The sun., 1905-11-26
THE GATEMAN'S
l PUNISHMENT.
A Thanksgiving Story OF a Wing
Contest Fu a Gold Badge
Offered b. Commuters.
Said the gateman

| Said the gateman
For long timeit was the custom u
Waspldns over thereto slam his gate in
the face Of commuter and grin something
sardonic when they missed their train
Then he would groVl at everybody Ia
show their tickets, whih amt at all neces.
sary because some OF item hes seen every
| day for years. The rushis so great that he
! can't stop everybody bit any commuter
with his arms full can't CT through without
dropping all his bundles ald going through
| his pockets. And not a wsrd except snarls
| has Waspkins for anybody, while for him
nobody has any friendly greetings.
Down at the next gate Danny Stopper
| Ia most entirely different Folks are string.
ing along to the white Plainslocal
Hello, Danny sings out a typewriter
girl.
"A half time waitress holds out a box OF
chocolate drops for him to take one. A
swell dressed guy hands him a cigar. Young
fellers shoot out cordial pokes into h'
ribs, and dignfed old gents nod friendly
| to him.
"Al look to zee that he returns their
salutations and are pleased when be never
fails for to do so. They get a feeling that
they're the regulars and when Danny
waves a hand at them, it seems like it was
recognition from the company
Then, a most remarkable change came
upon Waspkins. You'd be astonished to
see the change. Instead of swapping and
snarling, this was his line of talk
GOOD evening, Mr.. Lummey, Verv
fine weather we're having. Oh, that's all
right: know you have your ticket.
"'How are you? How's everything up
YOUR way? Oh, yes; go right along
Excuse me, but you're dropping one Of
YOUR bundles And he holds his gate open
to the last second he's allowed to.
"Al, this is because the commuters are
Offering a handsome gold badge for the
most popular gateman. The rest OF us
wasn't in the running, but Danny Stopper
was leading the voting contest and Wasp
kins, because he was buying his own votes
| with his wages and living on borrowed
| money, was second TO him.
"And then the joking began, You know
| the kind Of joking mean; Every com
muter, as soon as he saw himself recog-
nized as a regular by Waspkins had TO show
! to the hull admiring station that he was
| an old timer and on joking terms with the
| gateman.
+'Hellop he says, coming up to Wasp
kins can you tell me where to find the
| Joke and he's sure nobody else ever thought
| Of saying such thing ;,
"SureI down to the Pennsylvania ter
minusl' grins Waspkins, by which he MAY
! make forty votes.
"Up comes another commuter;
"HelioH he says. Is this the Grand
| Central Station?' He wonders how he
thinks of such original things He really
can't explain how he is so witty, but feels
| that it Just comes natural to him
| NO" says Waspkins, with neat Wit Of
| his own; this s the Statue OF Liberty"
| Anyway, here we. are up along toward
the evening of Thanksgiving Day. Wasp
! kins himself was commuter as It was
He lived out in Port. Chester. Coming
up confidential to me, he says
THAT badge is as good as mine! Danny
going to have the big spread up to our
| house tonight! It'll be at 0 O'Clock as |
| can't get home before then. got Almost
a dozen neighbors invited to dinner and
they'll all s vote for bs nTesns me ana because It,
| lust then he sees his wife running up, to
| the gate, her arms piled high above her
| head with provisions for 'the big dinner
| 'Sav, are you crazy? Why amt you home
getting the things for the feed together
wanted she tells him. IN have TO hurry.
but there's no reason why everything won't
he ready at o'clock which is the time yon
set Yourself. Which train dol take
4'You ought to be shot' Wasspklns ttels
! her, but in a whisper, while she stdhulng
| behind him, because he's calling out friendly
greetings to everybody that might possibly
! cast a vote for him.
's'Does the train to the right go to Port
| Chester?' a commuter then says to wasp
kins. ,,.,,-,
And from the grins Of them you'd thing
| f,,l nka
| it is that in his sleep the commuter would
| know the Port Chester train was the one 10
| the right, he's been to 1t 80 often.
'Nou SAYS Waspkins, in that e1croo'
tiatinFFly tb witty way of his its the tram %
aAnd the two Of them near explodes at
the wit of thus giving wrong directions %
such an old time regular.
ST tell you to go chase yourself, and don't
! have grub one minute late! NasHKhs
growls to his wife the next moment -
"Ah, just in time" he says, most genlaIV'
| to a possible voter for him.
There amt minute to spare now, ana
a crowd is pushing and writhing 10 esi
through the narrow gateway. NasnAh'
| has drawn the gate, most polltely ana ie.
| gretfully, so as not to lose anybody. voter py
| It. Away draws train or each side Of re
platform. Waspkins looks up at one o. the
departing trains and secs somebody lean
| ing from window and calling instructions
| about dinner to him
"Say, we've seen some pretty too races
UP to the Grand Central, but never anytAAS
like the speed of Waspkins, beating It up
the platform, roaring and wailng ntter lne
train speeding away from him. he qon
catch it. nor come anywhere near Catching
it. With gloom like half dozen cemeteries
he comes back to us.
"Oh, say, this is awful" groans unhappy
Waspkins. How can / ever dare 90 houe
to face them neighbors? Danny stopper
has the badge as good as won, now =,
Wont your wife have dinner READY ior
them? ask him.
"Oh, bad luck to me for joking with one
of them fool commutersn walls Waspkins
Who'd ever think anybody would hear me
fool directions ] gave him about the P@on @
Chester train and think meant it lSn
saw the train that pulled out with fnN
local?'
"'The Montreal express, of course saws
l. First stop Poughkeepsie.
4'My wifel' groans Waspkins. my, W"'
and my Thanksgiving dinner are on II
Sischteyot,s Hear in MARYLAND.