The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-01-19
Life on the Road.

A FTER the returned drummer had
n shaken hands with the book
keeper, the cashier and the two entry
clerks and had deposited his sample
cases in corner by the safe and pulled
off his sumptuous fur-lined overcoat,
which he hung on a knob of the letter
cabinet, he seated himself in the junior
partner's revolving chair and elevated
his neat shoes to the blotting pad on
the desk and said: "How's tricks?"
Nothing to growl about" said the
cashier, shaking the ink from his pen
and wiping it carefully on the lining
of his coat. We've got about all the
orders we can handle for one while.
guess you can rest up and get acquaint-
ed with your family for the next week
or so."
sand get started out again in time
to eat Christmas dinner at Jonesboro,
Cross Roads or in the dining-room at
Watertank Junction. ! see my finish
all right. Didn't make a dandy trip,
though? What did the boss have to
say about h?'
He didn't say anything-he just
swore," replied the bookkeeper. "Yes,
hr did. too, He said that if you hadn't
better sense than to seil to men like
Bolsinger Bros. and THEM d. Waite,
people rated II and M in Dun's last
as long as you've been on the road, he'd
call you in and let you take up your
cd job in the prints. He's gone home
now. but he left word if you showed
up to tell you to come in a nine o'clock
tomorrow morning.
The drummer dropped hts feet from
the desk and started up from his chair.
"Bolsinger Bros. rated" Then he
smiled gently and resumed his seat.
"Pretty well for you" he said. You're
getting funny in your old age. Smithie.
1t hurts my eyes to look at you, you're
so bright. I'm going to take you out
with me the next time ! go to enter
tain customers"
IF you took another man along to
sell goods you'd be fixed, wouldn't you?
You could attend to the expense ac-
count yourself all right. There's where
the old man gives you the credit you're
entitled to. He says your expense ac-
counts are the most artistic things on
a grand scale he ever had sent in to
him. How did you put in that over
coat?"
you're too anxious to get my Job,
or might tell you." said the drummer,
opening penknife and beginning to
trim his nails. "Have you heard the
latest story?"
II have" said the bookkeeper. II
Amt going to tell it to you for year
or so, though. You might forget your
self and spring II on somebody. and
then they'd fall dead. You were talking
about Christmas; where did you eat
your Thanksgiving dinner?"
"Porlaker. kaD.-a dollar'n a half
house, and the best in the town at that.
Oh, had turkey. all right. and cram
berry sauce, too, to say nothing Of .
side dish OF warm tomato juice Ia
oyster cracker. But you never saw Q
turkey worse treated in the kitchen
than that one was In your life. He was
black on the outside. red in the middle
and blue at the core, and he had the
sinews of heavyweight champion.
There was pie, ALSO" added the drum
mer. looking refiectively at his finger
nails. "No. don't want to talk about
that pie; want to forget it il can.
sTis better thus.
| II met man. though, that day-a
man that was man." resumed the
drummer. This amt no barroom talk.
I'm handing you the rectilinear, unde-
Waiting merchandise. He was man"
"Take him for all in all, We meier shall
look upon his like again" interrupted
one Of the entry clerks. "Is there any
curtain raiser to this, or do we crowd in
now and get It over with?"
WELL" said the drummer, II want
to tell you that man knocking about
as ! do Is apt to get cynical. His finer
feelings get the edge worn Of. until
you can ride a-straddle of them with
out experiencing any sense of discom-
fort. He gets 20 that his ideals of the
good and the true and the beautiful get
ss dim and shadowy ss South Carolipa
hog. BY the time he's made ten towns
In seven days and has to send foui
pages Of slessly-writtsn sxplsastisns
end . quarter sf . paes % orders ~ ~
ssvsath day Ae - otter seme - ~
eensluslea tha4 ~ world = q he1lo9
] ~ - nda0 tAsGBs sln1Sws Asausel1sl