The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-15

had told me he was a travelling man.
He dressed well and was a smooth
talker, and when he asked if / could
insure him for $50, 900, 1 was paralyzed
with joy. The manager of the COM
pany was cautious, but my man an
swered all the questions in the blanks,
passed the medical examination and
put up the requisite fee like a little
man, and 1 sent in the application and
in three or four days I called in the
evening at his hotel with the policy.
l met him in the Office with a hand
some woman, his wife, he said when
he introduced me, and told me to call
again at 8 o'clock, as they were to take
the 9:45 train and had some business
that d. manded attention before 8.
Promptly on time 1 appeared and was
shown up stairs to my friends room.
Inc lady was there looking radiant,
and l began to think the life insurance
business was the finest thing on earth.
| handed out the policy, which, by the
way, named the wife as beneficiary,
and in the cheeriest way possible she
took it and locked it up in her bag,
and with a pretty little nod to him
and a hearty shake of the hand for me,
she excused herself AID said she had
to join a party of friends and would
meet her husband at the station. Then
she left with the bag, and her husband
locked the door after her.
LET me see, " he said as he sat down
and took out his pocket book. 81 be-
lieve the premium on that is in the
neighborhood of 81, 500"
Fifteen hundred and sixty, to cover
everything, " I replied.
"Can you change a thou sand dollar
bill?' he inquired.
laughed at his little joke
"No," 1 said, q can't I'm afraid"
and I took out a roll of money which l
happened to be taking to a man up
town. i've got eight 800 bills here,
but that isn't enough"
"Give it to me, " he exclaimed, max
ing a grab for it.
jumped back and for the first time
noticed the face of my friend. There
vas business all over it and ugly bust
ness.
"What do you mean9" I almost
yelled.
Don't be so loud" he whispered.
81 mean to have that money"
"Well, I guess not" I said coolly as
l pulled a pistol which l had in my
pocket as a guard for the money I was
carrying and what I expected to get
from him, though l had scarcely
thought to use 1t under these circum-
stances.
That's all right my chicken" he
laughed. eff you kill me it will cost
your insurance company $50, 900, for
that policy is good for it, 1 guess"
dropped my gun as if the man had
shot me. Of course the policy was
good for its face, and its face was $780,
900. l couldn't kill him and take the
chances.
And don't make any disturbance
or call for any body" he continued,
"or I'll just cut my throat with your
penknife l have here in my hand, and
will not only be in for the $50, 900 but
you will have some trouble in explain
ing how it happened, when neither
knife, pistol nor other deadly weapon
can be found in this room, except what
belongs to you. I'm a desperate man
and you might as we'll fork over that
money and such other valuables as
you may be possessed of and call il
square"
1 tried to think of some plan to es-
cape, but my brain was ina whirl, and
I couldn't do a thing, but stand there.
He was very polite, however, and came
to my assistance by removing the $500
from my person, besides $50 of my
own, also one gold watch and chain
worth 800; one diamond stud worth
$25, and one gold ring lex, worth $40.
Then he carefully tied me to the bed,
put a nice little gag in my mouth,
packed my stuff in his bag, turned out
the gas, bade me good bye, blocking
the door, went softly whistling down
the hall and off to meet his wife at the
train.
AS for myself, I stayed on the bed,
sleeping and waking until the next
afternoon, when the chambermaids
came in IN see what was the matter
with No. Is. Of course, 1 told my
story not only to them, but later to the
manager of the company and the police,
but my friends was gone, nobody knew