The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-12-29
aGnEEs JONES'.
M JEHIAI. sLAR.

ance Company, don't yon?1 2 inquired
Green Jones. ays.
sNo? You've missed a sumner
then.v
ale came along here about q year
ago now. Tongue glib? Well, it was.
Ran as easy as hand-sled In winter.
Even made me believe / was gifted
as q life insurance agent.
The way he told it, not a single
man had taken hold of the Adorable
for the last hundred and fifty Years,
and made less than five thousand a
year and expenses.
One agent had cleared S156.0O0 in
eight years.
Another had laid aside sI25, 900 in
six years.
Another still, (peculiar case that
was, though. Man particularly adapt
ed to the work. He built up such a
business in the short space of five
years, that it actually oVershadoWed
the company. They had to force him
out as q measure of self protection.
Averaged twenty thousand dollars a
| year clear of all expenses while he
was in, and the company paid him
one hundred and sixty-tWo thousand
esAc
when he went out.
We'll, don't care much about be-
ling such an agent as that 2; the. inter
nal revenue officers would always be
| bothering me SO. But finally, con-
cluded (seeing the thing was so COM
mon and easy) that / would turn in
and make eight or ten thousand a.
year for eight or ten years, and then
retire on my renewal commissions.
.sGrubs posted me up until he said
could go it. Then he went home
and left me to sgo it alone.
The town was strange to me year
ago, and every one in it a stranger.
One locality seemed as good as an
other to begin in, as it were. So |
sauntered leisurely down the street
the morning after Grubbs left, and
swung into the first store l come TO.
wasn't going to let anybody see but
that had all the self possession neces-
sary for my branch of the business.
Nobody in sight. I lounged along
among the boxes and brooms, and
Goldfish piles, in a sort of cheeky, fam
iliar way, till got to the back Office.
There L found large, Tniddle-aged
man sitting alone, readinga newspa-
per.
He looked over the top of his pa
per rather suspiciously as / entered.
Then he said, good morning!' coolly
and obviously.
! Twas very intent on my errand by
that time-so intent that / wholly
neglected to answer him.
] / hauled out my rate book and
| opened it.
1.-THE paper was laid aside omin-
ously his gaze still riveted on me.
| With hand of trembly, and knees
fshaking little / began:
minister, did you ever consider
the subject Of
/ 1 didn't finish that sentence, for
/ Down Slated two dollar and o
half pair of spectacles. Up bounced
two hundred pounds ofwell Develop
ed bone and sinew. Around the
room, agile as Frence dancing mas
ter, It went hopping like wild bull
in slaughter yard, it roared:
i !" The d-l and Cesar. Six life in
surance agents, and it aint nine
O'Clock yet. Here began to craw-
/ fish, won't stand it another min
ute. Here Tige! Sick'em."
There was sudden convulsive
scratching Of the nails at the further
end of big safe that stood on the
other side of the room. Then came q
i scratching equally sudden and convul-
4 sive, where was.
i l started just one square jump
ahead of that big bull dog, and main
tanned my advantage till got within
ten feet of the front door. Then l
suddenly found it necessary TO exc
cute a quick, strategic, right flank
movement around pile of boxes.
That dog went on cut doors with
one OF my coat tails in his mouth, and
l went through side window.
/ didn't pay much attention to any
thing but the work had on hand 60
ing home. Then, With features grim
+ as gravestone, proceeded TO pile
application after application, book af-
ter book, and circular after circular,
on top of each other. Then / turned
all my pockets inside out, to see il
some fragment hadn't escaped my no.
tice.
{. That pile is in the house yet, if my
wife hasn't burnt it up. And there il