The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-12-02
AN ADVENTURE.

Ten years q found me not with the
snug business l now possess, but en-
ployed as a commercial traveller in the
grocery line. My duties frequently took
me to Birmingham, and, if l am to tell
my story truthfully, l must say l was
at that period of my history, to put it
mildly, no better than I ought to have
been. The life Of a commercial is one
fraught with very great temptation,
and l was not always strong enough to
keep my feet out Of the midst of the
briers which then beset my path, with
which statement my readers will read
lily agree when they read the strange
incident l am now going to relate.
1t was 6 o'elock on an autumn even
ing. The streets Of Birmingham were
swept with rain. l had had a tolerably
successful day, and there reposed in my
pockets the sum of geo, which l had col
lected from my firms customers. Hav-
ing nothing particular to do, and the
torrents of rain absolutely prohibiting
all open air enjoyment, / went to the
hotel I was staying at, and although l
had already drunk during the afternoon
more thar / ought and much more than
/ needed I called for a further supply of
brandy. and while slipping it was joined
by q stranger, who seemed eager to en-
ter into conversation with me.
Nothing backward, and with tongue
fairly set a-wagging, I talked, too, and
/ believe that before many moments he
had ascertained that l had e20 belong
ing to my employer in my possession.
The brandy finished, nothing would
satisfy my new found friend but that he
should take me to the theater, where
the we'll known play Of Drink was
being performed. l remember we'll
how, half tipsy as l was, l shuddered
at the realistic portraiture by n of the
artists of "a victim to delirium tremens.
/ remember how the horrors of drink
were delineated and was sane enough to
remark to my companion:
"Bosh! They are overdrawing it'll"
Certainly" he replied, "they are
overdrawing it. But it's only a play.
There are drinking bars here they are a
reality. Come, let's 60 and get some
thing"
So we went and "got something"
and, to cut a long story short, when I
left the theater. leaning on the arm of
my friend, l was helplessly intoxicated.
The next thing l knew was this: The
rainclouds had rolled away, and fitful
CLEANS Of moonlight revealed to me the
fact that l was in a strange room, lying
on a strange bed. Two o'clock chimed
out from a neighboring steeple. Sobered
with fright, l raised myself, and then,
quick as a lightning flash, came the
thought-my money! My clothes were
thrown across the bottom Of the bed.
searched the trousers pocket. The gold
was there.
Then l heard voices in soft converse,
ton coming up from below. Noiselessly
/ opened the bedroom door and listened.
Sure he's all serene:" queried one
voice, to which another responded, "He
won't wake till g., at the earliest" Y
Very good said the first voice.
mind, if he wakes while you're doing
it, The sentence was punctuated by
the unmistakable click Of a pistol, anc
shlyered-nOt from cold.
And at 6 or Z, or whenever he doe!
wake" continued the voice, tell hin
you picked him up drunk in the stree
and carried him in here out of compass
sion for safety, and you will easily con
vince him that he was robbed out OF
doors. But, mind, l have lone my par
in plying him with drink and in decoy
ing him here. See you do yours in grace
fully relieving the poor fool of his f2O!'
Here a step on the stairs warned m
to close the door, and I got back to bed
Hearing the knob of the door turn, l be
gan to breathe heavily after the fashion
OF a drunken man, and the next instant
shading the candle with his hand, Their
appeared the form Of a strange man
who was soon peering fxedly into IN
face.
Satisfied apparently with his exami
nation, my visitor searchedRy pockets
pounced upon the gold, of course, an
quickly transferred it from its erstwhil
resting place to-where do you guess
He went to a birdcage, which now Il
the first time l observed hanging NJ
drew out its sliding door, quietly emf
tied my gold into it, replaced the slit
and undressed and lay down beside M
He was o asleep, and hope sprang I
within me, but, alas, of all the ligl
sleepers he was the highest / ever knew
Whenever I moved, he appeared to
ON the alert. It was impossible to cray
out Of bed without his being conscio
Of the fact. Besides under his pillow
knew was the pistol, and, in despair,
had reluctantly to rest ON as calm al
unconcerned as / possibly could.
All wakeful ! passed that horrit