The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-10-02

HOW NELLIE WAS PAwNED.

anu conuempC Tor paWnbrokerS. L look
upon the pawnbroker as q most useful
institution. He charges high rate of
interest, to be sure but then look at
the pettiness of the sums he will lend.
lie Is accommodating, may say uni
Versal, In his charities. Nothing comes
amiss to him. He will disburse on the
security of ring worth thousand dol
lars, or q pair of boots worth q dollar
and half. Nothing is too small for
him but no matter how valuable the
article is, he cannot be induced to lend
above certain sum upon it. This is
simply his caution. The article NAV be
stolen, or come by in some improper
manner, when, of course. he would
have to give it up. He sim ply protects
himself.
But to my story.
There is q certain side street running
across Broadway, which L will, with
your permission, call Ohicory street.
Chlcory street is not it's name, but as
am about to relate some private matters
In connection with it, it would not be
either delicate or judicious if I were to
be too geographically correct. r
In Chlcory street resides q gentleman
named Lazarus Levi, Esq, whose
spacious old-fashioned house is the re-
'posltory of various articles of property
belonging to numberless enlightened
but distressed citizens of the United
States. The lower story of Mr.. Lewis
dwelling is fitted up with a glass front,
very dingy and dusty, so that the sew
eral articles exposed to view in the win
dows are but dimly seen. There are
flutes, with tarnished keys, that have
lain silent for years. The dust lies
thick on the enbouchure of each for
the lips that blew there the graduated
air have shrunk into mere skin long
ago, and the agile fingers that ran over
the holes are now loose bones, that lie
here and there, never to hang together
on earth again.
You can see all sorts of things in Mr..
Lewis window. California diamonds ::
real diamonds, very rare banjos, relics
of disappointed minstrels guns silver
tea-pots, now black and uncheerful,
limiting at terrible domestic distresses
in some poor fellows home, and making
you see the thin wife stealing out at
night to raise money on the family
valuables to feed the children.
Mr.. Levi is my friend. I have occa-
sionally mercantile transactions with
him; for am literary man, and it
sometimes happens that L find myself
the slave of sudden necessity for five
dollars. On these occasions I travel
round my room, as NJ. Xavier de Mais-
tire may be supposed to have done, in
search of some appropriate token of
esteem, which | may convey to Mr..
Levi, in order to induce him to advance
the required sum. In this choice it is
necessary to exercise discrimination.
For instance, I know that it will never
do to present my stamped velvet waist
coat three times running. And that if
were to take my little French clock
to Mr.. Levi too frequently, the article
would pail upon him, and my credit be
impaired. Variety is necessary to per-
sons of Mr. Lewis position. Continual
partridge destroys their appetite. They
are epicures, and must be fed with nov
elites.
Accordingly one day, having need of
the traditional five dollars TO meet the
expenses of a forthcoming literary soiree
at my rooms, I, after some dellberation,
determined to present my Indian chess
board to Mr.. Levi, as token of my
affection, and work upon his feelings so
far as to induce him to present me with
the longed forV. The chess-board was
ivory inlaid. The men were delight
fully Oriental, being carved all over,
even to the tips of their noses, and alto
gether had great faith in the article,
as it had never before been under Mr..
Lewis charge.
waited until evening. It was love-
ly evening for pawning. A thick fog,
damp and threatening rain, hung over
the streets, SO that there were but few
passengers abroad. Chicory street was
almost deserted.
rang at Mr. Lewis door. 1t was a
privilege L had earned, both by the
constancy of my friendship, and the
usually valuable-nature of my presents.
A delightful Hebrew servant-girl, with
a nose massive as Egyptian architec-
ture, opened the door, and admitted
me to Mr.. LEWIS private parlor. In q
few moments that estimable gentleman
entered. '
"Ah! Mister Papillote," he said,
holding out his hand, chow do you
do? Come again, eh? Well what is it
this EVENING""
"a little matter I want you to arrange
for me-" I replied, unrolling my silk
handkerchief from the chess-board.
81 want five dollars on this for few
days"
"Hum! On my word, Mr.. Papillote,
I'm sorry to see such gentleman like
you coming here SO often. It's really
too bad"
Levi, as have said before, took an
interest in me, and sometimes talked
to me like father.
"My good Levi" L answered, laugh
ingly, "don't take any serious trouble
on my account. I'm all right. You
know the best of us will get into diff
culties occasionally. By-the-way, would
you like to go to the opera tomorrow
night ?"
His eyes glistened. tt
o." Have you got tickets ?"
"Here are two. Can you let me have
the money!"
-"Well. really, Mister Papillotte, chess
is not valuable property just at pres
ent. 1t comes hard on the intellect,
SIR"
"But that is an Indian chess-board.
1t belonged to the Raiah of Gundarcool,
and was taken from the royal table by
an uncle of mine in the Albicore fenci-
bles, who was at the seige of Gundar-
cool. It is a historical chess-board,
Mr.. Levi. Do you play chess ?" -
"Not exactly, sir. But came very
near learning once" .-...
Yo,, tnou tbo at tha pawn is insepar-