The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-12-15
A DRUMMER CONQUEST.
An exciting Scene on a halfway
Train---Loye-Makin that was
Interesting---TO Others.

traveller, and on his return from trip he
always comes up to see me and enlivens
my existence by a recount of his expert
ences on the road.
''Well, Charley, anything new?' said
I, as Charley tilted my best chair against
the freshly papered wall and pulled Wig
Orously at one Of my stcgas.
mot much, said he. - I'm sick of
the road. Too much Of dogs life. I'm
going to quit and settle down"
Iexpected this. Charley has been
going to quit during the four years 1
have known him, but he never quits,
and, in common with many more drum
mers, will shake the hand of many
hotel clerk yet before he finally settles
down.
Whats the matter, trade dull:' ask
ed, as Charley mechanically looked
around for the belI-button. You're
not. in a hotel, my dear fellow" said I,
as drew forth bottle and glasses from
my cupboard.
E'Well, here's luck" said Charley, as
he lifted his glass to the light. mo,
trades pretty fair, buJ it isn't as it used
to be. Why, when [ first went on the
road there was some fun in it. I only
carried one trunk and could generally
get the trade to look at my samples;
now I carry three and it's the hardest
kind Of work to get man into sample
room. You don't know Billy Jackson,
do you? Travels for a Chicago house.
Always registers with toothpicB."
IrepIied that I had not that pleasure.
Pleasure! Humph! It would afford me
the most unbounded pleasure to geteven
with him for a little trick he played on
me the other day over in Illinois.
II was going to E6ingham on the
Vandalia got on at Casey and the
first fellow I saw was Billy. You're
just the man I was looking for, said he.
"There's pretty girl in the trout car
and 1 think you can set acquainted if
you work the thing right. I've tried it
myself, but l didn't seem to catch on
I've got quite a reputation among the
boys in this direction, so I easily swal-
lowed all Billy said and followed him
into the smoker. I thought it mighty
strange that girl should be in the smok
err, but there she was, sure enough, and
you can bet she was daisy. She was
seated by herself, when I entered, near
two gentlemen. I thought they eyed
me rather more than was necessary.
However, didn't say a word, but quiet
ly seated myself opposite her and com
menced tactics.
''After / had looked at her once or
twice she began to smile Great Scott
said | to myself, this is easier than [
thought for SO smiled back. This
was all the girl wanted She began to
move nearer to me. Then she nodded
her head and smiled several times. In
all nay experience I never had q girl act
that way toward me in such short time
and I saw there was something wrong,
although, for the life of me, l couldn't
imagine what it was. [ wasn't going to
back out, however, so | smiled at her
again and this time she came over and
sat down beside me. Then she called
me her dear James and threw her arms
around my neck.
''At this junCture one of the gentle
men I had noticed came up and explain
ed. He was one of the keepers in an
asylum on the road somewhere and was
in charge of the girl, who had gone crazy
over a love affair. She imagined every
fellow who took any notice of her to be
her dear James.
This was all wanted to know and l
started for the door, but it wasn't any
use. The girl hung on and got more ex-
cited every minute.
sin the meantime one or two of the boys
had gone through train and when they
came back they brought with them quite
a number Of interested spectators. The
keeper advised me to humor her and
did. | humored her all l could. Every
time | tried to get away she would get
violent and | didn't like to excite her
more than | could help, as 1 saw l was
making my audience uncomfortable.
Such remarks as Juliet has found her
Romeo and the like We're frequently
passed around and I was beginning to
think it would be relief to meet a train
going the other way on the same track,
when we drew up at bingham.
Then l made break and got off the
train, The last thing heard as the train
pulled cut was: Come back to me. dear
James,! / haven't heard much else
since. Where was Billy? Oh, he got off
at Tentopolis."