Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-06-14
sslA Nj III Il n Il -

"And who on earth are you?" | asked,
abruptly; and as | spoke | saw at a
glance that the blood of the children Of
Israel did not run in her clear blue
veins.
" / am Nellie Lee, sir, replied the ap-
partition, and I'm in pawn"
SIN what?" | exclaimed under the
impression that | must have been de-
ceived in the absurd statement l had
just heard
sin pawn, sir" she repeated as
simply as if she was saying that she was
in bed
And who put you into pawn in the
name of all the Medices, may | aszY' |
said, scarcely able to keep my counte-
nance.
4" Father pawned me for money to buy
paints, answered this most extraordi-
nary deposit and I'm. SO lonesome-oh,
you can't think" ~.
What is your respectable parent
may inquirer
He's an artist, sir and he has just
got an order, and he wanted money for
the canvas and the paints to finish the
picture. He paints beautiful pictures;
indeed he does"
She seemed so very anxious about my
not doubling her fathers ability that |
smiled sort of assent, as if were per
fectly convinced of this rare talent, and
was intimately acquainted with the merit
of every one of his productions.
= "Where do they keep you?" | asked,
half jestingly, for the whole, affair
seemed so like vaudeville that expected
every moment to hear some unseen au-
dience applauding the performance,
''Do they put you in the safe with the
jewelry, or lay you on the shelves with
gowns and coats?'
"No, sir | live up stairs with Mr.
Levi. Father will come, though, in d
few days, with the money and redeem
me.
All this as seriously as if it was the
commonest thing in the world for Tho
distressed fathers to pawn their children
and keep the duplicates in their waist
coat pockets.
Have you ever been in pawn before
Miss Nellie LeeY
"0h yes, sir. Father painted the
: Seven Sleepers of Epheslls' with what
he got on me last fall ("
This was really more than ] could
stand. / lay back on the old hair-bot
toned sofa and roared with laughter
The deposit stood before me with grave
and patient demeanor, neither sur
prised at my merriment nor apparently
thinking that there was anything singu-
lar in her position.
" You say that you play chess, | said
at last checking my merr iment by a
great effort, out of respect to the fair face
and beautiful eyes that saw before me-
Would you like to play gamer
"Oh, yes" answered the deposit;
should like it very much You cant
think"
We sat down to play chess. / don
know how long we were at it; but this
do know, that if the entrance of Mr.
Levi had not disturbed us, it would have
continued probably 30 the present day.
There was a first move, Then long
conversation. Then a pause, during
which the blue eyes seemed to be intently
studying the board, and mine were in
tently studying the blue eyes. Then an
other move. Then more conversation
until at last the rival forces on the Ra-
jah's ivory BATTLEFIELD got in such state
of confusion that believe Herr Hartwitz
would have become a lunatic the first
glance he cast upon them.
As for me, / thought of nothing but
the simple, beautiful young creature who
sat opposite to me, and in spite of my
self, visions of such being moving about
lxv Oh. Il rl
gay, and causing the bachelors barren
life to bourgeon and bloom like the dry
rod of the high priest,
In the mi DIST of all this. in came Mr..
Levi with my five dollars and a duplicate
for the chess-board. He seemed rather
astonished at the quiet intimacy which
had been so suddenly established between
myself and his deposit.
''Mr. Levi, / said to him, I had no
idea that you lent money on this species
of personal property. have a rich old
uncle, who won't die and leave me my
share of his property, that | would be
very glad to raise something on. How
much will you give me on him2 Hesin
an excellent state Of preservation, and
served in the last wal"
Oh! he repneu, laugnlngi WITHOUT
paying any attention to my proposed
avuneular exchange. Nellie Lees q
capital girl, and it's sometimes as well
that she should be away from her father.
He-' and here he made an expressive
pantomime suggestive of rum | looked
at Nellie. Her large eyes were filed
with tears. lrrnrrl u.M6 .a.t
g" Don't be angry with me, Nellie, con
tinued the pawnbroker, kindly. You
know he has very bad habits, or you
would not be here Ny wife isvery fond
of her, Mr.. Papillotte, and for that mat
ter her father adores her, and, as he
never will finish any of his pictures with
out the spur of some terrible necessity,
we contrive to get him TO put Nellie in
what he calls pawn, and then he is sure
to work to get the money to redeem her.
Nellie, child, don't cry.
went up TO the poor child and took
her hand gently in my own.
Nellie Lee" said, you love your
father very muchY
She nodded her head, and shook of a
tear or two that fell upon my hand
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