Evening journal., 1899-03-18
Life on the Road.

Liz OH lllS I\OdNs !
4 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 q 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
PARTNERS revolving chair and elevated
| his neat shoes to the blotting pad on
the desk and said: "How's tricksw
Nothing TO growl about" said the
cashier, shaking the ink from his pen
aud wiping IL carefully on the lining
Of his coat. We've got about all the
orders we can handle for one while. 1
guess you can rest up and get acquoint-
ed with your family for the next week
or So"
And get started out again in time
o.eat Christmas dinner at Jonesboro,
i Cross Roads or in the dining-room at
Woter;auk Junction. l see my finish
all right. Didn't l make a dandy trip,
thought What did the boss have to
say about it?"
lie didn't say anything-he just
swore," replied the bookkeeper "Yes,
he did, too. He said that if you hadn't
better sense than 10 sell TO men like
Bolsinger Bros. and Then d Waite,
people rated II and NJ in Dun's last
f1,taf I.afI
> call you in and let you take up your
, cd job in the prints. He's gone home
= now. but he left word il you showed
= up to tell you to come in at nine o'clock
tomorrow morning"
The drummer dropped his feet from
the desk and started up from his chair
"Bolsinger Bros. rated" Then he
. smiled gently and resumed his seat
Pretty we'll for you" he said. "You're
getting funny in your old age, Smithie
/ II hurts my eyes to look at you, you're
: so bright. I'm going to take you out
with me the next time l go to enter
tain customers"
IF you took another man along &c
sell goods you'd be fixed. wouldn't you
You could attend to the expense ac
count yourself all right. There's where
q the old man gives you the credit you're
, entitled to. He says your expense ac
81 counts are the most artistic things OF
grand scale he ever had sent in tC
him. How did you put in that over
coat?"
You're too anxious TO get my job
, or might tell you" said the drummer
4 opening a penknife and beginning Il
. trim his nails. Have you heard The
p latest story?"
Z II have" said the bookkeeper. Z"
+ amt going TO tell il to you for yea
or so. though. You might forget your
self and spring it on somebody, ant
then they'd fall dead. You were talking
about Christmas; where did you ca
g your Thanksgiving dinner?"
"Porlaker, KaD.-a dollar'n a hal
S house. and the best in the town at that
!. Oh. ! had turkey. all right, and Gran
. berry sauce, too, to say nothing of
side dish Of warm tomato juice a Il
oyster cracker. But you never saw
turkey worse treated in the kitchei
5 than that one was in your Ike. He wa
black on the outside, red in the mddl
/. and blue at the core. and he had tn
sinews Of a heavyweight champion
q There was pie, also" added the drum
mer, looking reileetively at his finge
nails. NO, don't want to talk abou
% that pie; l want TO forget it il car
'lis better thus.
n II met a man. though, that day
man that was man." resumed th
4. drummer. This amt no barroom tall
I'm handing you the rcctilinear, und'
Waiting merchandise. He was a man
- Take him for all in all, we e'er sha
look upon his like again" interrupte
one of the entry clerks. rs there an
e curtain raiser 10 this. or do we crowd
pr now and get 1t over with?"
N WELL" said the drummer. IL war
H. 10 tell you that a man knocking abol
as do is apt to get cynical. His fine
H. feelings get the edge worn off, unit
you can ride a-straddle of them will
out experiencing any sense Of discor
As fort. He gets so that his ideals of Il
Is good and the true and the beautiful g
}. as dim and shadowy as a South CaroliI
y hog. By the time he's made ten tow
OF in seven days and has 10 send fol
IN pages of closely-written explanation
~ and a quarter of a page Of orders on Il
seventh day he has often come TO Il
In conclusion that the world is as hollo
- MS an Edam cheese rind two hours aft
~, s.,.,.. o., =. u..sY I'm