Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-01-11
i'm BISHOP
Taxi Driver
Gets Rid off,.
Phony SIS 3

W
The cab bounded down.
town, fighting the Zig hts,
stopping and starting, the
rear end sounding like a child
making up its mind to cry.
Frank drove the taxi, using
5 per cent of his mind. He
could think of dozens of
things while driving through
the city traffic, without maxi
ing any mistakes in his work.
WHAT FRANK usually
thought about was money.
He loved cash, He loved 1t a
little more than he loved his
wife.
He had an old lady in
back. This was his last trip
before lunch. The old lady
had some bundles beside her.
and she said she was late in
exchanging some Christmas
gifts. She had snowy hair,
nicely coiffed, and a perky
little velvet hat sitting on
top. .r
Probably has money, Frank
decided. When he had an
old lady like this, Frank was
in the habit of centering his
conversation on his children
and his poverty. 1t sometimes
worked him up into a larger
tip. The fact that he had no
children did not bear on the
matter. M,
So, while she talked about
gift exchanges, Frank talked
about how he had to repair
a 81 used bicycle for his old
est boy because he could not
afford a new one for Christ
mas.
The old lady got out in the
department store area. The
fare was 10 cents. She gave
him a IS bill and told him
to take out 80. Frank had
wasted the whole pitiful
story. So he doled out her
change 1920 - and hoped.
she would fall on the side
walk with all her bundles and
perhaps break a leg. He
watched, but she disappeared
in the crowd of shoppers. ID
Frank went on to lunch in
a West Side beanery. 1t came
to IS cents. He paid with the
IS bill and the girl cashier
turned it over and over,
This is a phony," she said.
Somebody stuck you"
The cab driver vas
shocked. Who could believe
that a sweet old lady-oh
well. He'd stick somebody
else with it.
So he got back in his cab.
and drove up and down Fifth
.
avenue and Park and Madi-
son. He was looking for some-
one who appeared to be in a
hurry and who might pay
with a $40 bill. Frank had
several disappointments He
picked up a few fares who
paid with 81 bills, or S5's. a7
THEN, WHEN HE was
about to despair, the cab
driver was rescued. A young
woman with an infant in her
arms hailed his taxi. u.
She asked him to take her
crosstown to Polytechnic Hos
pital. The woman seemed
nervous. Her baby had been
Ill with measles and she was
too poor to afford a doctor
SO she had been taking the
infant to the hospital clinic.
He looked at the woman in
his mirror. She wore a red
sweater. No coat. why didn't
you take a crosstown bus?"
he said. She shrugged. ITS
walk" she said, from 49th
street and l don't want her
to catch cold" Well, no use
telling her about his hard
luck, and his children. She
could match him, line for
line. mo
He stopped at the hospital.
This would be a evry small
tip, he knew. But, surprise
OF all surprises, she paid with
a $50. Frank beamed. He
made a great show of care
fully counting out the
change, being careful to put
the phony IS on the bottom.
The young lady counted It
quickly, and said Thank
you. I'd give you something.
mister. but this is all the
money I have"
Frank took off for the
company garage. His heart
was singing. He reported to
the cashier with his cali
sheet and his cash. The
cashier tailed the money and
Tipped a $40 bill back to
Frank. =
You'll have to keep this
one" he said. TITS counter
felt"
king Features Syndicate. Incl