Evening journal., 1899-01-27
Life on the Road.

A FTER the returned drummer had
"A shaken hands with the book
Keeper, the cashier and the two entry
clerks aud had deposited his sample
cases in a corner by the safe and pulled
of lis 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 tricks?"
Nothing to growl about" said the
cashier, shaking the ink from his pen
aud wiping it carefully on the lining
Of his coat. "We've got about all the
orders we can handle for one while. l.
guess you can rest up and get acquaint-
ed with your family for the next week
or So"
"And get started out again in time
to eat Christmas dinner at Jonesboro,
Cross Roads or in the dining-room at
Woter;ank Junction. / see my finish
all right Didn't l make a dandy trip,
though? What did the boss have TO
say about t?"
lie didn't say anything-he just
swore," replied the bookkeeper. ayes,
ha did, too. lie said that If you hadn't
better sense than to sell TO men like
Bolsinger Bros and THEM & Waite,
people rated IL 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
o,d job in the prints. He's gone home
/ - laff 4 ebn
up to tell you TO come in at 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, ysu'ps
so bright I'm going to take you out
with me the next time ] 60 to enter
tain customers"
III you took another man along TO
sell goods you'd be fixed, wouldn't you
You could attend TO t5e expense ae-
count yourself all right. There's where
the old man gives you the credit you're
entitled 70. lie says your expense ac-
counts are the most artistic things on
q grand scale lie ever had sent in to
him. How did you put in that over
ooat?'
You're too anxious TO get my job
OF might tell you," said the drummer
opening a penknife and beginning to
trim his nails. Have you heard the
g latest story?"
p 81 have" said the bookkeeper. 81
E amt going to tell it to you for year
or SO, though. You might forget your
self and spring it on somebody, and
, then they'd fail dead. You were talking
about Christmas; where did you eat
! your Thanksgiving dinner?'
- "porlaker, Kap.-a dollar'n a hal
house. and the best in the town at that
= Oh l had turkey, all right, and Gran
Z berry sauce. too. TO say nothing of {
side dish of warm tomato juice a ];
oyster cracker. But you never saw (
turkey worse treated In the kitcher
than that one was in your lie. He wa
}. black on the outside, red in the middll
y ard blue at the core, and he had th'
Z sinews Of heavyweight champion
= There was pie. also" added the drum
mer. looking refectively at his finge
nails. NO. don't want TO talk abou
: that pie; l want TO forget it If can
'Tis better thus
Q II met a man. though. that day
;, man that was a man." resumed tn
v drummer. This ain'tno barroom talk
I'm handing you the rectilinear. unde
Waiting merchandise. He was man
Take him for all in all. we ne'er shal
look upon his like again" interrupte
i enc Of the entry clerks. as there an
8 curtain raiser TO this. or do we crowd 4
II now and get It over with?"
r. WELL" said the drummer, IL wan
4. to tell you that a man knocking ahou
!, as / do is apt to get cynical. his fine
feelings get the edge worn off. unit
= yoU can ride a-straddle OF them Will
10 out experiencing any sense Of discon
fort. He gets so that his ideals of III
good and the true and the beautiful 81
as dim and shadowy as South Carolin
= hog. By the time he's made ten tow
. 10 seven days and has 10 send fot
:, pages Of ciosely-written explanation
and a quarter Of page Of orders on Il
seventh day he has often come TO Il
conclusion that the world Is as hollo
az an Edam cheese rind two hours aft