Fair play., 1906-01-20
NUMBER 81.
aud asked him what he thought OF n.
Now the clerk was wide-swaks Nsv
Yorker and he raid at once:

~
and asked him what he thought Of n.
Now the clerk was wide-awaks New
Yorker and he raid at once:
"fIe isn't going to do thing but give
you pass. You go up and see him"
so Binkerslf went up to the offices
OF the railroad company and asked TO
see the passenger agent. The passenger
agent had gone out TO lunch.
"Pshaw!" said Binkersley in nettled
tone. 81 came here expressly to see him.
II is on business that is important 10
him Something relating to the road"
Bnhersley said this so sincerely ana
looked so as IL he had come thousand
miles. that the clerk, who was new one,
asked him in to one Of the inner oibces
and settled him comfortably and offered
him cigar from the agents box, and
! Binkersley the little gents goods" man
| sat back In 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 ne
| 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
| II would be small in him to 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 obliEirg fellow
brought back two quarters, which was In
the nature of hint. And Binkersley
/ took it--that is, he gave quarter 70
the waiter.
After lunch he "felt fine" and he went
up to the Offices again.
every sorry, sir" said the clerk, but
we've just received 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 a good time, and 1t 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 a good two dollars, for
he got the very best seats in the second
balcony, and after the play nothing
would do for this n-about-to-get-a-
pass but supper at one Of Youngs res
taurants. and that made another dollar
look extremely Ill.
Next morning Mr.. Binkersley went
uptown, and he went in cab. II was
expensive, as he well knew, but 1t could
be charged to expenses eventually.
The passenger agent was In, but he
was busy.
Tell him." said Mr.. 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 in 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
, said with a difference that seemed the
j | real thing to simple Mr.. Binhersley:
t Come this way, sir"
Mr. Binkersley went that way and
: was ushered into the presence of white
n haired, bristly- bearded man who looked
r more like genial farmer than the man
u ager of a great business.
rs this MIR. Binkersley?" said Mr.
. Gregory.
:, "Yes, sir" said Mr.. Binkersley.
. "So Won don't want pass. don't your
:, said the passenger agent, carrying out
y the spirit of the letter which the sub
urbanite had written for Mr.. Binkersley,
NO, sir" said Mr.. Binkersley in a
A puzzled tone.
"Then what did you come for?" said
Gregory.
"Why-er-why. mean want a pass
to Chicago and back, and In return III
tell people TO take your road"
Mr.. Gregory had pictured different
sort of man from the one who stood be
fore him and some of the humor Of tho
letter seemed to leave it. He had evi'
IDENTIFY been put up to writing It.
Suppose" said he, I'VE gave every
body in the country pass to any place
he asked for on condition that he advised
his friends to buy tickets. How sooI
would we go into bankruptcy"
THAT would need some figuring,
said Mr. Binkersley in such a simpl,
manner that Mr. Gregory took pity oi
him and determined to give him pass
We'll. look here, Mr.. Binkersley,
hear that your cab is at the door ant
| don't want your coachman to catci
cola waiting for you, but also want yo,
to understand that am general passen
ger agent of this road and If | want t1
give passes that is my own affair. Yo,
dared me to give you pass and | an
going to take your dare. Here is al
?" order for a pass as far as Albany an,
- return. That will take at least six dol
lars off your expenses. I'm accustome
:, to having my own way and insist upo
A your accepting the pass"
: Mr.. Binkersley was filled with mike
al emotions He was disappointed at IL
mileage of the pass, but he also wante
m to set himself right with this man al
he said:
to We'll, thank you, SIR, but you mlsu
derstood the letter, ! meant ali that
~ a Joke The fact is a friend OF min