Is It Really Happened.

Otago Witness, Issue 2850, 28 October 1908, Page 89

Is It Really Happened.

THE GENTLEMAN WHO LOST HIS PASS. "Tickets!" The broad-ehouldered, firm-jawed, re-sonant-voiced conductor filing open the door of the parlour car of the famous express train and uttered the word almost in a tone of command. . j Immediately all the passengers lolling in the chair© proceeded to get busy hunting up "their t'ekets, so that when the conductor reached them they had their pasteboards , ready. All. but one. - i This v one was a .uddy-facedr well-, groomed; fine-looking elderly gentleman with "white side whiskers. Be fumbled in hie walltet for his ticket, but it .wasn't- there. Then he began, a hurried search of his pockets. Nothing doing. The ticket wasn't in any of h : s pockets. "By ginger !" he was heard to mutter, "it 'seems to me that I brought those " Then ne stood up and made a systematic eearch of his pockets, turning over old deg's'-eared letters, formal-looking papers, and "heavy-looking envelopes tied with red tape.

But he didn't find what he was hunting for.

Then be clawed his Gladstone bag down from the rack above his head, tugged at the lock, and finally got it open. He spent several minutes in turning the contents of the bag topsy-turvey, persp : ring *all the time, and muttering quite petulantly as he went tbrougn*the performance. "Tickets ! r ' The broad-ahouldercd, resonant-voiced, firm-jawed conductor was towering right over the well-groomed elderly gentleman with the ruddy face and the white side whickers. "Say — just a minute, will you?" said the elderly not meekly at all, to the surprise of the other passengers. "I know that I put those passes somewhere, but they've got away from me for the moment — just pass on to tho next car", will you? and in the meantime I'll see what in iarnat'on has become cf-iiero." -^ - T/he conductor, of coarse, ecowied, alkali conductors with a proper appreciation of their position do in like circumstances. But he went to the. next car, and the elderly gentleman continued his fruitless 1 search. He'ga.voifc up after 10 'minutes and leaned back in his chair, looking mad. ' Presently the conductor .returned and bore down upon the elderly gentleman w ; th a ponderous stride.

"Your .ticket, sir, if you please !" said the conductor sharply, flicking the punch ominously.

"I haven't got Any tidket, blast it !" broke out the elderly gentleman. "Lost it, I reckon. But here's my card." and the el-derly gentleman hande<l the conductor his pasteboard, \yhich showed that ho was the first vice-president of the road. The conductor

However, just a moment. Righjt ihere the rule, if followed, would have tho conductor remark grouehily to the elderly gentleman that, card or no card, vice-president or no vice-president, he'd have to show something entitling him to Tide on that line of cars or stand for a toss off at the next station. Then the ar-cording-to-rul© narration would go on to tell how the elderly gentleman was filled wi tli admiration over the conductor's strong sense of duty, and how he dug up the price of his fare in good money, and how a little while later the conductor found. himself appointed a -.division, superintendent of the line, and so oa. Nothing whatever of that kind happened, however. v

"Oh, very well, 'sir," said -the' conductor, bowing and scraping profusely as he turned the' vice-president's card oye> in his hand. "Don't mention it. The pleasure's irtinc. Of course you probably <hroppe<i or mislaid the pass somewhere. But it's all right. Are you comfortable, sir? Is the porter taking proper care of you* Fine day for travelling, sir."

"Uh-huh," replied the vice-president of ♦he line, looking out of the window. "I'm danged glad I didn't get chesty or new with that'oftS gazooh before I got next to who lie was," murmured the conductor to himself as J*e passed on again to the next car.— New York Times.