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But there is one mechanism described by Hero which was a most explicit anticipation of a device, which presumably soon went out of use, and which was not reinvented until towards the close of the nineteenth century. This was a device which has become familiar in recent times as the penny-in-the-slot machine.
Asa did not like gum, and, besides, Asa never liked to spend a penny. He stood looking about him in the middle of the space in front of the ticket office, while the twins went over to the penny-in-the-slot machine. And then it happened
There are very few even tolerably old houses left here; the little streets are of the modern villa order, and the great square tavern, with its tea-gardens and merry-go-rounds, its shooting-galleries and penny-in-the-slot machines, has vulgarized the place. Prince Esterhazy is said to have taken a house in the Vale of Health in 1840; this has been "long since pulled down."
Vitus dance, and as empty as a penny-in-the-slot chocolate machine in a railway station. Not so very long ago there was a drawing in one of the magazines. It showed a row of faces, men with hooked noses, with cauliflower ears, with dish-faces, and flat faces, with smallpox scars, with hare lips. And underneath it said: "Never mind, every one of them is somebody's darling."
Pothunter, who never drank anything but black and white highballs, being in mourning for her husband, who oh, I've forgotten what he did died, like as not. Spaghetti-weary reader, wouldst take one penny-in-the-slot peep into the fair land of Bohemia? Then look; and when you think you have seen it you have not. And it is neither thimbleriggery nor astigmatism.
When you send a girl three bouquets, a bracelet, and a gold Billiken with ruby eyes, you do not expect an entire absence of recognition. Even a penny-in-the-slot machine treats you better than that. It may give you hairpins when you want matches but at least it takes some notice of you. He was still deep in gloomy thought when he inserted his latchkey and opened the door of his flat.
"He shows me a machine on a table with two things for your ears like the penny-in-the-slot affairs. I puts it on and listens. A female voice starts up reading headlines of murders, accidents and other political casualities. "'What you hear, says the farmer, 'is a synopsis of to-day's news in the New York, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco papers.
My trust in our strength as I had seen it six months before helped me to reassure her; but to change the subject, I turned to the penny-in-the-slot music machine inside, the biggest, most gaudily painted musical box I've ever seen. "Did the Boches ever try this?" I asked. "No, only once," she replied, brightening. "They had a mess in the next room, and never came in here."
'I can manage, he said. And with her umbrella, her chatelaine, and her little leather case, she followed him. The trunk was there. 'We'll get Heather's greengrocer's cart to fetch it up, he said. 'Isn't there a cab? said Fanny, knowing dismally enough that there wasn't. 'I'll just put it aside o' the penny-in-the-slot, and Heather's greengrocers'll fetch it about half past eight, he said.
There was an automatic penny-in-the-slot piano at the Blue Lion and as that was the last house of the road they made a rather long stop there, playing hooks and rings, shove-ha'penny, drinking, singing, dancing and finally quarrelling. Several of them seemed disposed to quarrel with Newman. All sorts of offensive remarks were made at him in his hearing.
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