The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-10-30
The PaWubrok9r's Story.

As a rawnbrokev in a popnlous sub
arb of London, l have had, occasin,
t" see so painful, and sometimes no,
unpleasing phases Of society. just tt
give an idea Of what occasionall,
comes under the notice Of y perso,
in my profession, she'll describe (:
little incident and it's consequences.
One evening I STEPPED to the door fo'
a little fresh air and to look itDnt me-
for a moment. White | was gazing
up and down the road, saw a titliTy.
dressed young person step up t" on,
side door. She walked like a lady
and let me tell Won that in nine cases
ont Of ten it's the walk, and .nnt the
dress, which distinguishes the lady
from, the servant girl-and first she
looked about, and then she seemed to
make ur her mind in Il flutried sort Of
a wav, and in q moment more was
standing at orr connter, holding out
a glittrrins something lin little
trembling hand covered with worn
kid glove.
p MY assistant, Isaac. was STEPPING
forward to take the seal, when l came
in and interposed. The popr young
thing was 50 nervous aud shy, aud
altogether So unused t" this work /,
that l felt for her as if she had been
my own daughter, almost. She
c"ulan't have been above eighteen
years o|d-so frail an gentle a creature.
"1f yon please, will 20. tell me, +"
she said timi,lly, in u very sweet, low
voice, trembling with nervousness,
"what is the value Of this seal :"
"Well, Miss,".I said, taking the
seal into my hand anl'looking at it
it was an old fashioned seal, snch as
country gentlemen used to wear,
with y coat Of aims cut upon itr-
"that depends upon whether, you
want to pledge it, or to sell it out.
right" " , -
III am married, SIR" and she said
the words proudly and with dig
nifty, though still SO shy, and seeming
ready to burst ont crying; land my
husband is very i'll inland"
And then the tears wouldn't I've kept
back any longer, and sle sobl,ed as
if her poor little heart wMld break.
"There, there, my dear".I said, to
her ",lon't cry it will come all right
in time aud l tried to comfort l,er
in my roush.and.Ieady way. II will
lend you, ma'am," I said tn her at
last, "a sovering upon this seal aud
ifyou wish tn, sell it, perhaps l can
sell it for you to advantage" And
50 gave her a pound and she tip
ped away with a lighter heart, and
many thanks to me, and l Thought
no more of the matter at the time.
The very next day, the day bef"re
Christmas, there came into our place
Of business a very eccentric geutle.
man, WHO had called upon us pretty
often before, not for the sake Of pawn.
lug anything, though he was general
" shabby enough to. Ruthe was a
collectm--une Of those men who are
mad upon old china and curiosity d
all sorts. y -
"Anything in my way, to-day,
Mr. Davis :" he said, iu bis quick;
energetic manner, with q jolly smile
upon his. face, aud putting down
the cigarette he was smoking upon
the edge of the coupter. The Rev
Mr.. BrOadman is q collector If gems
and rings, and seals, and, in fact, d
any stones that have heads or figures
npon them. And I had been in the
habit Of pntting aside for liam what
ever in this way passed through Out
hands, for he gave rs = better price
than we slould have got for them al
the quarterly sales. "'rho fact is
Davis" he said to me, "these thing,
are invaluable p; many Of them are n,
beautiful, on !. small scale. as the ole
Greek scriptures aud some If then
even by the same artists. And the,
are made "" longer /; for, III this bus,
ninct. enth century Of ours, time az,
brains are too precious to t'.' spent %,
these lalmrious tritles." Now, III
though had II" stones If the kind Il,
wanted just then, it entered into m,
head that would tell hin, about til,
! sral which had leone into my msses
sion the evening l'efote. "a &.
told him the story somewhat as
have inst told it tn you. tie liste,Ie,
attentively to all / said. When l la,
| done he looked ut the seal, and said
~ observe that it has been Tie her