128 OVER ON THE ISLAND

“ Back out of Elmira? ” He was genuinely shocked. “Why, miss, they couldn’t. ”

“Well, what do they do?”

“They back in to Elmira . . . and in to Montague . . . and in to Charlottetown.”

Politeness! Pouff!

There are some really classic jokes about the Island. They have descended from father to son, have been told, retold, and still are being told. Somehow, they never seem to lose their flavour, or grow old. The favourite is hoary with age. Naturally, it concerns the freight train.

Tignish is the western terminus of the railway. Shortly after the regular freight train left Charlotte- town, the conductor went around the train taking up the tickets. There was only one passenger, a small boy, bound for Tignish. The conductor took his ticket, chatted with him for a while, and then returned to the freight car. Hour after hour passed. Finally, after the stops at every one’s back door had been concluded, the train neared Tignish. The conductor came around again to take the tickets. Still, there was only one passenger, but this time it was an old, old man with long, silver hair and trembling hands.

”Ticket, sir,” said the conductor.

“Eh?” replied the old man, cupping his ear.

“ Your ticket, please. ”

“But I gave you my ticket just after we left Charlottetown. ”

“I beg your pardon, sir, but you weren't here then. There was only a little boy . . ”

“Aye!” said the old man sadly, “I was that little boy.”

There is still another concerning the freight trains.