The Forrest City times., 1906-01-12


 yoa pass. You go up and see him"
 So Binkersley went up to the offices of the railroad company and asked to see the passenger agent. The passenger agent had gone out to lunch.
 "Pshsw." said Binkersley in nettled tone. "I came here expressly to see him. 1t is on business that is important to him. Something relating to the road
 Binkersley said this so sincerely and looked so as if he had come a thousand miles. that the clerk. who was new one, asked him in to one of the inner ofhceS and settled him comfortably and offered him . cigar from the agents box. and Binkersley the little gents goods" man sat back in a swivel chair and smoked a perfecto that tasted very strange to him. and felt that he was practically one of the high officials of the road.
 He sat there until he was so hungry he didn't know what to do and then he asked where the railroad restaurant was. and he went down there meaning to spend at least quarter on his lunch. but 1t looked so very swell that he felt it would be small in him 10 spend less than dollar. and that is what the lunch cost him, exclusive of the tip. He had no change smaller than half dollar, so he asked the waiter to change the silver for him. and that obliging fellow brought back two quarters. which was In the nature of hint. And Binkersley took it-that is, he gave a quarter to the waiter
 After lunch he felt fine, ard he went up 10 the offices again.
 Very sorry, sir, said the clerk, but we've just received a telephone from Mr. Gregory and he won't be back until tomorrow or next day. He's called out of town"
 BInkersley was disappointed. but he was a philosophical sort of chap and he had had good time and it was only a prelude to big business.
 That evening he took his wife to the theater. thing he had not done since he stopped getting billboard tickets. The theater cost good two dollars. for he got the very best seats in he second balcony. and after the play nothing would do for this man -about-to- get-a- pass but a supper at one of Young's res taurants, and that made another dollar look extremely i'll.
 Next morning Mr. Binkersley went uptown and he went in cab. Il was expensive as he well knew but il could be charged to expenses eventually,
 The passenger agent was in, but he was busy.
 Tell him. said MT. Binkersley with an importance that he could not con- ceal although he tried to- tell him that my cab is waiting for me outside and that I'd like to see him at once. have been here twice before,'
 This had the desired effect. That is to say. the boy delivered the message. and fin a moment Mr Binkersley heard a roar of laughter from the inner room and said to himself: Hes in good humor"
 A moment later the boy returned and real thing to simple Mir. Binkersley: Come this way sir
 Mir. Binkersley went that way and was ushered into the presence of white haired. bristly- bearded man who looked more like genial farmer than the man. ager of a great business.
 'Is this Mir Binkersley?" said Mir. Gregory.
 Yes, sir" said Mir Binkersley.
 50 you don't want pass. don't you?" said the passenger agent carrying out the spirit of the letter which the sub urbanite had written for Mir Binkersley.
 No sir" said MT Binkersley in d puzzled tone
 Then what did you come for?" said Gregory.
 '.Why-er-wh mean want pass to Chicago and back. and in return I'll tell people to take your road
 Mir Gregory had pictured a different sort of man from the one who stood be- fore him and some of lte humor of the letter seemed 10 leave it, He had evi- iently been put up to writing 1t.
 Suppose. said he. We gave every body in the country pass to any place he asked for on condition that he advised his friends to buy tickets. How soon would we go into bankruptcy"
 That would need some figuring" said Mir. Binkersley in such a simple manner that Mir Gregory took pity on him and determined to give him pass
 Well look here, MT Binkersley, l hear that your cab is at the door and l don't want your coaehman to catch cold waiting for you, but also want you 10 understand that am general passen- ger agent oi this road and if want to give passes that is my own affair. You dared me to give you pass and am going to take your dare. Here is an order for pass as far as Albany and return. That will take at least six dol lars off your expenses. I'm accustomed to having my own way and insist upon your accepting the pass.
 MT. Binkersley was filled with mixed emotions He was disappointed at the mileage of the pass. but he also wanted