Mistaken Identity (adapted)

                                    By Mark Twain

    Years ago I arrived one day at Salamanca - a railway station near New

York. I was to take the sleeper train there. There were crowds of people on

the platform and they were all swarming into the long sleeper train and

packing it full. I asked the man in the ticket office if I could have two

tickets, but he answered sharply No, you can't. Every corner is full. Now

don't bother me any more, and with these words he turned his back on me and

walked off. I had not expected to be treated like this, and my dignity was

in a state not to be described. I said to my companion, They talk to me

like this because they don't know who I am. But my companion said, Don't

talk such foolishness. Even if they did know who you were, do you suppose

it would help you to get a seat in a train which had no vacant seats in it?

And he also turned his back on me. That was too much. I found the same

local official and said very politely that my name was Mark Twain and could

I have - but he cut me short again ,I've told you not to bother me any

more. And again he turned his back on me. I looked around helplessly and

saw that my companion had been watching the whole scene. The shame which I

felt cannot be described. I said, He may not have heard my name, but my

companion didn't agree with me, saying, He must have heard your name well

enough. He does not care, that's all.

   I don't know what would have happened next, but just then I noticed the

 young porter of a sleeping car whispering to the conductor and nodding

towards me. And the conductor at once turned and came to me, full of

politeness.

    Can I be of any service to you sir? he said. Will you have a place in

the sleeper?

    Why, certainly, I said. But I asked that man on the platform and he

said that every corner was full and told me not to trouble him.

   No, sir, I can't believe him to have said such a thing. Can't imagine

you to have been spoken to like that, sir! I am sorry, sir, but you must

have misunderstood him. We have nothing left but the big family

compartment, with two berths and a couple of armchairs in it, but it is

entirely at your disposal. Here, Tom, take these cases aboard!

    The porter took our suitcases and we moved to the car. Having made us comfortable in the luxurious compartment, Tom said with many smiles, Now,

is there anything you want, sir?

    Well, this lamp is hung too high. Can I have another lamp fixed at the head of my berth, so that I can read comfortably?

     Yes, sir, you can. I'll fix it for you myself. You can just ask for

anything you want, and this whole railway will be turned inside out to get

it for you. And he disappeared.

    I smiled on my companion and said, Well, what will you say now?

    My companion looked rather ashamed. Well, he said, you were right. I am

sorry to have said all those things to you on the platform. I was foolish,

then, not you. I am glad to have come along with you. If I had been without

you, I should never have got a ticet. But I don't understand. At this

moment Tom's smiling face appeared at the door again, and this speech

followed: Oh, sir, I recognized you in a minute. I told the conductor so.

   Is that so, my boy? said I. Who am I?

   You're Mr. McClellan, Mayor of New York, and he disappeared again.

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