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TIIE ROANOKE NEWS, THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 1893.
MMER'S STORY.
It
7hy Ha Gave Up His
aosen Vocation.
, commercial traveler; that is, I
na once. Circumstances over which I
(had no control prompted me to seek
uother method of livelihood; this,
combined with my wife's wishes,
which of course I am bound to respect,
as every married man ought where it
doesn't conflict too much with his own
natural desires and sentiments.
I don't know as I can blame her for
thus desiring' a change in my then oc
'Onpation, as few women would like to
be tied 'for life to a raving maniac, or
one who possessed physical peculiari
ties In the shape of hair which is
bound to stand on end like "quills up
on the fretful porcupine." And either
of these results would have been ob
tained I'm sure, had lever run the
risk of passing through a similar expe
rience to the oue I am about to relate.
It was quite a number of years ago that
the incidents I am about to relate hap
pened, yet bo vividly were the facts im
pressed upon my mind that it soems
'but yesterday.
The firm with whom I was employed,
In one of the large eastern cities, de
sired me to make a change and travel
la western circuit, drumming up
trade as I went along. A wild, lawless
element at that time prevailed In the
west, and it was almost as much as a
man's life was worth to go there under
respectable pretenses, unless well
equipped with firearms.
My wife tried to prevail upon me not
to go, but that was one of the instances
where my own natural inclinations led
me to disrespect her wishes, as she has
often since informed me.
' But I would not confess to being chicken-hearted,
so making careful prep
arations, and kissing my wifo a fond
good-by, I soon found myself cn route.
1 , The journey was without special In
cident. I enjoyed the trip immensely,
the scenery being entirely strange and
everything altogether novel. Stopping
at a fev minor towns during the latter
part of my trip, 1 eventually found my
self in the vicinity of Leadville. Hav
ing heard so much about the peculiar
lawlessness of this town, I determined
to take a bird's eye view of it, even if
I did not transact any business.
I did not belicvo the element pre
dominating there would be especially
interested in eastern dry goods, but I
was bound to see the town at any cost,
if only to convince ray wife that I was
not a man easily trifled with, or afraid
of any danger.
To give a description of the placo
and its inhabitants during my brief
ride through it until 1 reached the ho
tel I was destined to stop at would be
impossible; it surpassed my wildest ex
pectations. Tho driver of my conveyance landed
me lit various hotels, which were too
full for another occupant, until I saw
the hour was drawing near midnight,
and determined to make a halt some
where. ).t last the driver drew up bo
fore a dilapidated looking tavern
signed tho "Golden Eagle."
After a brief survey of tho exterior I
.sent the driver in to investigate the in
terior; he soon returned, followed by a
heavy thickset man with a gleam of
latent humor in his eye, who said
he was sorry, but tho houso was full.
Noticing my disappointment, ho llnally
asked:
"Have you any objections to a bed
fellow?" "If there is no help for it I suppose I
must," I replied, "though far from
agreeable." Mentally I heaped un
athemas on myself for my reckless
venture.
"Your bedfellow is a quiet fellow,
when ho is asleep, although I inu.it say
he Is rather violent when annoyed. 11c
sleeps very soundly, and all you have
to do Is to be careful not to wake him.
He has been in bed ftorao time."
Now I might as well make a confes
sion. I am not a brave man, humiliat
ing as it is to say it. My wifo knows
this. I havo often tried to convince
myself that I am, but truth compels mo
to Bay 1 am un awful coward.
The landlord's description of my bed
fellow was anything but assuring, and
I was on tho point of declining, when
the landlord', evidently reading what
ras transpiringln my mind, exclaimed:
"You urc afraid, are you?"
"Afraid? 1 should think not, in
deed," I returned, for I was too much
of a coward to brave being thought
one. "I accept your offer of half a bed.
Bring me some brandy and water and
a cigar."
I sat down at one of the little tables
in the barroom and puffed away at my
cigar. 1 trifil to persuade myself that
I was very jolly; it was a feeble at
tempt, however.
; The landlord finally made his ap
pearance, und with the aid of a tallow
candle escorted me ap a narrow, rick
ety old staircase. The room ho ushered
me into was comparatively clean, but
low ceillnged with poor furniture.
He placed his hand between the
candle and the bed as if to shield tho
occupant from the light; setting it
down upon an old stand he said, or
whispered:
"Be sure and don't tako the light
near him; nothing wakes hlra sooner
than that You see I don't know how
hm miirlit like my putting another man
with him, and he's a very ugiy cus
tomer when he Is riled."
This was very reassuring. "1 shall
be very cureful," I replied.
"All right. liood night"
lie had no sooner left the room than
I cautiously st down, taking care not
to make the least noise. I calmly sur
veyed my position. According to the
landlord, my companion was of any
thing but an amiable disposition. If I
should chance to awaken him I knew
not what tuigbt occur. He might as
nault ine dangerously before could
explain. I half resolved to pass the
night la a chair, but it was such a high
backed altogether uncomfortable chair,
that 1 soon got discouraged.
I glanced toward the bed. One con
solatiou, my companion seemed to be
la a ilmp sleep, for he did not even
move. I could see the ridge made by
his feet at the end of the bed, and that
was all. Tho bed was a very wide
one. The man who had possession of it
lay near tho wall, and there was plen
ty of space between him and the out
side without touching him at all.
I screwed my eourago up, and began
to undress. . Before finishing, however,
1 determined to make an experiment to
see whether he slept soundly or not.
I had left the bedroom door open, so I
could make a run for it if necessary. I
fixed my eye on the bed as I let my
boot fall.
The map, whose clothes, by the way,
lay on a chain at the foot of the bed,
from the quality of which I imagined
he was a miner, never made the slight
est motion. He was evidently a sound
sleeper. This decided' roe, and hastily
finishing undressing, I crept into bed.
Of course I was careful not to touch
my companion. I do not know how
long 1 lay awake, but the novelty of the
situation drove sleep from my eyes for
some time. Gradually, however, Mor
pheus gained the ascendancy, and
being reassured that my bedfellow
slept profoundly, I soon followed his
example.
I have no idea how long I slept be
fore I commenced to dream. I sud
denly thought that my companion
woke up and sat upright In bed; that
he glared around, and suddenly his
eyes fell on me. He theu uttered a
terrible cry and threw himself upon roe
In spite of my natural cowardice, I saw
that If I did not struggle 1 should be
killed. I thought I seised him by the
throat, and tightening my grasp, I saw
him getting black in the face. Ills
hand fell powerless by his side, a
smothered groan escaped him; but still
I . pressed his throat, tighter and
tighter his face grew blacker and
blacker.
In an agony of fear I awoke, and
what was my horror and dismay to
find that my hand was really pressing
my companion's throat! He did not
move nor stir, and his body felt as
cold as loe. "Great God!" I exclaimed
aloud, "can he be dead!"
I jumped out of bed. The candle
which I had left burning was not quite
extln gulshed. Seizing it in my hand,
I rushed toward the bed, and let its
rays fall full upon the man's faco. My
worst fears were realized. He was
dead, black in the face I had strangled
him in my sleep!
I shall not attempt to describe my
sensations at this horriblo spectacle.
My body was bathed in a cold per
spiration, my hands trembled and for
a few moments I believe I was bereft
of my senses. I recovered by degrees
but it was only to realize in a more
acute degree my situation.
There lay my victim, and I was a
murderer! My trial, conviction, and
the hideous gallows all passed before
mel Who would believe mo? J sat
down, buried my face in my hands and
sobbed like a child. My wifo, my own
comfortablo home, should I ever see
them again?
What was to be done? Should I
arouse the house and make a clean
breast of it? But what could I say?
Tell them I had killed a man in my
sleep? Not a soul would believe the
story. Could 1 effect my escape? Im
possible; knowing the town I was in and
the naturp of its inhabitants, I could
not even hope for a trial. Good God, I
could seo it all; the wild mob, the
hastily erected gallows, or perchance,
a rope hung over the branch of a tree,
to hang by the nock until dead.
Hanged by the neck! Yes, that would
bo my fate. As this terrible thought
crossed my mind, I cast ray eyes around
the chamber, they fell upon a beaai
with hooks in it;from thenco they wan
dered to the man's clothes on the top
of which lay evidently his a large
bandanna handkerchief.
A sudden inspiration seized me; a
means of safety suggested itself to my
mind. Suppose I could make it appear
that the man had committed suicide.
Yes, that was my only chance, and I
determined to execute it. I took the
dead man's handkerchief, and advanced
to the corpso, with an awful repug
nance, however. My hands trembled
so 1 could scurcely adjust' tho nooso,
but finally succeeded, putting one end
around the man's neck. I stood on a
chair and fastened tho other end of the
handkerchief to a hook in the beam;
letting go of the body it swung to and
fro, into space.
I jumped into bed and, closing my
eyes, shut out the horriblo sight; by
this time it was broad daylight Asl lay,
quaking with fear, I heard the steps of
two men on tho stairs. They seemed
to bo carrying something heavy be
tween them. The long anticipated
moment had arrived. In a few seconds
they would discover the body. Would
the ruso succeed with them? , If so 1
might hope to deceive others.
The door opened and two men en
tered the room, placing something
heavy on the floor. I never stirred.
"Well, I'm blessed if this ere man
ain't gone and hanged himself again,"
said a voice which I recognized as the
landlord's.
"By golly, that's true!" said the
other man. "No, I see how it is; the
stranger found out tho trick you
played on him, and, not liking the idea
of sloeping witn a corpse, lie tucked
him up there to get rid of him."
"You're right," replied the landlord,
"lie's a cool 'un, anyway; and, would
you boliove it, last night 1 took him
for a coward. That shows how easy it
is to be mistaken in people."
Well, to make a long story short, the
man, so I found out afterward, was u
miner who, coming into town, had
gambled away all his money, and in
despair had hung himself in tho cham
ber the night before
When I went down to breakfast
everyone knew the joke and I was
looked upon as a tenderfoot with lots
of sand. I soon returned home and
told the adventure to my friends, but
not as I have told it to you, dear
readers, but with the same construc
tion that the landlord of the Golden
Eagle put upon it However, my wife
guessed at the truth. 1 have never
traveled as a commercial man since,
E. J. Sargent, in Yankee Blade.
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oct!81y
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