Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-04-28
THE LIFE I.vsUR.s.vCE .rGE.vT.

His name was Benjamin Z. Gum, and he
was the agent for an insurance company.
He came around to my office fourteen
times in one morning to see If he could not
persuade me to take out life insurance
policy in his company. He used to way
lay me on the street, at church, in my own
house, and bore me about that policy. If I
went to the opera, Gum would buy the
seat next to me, and sit there the whole
evening" talking about sudden death and
the advantages of the ten year plan. If l
got into a street car, Gum would come
rushing in at the next corner, and sit by
my side and drag out a lot of mortality ta-
bles and begin to explain how could beat
his company out of a fortune. If sat down
to dinner in a restaurant, up would come
Gum, and, seiZing the chair next to me- he
would tell cheering anecdote about man
who insured in his company for $50, 600 only
last week, and was buried yesterday. If
attended the funeral of "A departed friend,
and wept as they threw the dirt upon his
coffin, would hear whisper, and, turn
ing around, there would be the indomitable
Benjamin p. Gum, bursting to say: "Poor
Smith! Knew him we'll. Insured for ten
thousand in our company. Widow left in
comfortable circumstances. Let me take
your name. Shall ~"
He followed me everywhere, until at last
got so sick of Gums prosecutions, that
left town suddenly one evening and hid
self in secluded country village hoping
to get rid of him. At the end of two weeks
l returned, reaching home at one in the
morning. l had hardly got into bed
before there was ring at the door-bell.
l looked out, and there was Gum, with an
other person! He asked if Max Adeer
was at home. l said l was the man. Mr..
Gum then observed that he expected my
return, and thought he would call around
about that insurance policy. lie said he
had the doctor with him, and if l would
come down he would take my name and
have me examined Immediately. l was
too indignant to reply. l shut the window
with slam and went to bed again. After
break fast in the morning opened the front
door, and there was Gum sitting on the
steps with his DOCTOR waiting for mel lie
had been there all night. AS l came out
they seized me and tried to undress me
there on the pavement in order to examine
me. l retreated and locked myself up in
the garret, with orders to admit nobody to
the house until l came down stairs. But
Gum wouldn't be baiiled. He actually
rented the house next door, and stationed
himselfin the garret adjoining mine. When
he got fixed he spent his time pounding on
the partition and crying, "Hallo! Adeler!
Adeler, l say! How about that policy?
Want to take her out now?' And then he
would tell me some anecdotes about men
who were cut oil Immediately after paying
the first premium. But paid no attention
to him, and made no noise. Then he was
silent for awhile.
Suddenly, one morning, the trap door of
my garret was wrenched of; and upon
looking up, l saw Gum, with the doctor
and crowbar, and "a lot of death-rates,
coming down the ladder at me. fled from
the house to the Presbyterian church close
by, and paid the sexton $40 TO let me climb
up to the point of the steeple and sit astride
of the ball. l promised him twenty more
If he would exclude everybody from that
steeple fora week. Once safely on the ball
300 feet from the earth l made myself COM
Portable with the thought that had Gum
az a disadvantage, and l determined to beat
him finally if had to stay there month.
About an hour afterwards, while I was
looking at the superb view to the west,
heard rUstling around on the other side OF
the steeple. l looked around, and there
WAS Ranianin (,nnn praapino mn l,o