The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-16
sBYgHoRslLEYs BROS. & FIGUERs.
AGREAT OPERATION. J,

! AGREAT OPERATION.
"say, sJohn.-didn't that woman g
away cryingT'
She was smiling Bit" answered
John Gleddin slipping around from be
hind his counter. t:
should call it crying" said George
Austin, the first speaker. What wa,
it?"k N''sAAsA a tef
/" Why-..he fact is, old fellow, she
pawned a bUoch here q few weeks ago
and just now she wanted to redeem 1t
but TIE time was more than up, and
cou 'dn't do it."
@Couldn't do it? Why moi? ?"
"Why-bless your soul! The brooch
was pearls and garnet in one of the
finest settings / ever saw-the pearls
pure oriental, and the garnet like .
crimson ruby" oetz
"And how much had you advanced
on it?
"Ten dollars"
Sand it was worth-n
Fifty, at least"
"And very likely, it was a keepsake. -
$50 she said. Bit it isn't safe to be-
licve the stories of the poor creatures
that come to pawn jewelry. She had
her needs and / have my rules. She
knew the rules before she left the
brooch, and she had no business to
come back for il after the time was up. u
john Gleddin and George Austin
wero cousins. Georges mother had
been sister to Johns father; but the
mother and the father were both dead,
and John and George were orphans.
George had learned the printers trade,
aud was at present engaged upon a
daily paper, while John had worked
his way into pawn-brokers office
and, though only f1ve.and-twenty,
had learned all the tricks of trade, thai
can extOrt money from the poor and
the needy. But john Gleddin did not
do business under his own name. The
man before him bad used the name oi
Joshua Slurr," and this same name
John used. JOSHUA SLURR" APP
peared beneath the three golden balls
over the door; and it was also upon
the bt!siEess cards; and furthermore,
all his yeceipts and pawn tickets John
signed ~ &,ur."
" don't know, john" said George
who was his Cousins junior by two
Years, after a season of rejection, 4" but
think would rather plOd on at my
! type-case than be i'm your business"
"Pshaw! You're soft-headed. tell
you, George, / am making money.
You have no idea of the profit"
"For instance" said George, You
have made perhaps twenty dollars on
that brooch"
"Aye,-thirty.n
"Well, wouldn't have the weight
of that poor woman's sobs and tears
on my conscience for ten times the
amount. So you can just see how /
feel" -. ....-...
"PshawW .EaH
Shortly afterward George Austin
went away to the printing Office, and
as it was well up into the evening
John made preparations for closing up.
He had put most of his jewelry into
the safe when the door of his office
was opened, and an elderly gentleman
entered-a good looking man he was,
and very respectfully dressed, though
his garb was much worn, and cOnsid-
erably soiled, and smelled strongly of
salt water.
as the proprietor in?" asked the
gentleman.
John nodded assent.
"Mr. Slurr, think?"
John repeated his asserting nod.
az am caught in a tight place, I"
said the gentleman with a grim and
CHASTITY smile, rs though pawn-bro-
ker's shop was about the most un-
comfortable place he could have se-
lected in which to escape from his
tightness. have just landed here in
your city, and discover that my lug
gage, by the most ridiculous oversight,
on my part, has gone on to New York.
In London l took bill of exchange
on Boston, and not only that, but few
five and ten pound notes on the Bank
of England, which had with me, are
by this time i'm the distant metropolis.
SO am forced (anOther grim, ghastly
smile) to have recourse to an estab-
lishment where credit may be laid on
a ready collateral"
John Gleddin bowed politely, and
said he would be happy to be of service.
Then the gentleman took from his
pocket a morocco case upon opening
which he exposed a gold watch. John
took the watch, and turned to the gas
Jet, and upon examining it, he found it
to be masterpiece of one of the most
celebrated Swiss makers-a stem
winder, full jewelled, most exquisite
adjustment and finish. He knew that
the first cost of that watch had been
not less than three hundred dollars i'm
gold. How much did you want on
this?" he asked returning the watch to
the case.
al want enough to get me safely tc
New York;
John started off on the many and
extreme risks of his business but the
gentleman stopped him abruptly.
81 ask you to run. no risk OH my ac-
count. /. do. not propose to sell the
watch. / only wish to leave it with
you as security for a very small sum. 1
have another Just like it, bought them
rs presents for two friends of mine, and
would not sell them for ten times their
value. Fifty dollars will answer
John tried to cough down the idea of
advancing SO much, but the cough
stuck in his throat.
''For how long do you want the
fifty dOllars?"
FOr-say.-two weeks"
Never mnd ine various 0OUSeS at
tending the transaction on the part of
The broker. Suffice it to say that he at
length counted out fifty dollars to his
customer and took the watch; and the
"trade," as he termed it, stood thus !:
at any time within two weeks the gen.
tleman could redeem the watch upon
the payment of sixty dollars.
"Rather steep interest,"" said the
elderly gentleman, with a smile far
more grim and severe than any which
had preceded it. !.
John would have again explained
the enormous risks of his business, but
the customer would not listen.
What name ?" said John, holding
his pen oyer the entry-bOOk.
Put it down Simon Sn,t6bs, If you
must have a name."
So John put it down, and then he
put the watch away, and the customer
departed with the fifty dollars.
After the man had gone John Gled.
din took out the watch and looked at
it again. His eyes sparkled eagerly.