Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-08-18
A DRUMMER'S STORY.
BIZ J. c. WATKINS.
TFor the Dispatch.1

they are sometimes facetiously called,
would Gil many volumes OF interesting
reading. The following incident was re-
lated by n drummer who was travelling tor
Wholesale house in Richmond, Va give
it in his own language as nearly rs can
remember IL.
About two years ago, said he, made
trip down South. soliciting orders and
collecting. and was quite successful IN both
of these duties. While working the larger
cities and towns along the railroads | could
send the money TO the firm by express. or
bank draft every day or two. thus avoiding
its accumulation TO any great extent IN my
possession. | had n trip OF some forty
miles in the country to make. which gene
rally took about q week. / usually got a
rig at the livery in n. and drove myself,
which lightened the expenses some. When
got back TO the railroad from my country
trip on this occasion | had several thou
sand dollars about my person. which had
collected from our merchant customers IN
the country. who very rarely sent money
direct 10 the house. but always waited till
tho " drummer" came around and paid
their accounts 10 him. This IS the case TO
some extent yet. though not so much so as
ii used TO be Ia the section | speak OF. IL
was in the evening when got back 10 N,
and as my trip was now ended and as had
been out on the road about six weeks was
anxious TO get home and rest up for week
or two"
" And to sec Your best girl I suggested.
He smiled and proceeded There was
train at Q O'Clock that night which would
reach Richmond the next day in the after
noon some time. l determined 20 60 on II
rather than to remain all night at the ho-
tel and take the 1910 train next morning,
though l was awfully tired after
my long "trip over the rough coun-
try roads. After supper got my
trunks checked. paid my hotel bill, and
waited for my train. 1t Is not pleasant to
wait for train under the most favorable
circumstances and in daylight. but at an
inland village depot after night with seye-
raj thousand dollars of other peoples
money in your pockets the discomfort Is
considerably augmented. As usual, when
one is waiting and anxious, the train was
two hours late There was another man
waiting to take the train. I nsticed him
at the supper table. and although he was
well dressed and bad the external appear
ances of being a gentleman, somehow
felt suspicious If him. He found out who
/ was and where mad been from some of
the people about tho hotel. and made at-
tcmpts once or twice 20 engage me in con.
vcrsatiOn. but | was suspicious OF
HIM. and answered only IN monosyl--
tables, and as lt s difficult to hold
satisfactory conversation with man
who don't want to talk he gave 1t up,
thinking. no doubt that | was very unsO-
cable or of q taciturn disposition. The
train came at last and got on board. The
berths in the sleCpcrs had all been taken,
so that | made myself as comfortable ~
was possible in the first ear forward Of the
sleeper. Ny whilome acquaintance |
f0g 4 was Just across the aisle from me.
Had / noticed this fact at first J would
have taken a seat further forward or ~ the
iext car | noticed that the man was talk
ing 10 . dark-yisaged stranger who sat Just
in frost OF him. | could not distinguish
whYt he va' saying nor tho strangers re-
Plies ~ they talked in low tone. but in q
very earnest manner, occasionally CHANGING
furtiycly IN my direction. This decided me
to keep awake. ! had it all down fine.
These mon were pals and intended to rob
me II / should fall asleep. Twenty times
that night caught myself drifting across
the liue that separates between conscious
ness and sleep. but | would rouse myself
and occasionally get up and walk. 70 the
end of the ear and back. which would take
the sleep out of NV head for little while.
Morning came at last. At breakfast |
drank two or three cups of coffee 50 that |
could keep awake during the day. ! got
aHfullv sleepy, but by smoking 81 lOst con-
{ Iualy kept awake tai the train reached
Richmond. With u feeling of rcdof
stepped from the car. and after giving the
station agent some instructions about my
sample trunks | fastened TO my hotel. 1t
was Sunday or, tired IS | was, L would
| have gone around to the store and
handed over the money I was carrying. !
felt in my pocket to make sure that 10 was
there and all right Yes, it was all o. X,
and I thought that when | reached the
hotel [ would give the money TO the pro-
pr.ctor. whom | knew Veil, and get him to
pUt IL in the safe till morning. But when
/ emit into the Office the clerk told me tina.
Al had taken his wife and the children
buggy-rldmg, and might not be back TIL
dark. 10 was then about 5 o'clock, and l
went on Mp tony room washed and brush
ed myself up little, looked over nv ex-
pensa account, wished supper would hurry
NJ. aad that Al" would come, SO |
could retire and get some much-needed
sleep. The last thing l remember was
o. sitting on the side Of the bed. When
evoke n was quite dark in the room, and
knew that ] must have been asleep three or
four hours at least. The first thing |
thought OF as soon ~ full consciousness
returned TO ne was the money. l felt for
1t. Great heavens, n was gone. For a
moment WAS like Oue paralyZed. turned
peia aa death, LuOw I did. and ] was so
weak that / could not sOlnd. Gradually
recovering my self-pO session, however. /
struc, p match andlit the gas; then / went
through ail my pockets. but he money was
gone. looked on AID under the bed and
all around the room, but without success.
IL was al plain TO me now. Some one Ind
come into my room while | was asleep and
he'd ricacd my pockets. Would my en-
DiOyer5 credit such q story? How would
be able 10 convince them OF the truth Of
my statement: / bad only been with them
about year but they had known re By
reputation for several years; but would
my GOOD name protect me now against
their suspicious - 20 my honesty! Per-
hapslh they would havo me arrested at once.
Horrible thought. An account Of the loss
and OF my arrest would be published IN
the papers. Ny friends would all learn Of
INV disgrace. What q sad piece Of news it
would be 10 mother and my dear sister
Jennie. 1 knew they would not believe me
guilty: but tLat J should even be suspected
andarrestod bad enough. There WQsa an
otherwho would hear 10. One whom loved
with all the devotion of my heart. ! be-
licved nay love was returned and WIS going
70 ask her to be mine the very next time |
should call IN her WHAT would she
think! Would she believe me guilty? !
could not endure the thought. All these
forDoliugs ran rapidly through my mind
bic place in the room whore q pOcket-book
or q roll Of money might possibly be con-
cealed. At last rang tho bell and when
the porter an werad / told him 70 send
Al" up 10 my room. "Aln was not only
n good hotel man, but l knew that be had
q kind heart and plenty OF good sense. In
% few moments lac came up and in his
hearty style erected me with q slap
on the shoulder, hand-shake, and
glad TO see you old man. which
would have driven away any ordinary case
OF the blues. Seeing the room in confu-
siol and my evident distress. he added
But what's wrong, you look all done up,
and your room looks as if IL had been
struck By q cyclone" Then told him my
terrible trouble. At first he pretended 10
be incredalOus and to look at me in a sus-
piclous way rs though he regarded my
story as rather cauzy. Then he broke out
into such 2 III Of laughter that | began 10
fear 10 would terminate in apopleXy.
Firany getting his voice under control he
managed to tell me that wnen he came
home about 7'O'clock, hearing from the
clerk that had returned and had gone up
to my room, he came up 70 see me. Finding
me sound asleep and surmIsing that |
might have dropped to sleep unwittingly,
and also that I miOht have "A considerable