A WET DAY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1176, 11 July 1911, Page 4

A WET DAY.

ON A WELLINGTON TIUMCAR.

(By Sylvius.)

It rained dismally. As a rule I walk tho distance between the office and home, but yesterday the rain was much too thick and my boots much too thin to walk so I took a car, in all innocence, We were four abreast on tho Quay, and at the Dank of New Zealand corner wo squcszed up at the urgent solicitation of the conductor (who takes no ken of avoirdupois, as against, tho individual). I was just beginning to get warm under the pressure from either side, when a, huge drop of water—it felt like a pint— dripped irom tho back edgo of a dilapidated "Merry Widow" (which had lost its merriment in the rain) fell on my neck, and slowly trickled down my spine, giving me a thrill of horror. 1 longed for courage to jam my back against tho back of the seat and stop the course of the liquid icicle for ever, but could not do it at once. The act appeared to domnnd as much British pluck as lending a forlorn hope in tho face of fearful odds. At last by a supremo effort of will I did it, shuddered, and became myself again. "Fares;-please!" It was tho voice of tho conductor, invisibly calling for his dues. I could not see him as there wore ive people standing between the two rows of five sitting. Wedged in between a. stout man and a lady on tho plump sido of forty, and .unable to stand, tho effort to get, at tho small change in my trousers pocket become a problem in tactics. Propping my umbrella against my knee, I hitched round a bit sideways. Fatal move! My umbrella dropped ou to tho muddy floor" and was immediately trodden on by a man with the best of intentions. Diving down among overcoats, skirts, and legs, I recovered my gamp, and regaining the vertical very rod and angry, I found that one. rib had been fractured and others were seriously bruised and shaken (as the. accidents reports say). "Fares!" Again that voice. Determined not to ride free, I turned sideways somewhat savagely, and with anything but a wrench dived for my side pocket and produced a shilling, which I placed in a grimy paw which appeared from thn direction of tho voice among a lot of damp overcoats. "One, please!" I said affably, and sat back with some dignity just in time to receive another half-pint down the neck from the sodden "Merry Widow." I was in tho second phase of tho trickling agony, when a departing passenger planted the heavy foot on my tendcrest corn, and tho conductcr handvd me eleven pennies change. When I got home I dug out and dusted some old goloshes, determined not to purchase tramcar discomfort at any price.