked them to
get me to the Union Station in time
to catch No. 81. | was almost three
miles up town, and we got there;
but oh, horrors, when l opened my
purse to settle found only $3.70. l
had my return ticket. but I'd had
nothing to eat since early morning,
my ticket was only to Hanna and /
wanted to go to Rawlins, and in or
der to do so it was necessary for me
to send a telegram. All this was
tearing through my frenzied brain
sas | paid my taxi fare and struggled
frantically with an ebert red cap, for
possession of my bags, as | knew l
could not spare a cent in tips. 1t
was time for 81 to pull out, l could
not wait to cash a check before
boarding the train. l gave up; the
red cap won, and / ran after him as
he rushed me toward a Pullman. l
yelled to him to go to the chair car
which was just three quarters of a
mile down the tracks, jumped on and
found it crowded, hot and dirty look
ing. 1t was not to my liking, / was
wearing my new coat and could not
show it off in the chair car, too many
men, almost no women, so back we
tore another three quarters to the
Pullman. While porters and ON
ductors glared and yelled "all
aboard" l did want to give that
red cap at least a half dollar. as /
knew he qualified for a marathon in
that mad race, but all he got was a
nickle II two pennies, and a most
humble apology and my grateful
thanks. l must say he did lot act
as though he appreciated any of
them either. but the train was moving
and he had to GO. l sank into a seat
breathless and exhausted and pro- /
ceeded to ruminate. When the con-
ductor came through | began at once
to inquire as to chances for getting
n check cashed: | paid my Pullman
fare S1.S0, Cthe tax was 20 cents)
1t would not take an expert mathe-
matician to figure my resources when
that was settled. | explained to them
my plight, | wanted only a ticket to
Rawlins and enough money to send
a wire from Greeley. In reply to-
questions l gave my life's history.
Did | kno any one in Rawlins" he
asked. "Oh, yes, everybody" and
Immediately began to name over all
the important folks | had ever heard
of up there. Well said he there
are six Rawlins people on this train,
you might walk back to the parlor
car and see If you know any one who
can identify you | went, alasi
Every chair was occupied by a man.
Every man had a hat on exactly alike,
every one of them was smoking Il
don't think the cigars were all alike)
and through the clouds of smoke
every man looked exactly alike.
had never seer any of them before.
! grabbed a telegraph blank and re-
turned to my own car to compose
the wire hat | would sent as soon
as we reached a station. The sta
lltN ny blttAtN I.d1dilt III I
finally Laramie. My last hope was
gone. There was nothing TO do but
get off at Hanna, take II to Rawlins
Sunday morning, and tell all those
train men to go to the dickens.
went on forward TO the diner with
S1.O0 in my purse: | would order
the table d. hote dinner and not care
n rap whether the waiter got a tip
not; / was starving. | scanned the
menu the table d'hote dinner has
been abolished. looked all over the
blamed thing and felt my courage
slowly ooZing from my finger tips and
my enormous appetite increasing, as
the odors OF French fries and small
steaks were waited to my nostrils
from the kitchen. The man next me
was putting away. consomme. salad,
porterhouse, several vegetables, de-
sert. roquefort and crackers-oh well
he was probably a travelling "a and
did not nave to pay for his dinner.
Again studied the program and fin
ally found / could get a fried oyster
and coffee for 30 cents. did. The
waiter got his tip too and | live to
tell this tale. Before | finished how
ever ! must tell you that Just as we
reached the coal chutes n nice look
ing nan came to me from that cloudy
parlor car. introduced himself and in
sisted that allow him to arrange
for my ticket to Rawlins. He was "A
prominent banker and business man
from that town, whom ! had neyer
met, but whose wife | did know. He
knew who | was and told the con-