A Man of Samples. Something about the men he met On the Road""

you sta

midn

it to 'em; send us

t, or die;

ee years; I had been successful; my position was a good one, and one that would grow better; there was nothing to be made by success on the road, as I had no intention of continuing there, and failure might be the means of making my place in the house less secure. What an infernal fool I was! If there had been any way under heaven for me to

e theater to forget my sorrows. At midnight I was checking my sample-trunk for Albany, and persuading th

hat as I write about actual incidents I don't propose to "lay myself liable" by giving the name

myself during the two hours' ride. I wanted to get there, but I dreaded it, too. Stories I had heard traveling men tell about poor beds, mean men, dirty food, and

n is Albany?" I as

all; just

otel

they call

around the town for the next four hours. What an idiot I was! By thunder, I w

ban

ere the two shortest h

ere; no one abo

el,

ort. "Hotel? Well, I should

came around a corner as the

taken care of and I'll get it in th

given a very comfortable room. I lay in bed trying to recall our customer's name, and preparing my speech of introduction whe

, after breakfast, dreading t

gun men he

Layton was here from

sell a

id sell Cutte

tores are t

guns. Are you in

m from Pi

ice-book handy; stuck four revolvers (samples) in my pockets; pulled my hat down solidly on my head, and started out. And every step

g enough to take a hasty inventory of its contents, and from it I sized up my man. There were some goods

, "and Mr. Mallon always spoke pleasantly of you [this was a random

last time from him? Where are those British bull-do

I could do anything else. I might have known it would be just

ire in his eye. But he felt better for having told it. I k

e now. You may depend upon it.

some of Layton. The hou

ving been filled (I hope some of them were true), and then I pulled out a "P

explained wherein Layton's was ten cents poorer than mine (I hadn't seen his),

wenty-

y more than he ought to have and he would not buy more. Then I placed an automatic ejector under his eyes, threw out

, "I've got two on hand

n was to see what he had, and govern myself accordingly. He seemed to have everything, confound him! There was nothing he had not bought in the thirty day

ailer brought down seven different guns, all of them choke-bored! and expatiated upon their cheapness and good qualities. Some reference was made to me, as being a gun man, and I was drawn into the conversation. I

, and he looked at me.

m used

try a

mers, I put in some good licks for my

ll-dogs; I didn't buy any of