Palisadian., 1923-10-12
Salesnan's S Rest
a Success
By RUBY DOUGLAS

Theresa had father who was a
salesman for a drug firm. She had q
brother who sold goods on the road
for silk company. 1t was a sort of
family failing-to be travelling
salesman. If Theresa had been man
she believed she, too, would have been
carrying bag from town to town dis
! playing samples of perfumery or chill
| dren's sweaters.
There's no rest for a drummer"
her brother used to say to her. "All
commercial hotels are alike and if you
don't 80 to them you are off the beaten
| track. Even at noon while | am jit-
neying across country it, is to the reg
ular travelling mans hotel that | must
go to feed
This remark, for some reason which
Theresa did not understand, had made
an impression on her. Why could
there not be an attractive sort of place
where statesmen, going from town to
town as they do nowadays in little
touring cars, might stop and spend a
restful hour or two and then go on
their way, refreshed and ready for the
giving out of all their energy to the
men they were trying to interest?
The thought became almost an OBJ
session until Theresa had actually Wis
ualized place which she was calling
In her mind, "Salesman's Rest"
"But why not, Sis?' asked her
brother when she told him of her idea
rather timidly
why not-what?" she asked.
why not develop your business
acumen? Make your vision come true
and join the two together-have a res
taurant and rest room on one Of the
thOrOughfares of the island and run it
for the benefit of travelling statesmen
going from one town to the other by
automobile. 1t is a good idea"
do you really think SOP asked
Theresa, her eyes glowing with the
joy of receiving encouragement from
her brother.
II sure do" said the man. at will
be little slow at first and it will take
good management. But with your
wonderful knack of making things
comfortable and your gift of cooking
line"
Theresa set out almost at once to
find an available place on the main ar
terry through Long Island. She went
up and down this road looking at old
houses and shops that might be close
enough to the road to be conspicuous.
She had never been in business, but
her mother had promised to give her
all the help she could and her brother
was almost as enthusiastic as she was
as the plans grew under their develop
ment.
I've found it at last" she cried one
night when she had been gone all day
in the little car her brother had let
her have
She told the family what 1t was,
where it was located, just what busi-
ness and financial conditions she must
meet and, every turn, almost as If it
were fate dove-talling her movements
for her. she met success.
1t was not many weeks until she
was established in the old house on
the Merrick road, behind an attrac-
tive sign which said "Salesman's
Rest
The big living room was dotted here
and there with tables in an informal
way. and Mt each table there was a
little shelf containing volumes that
any man might pick up for few mo-
ments while he ate or rested.
There was no jazz; there was none
of the noisy, hotel-like atmosphere
about the Salesman's Rest. 1t was
homelike; the food was good and
there was quiet, almost intangibly
helpful air about the big living room.
Business was slow at first, and there
were many nights when Theresa had
to look through cloud banks to see
her vision. But always, just when she
most needed courage, bit of blue
would appear on her horizon.
Th'.' time the light that pushed the
clouds away appeared in the big, raw
boned person of Il. NJ Fox, drummer.
He stood, hat in hand. bag beside him.
in the doorway when Theresa came
into the big living room to mend the
log fire that was burning low. 1t was
damp and drizzly and she had tried to
make the room seem warm and cheer
full In spite of her own depressed, dis
couraged mood.
Gould get lunch2" asked the man.
awkwardly.
Theresa smiled and the big drummer
became instantly more Ill at ease. He
was accustomed to going to mems
hotels where a clerk had promptly
assigned him to a room or the dining
room, as his needs might have been.
The sight of this lovely young woman
beside a blazing fire In comfortable
hOmelike room was too much for him.
You could-certainly." said The
resa. Put down your bag and be at