Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-08-11
From Chambers Journal.
4 PAWNBROKING INCIDENT.

AS a paWnbrOker IN a pOpulOus
suburb of London, have had occasion
to see painful, and sometimes not un.
pleasing phases of society. just te
give an idea of what occasionally comes
under the notice Of persons in my pro.
fession, shall describe a little Incl
dent and its conseq uences. One even
ing [ stepped to the door for a little
fresh air and to look about me for
moment. While was gazing up an6
down the road [ saw tidily-dressec
young person step up to our side door
She walked like lady-and let me tel
you that In nine cases out of ten it's the
walk, and not the dress, which distin.
guishes the lady from the servant cir
and first she looked about, and then
she seemed to make up her mind in g
hurried sort of way, and in momen,
more was standing at our counter,
holding out glittering something in q
little trembling hand covered with q
worn kid glove.
My assistant, Isaaes, was stepping
forward to take the seal, when L came
in and interposed. The poor young
thing was so nervous and shy, and al
though so unused to this work, that I
felt for her as if she had been my own
daughter almost She couldn't have
been above eighteen years o1d-too frail
and gentle creature.
elf you please, will you tell me, "
she said tin idly, in very sweet, low
voice, trembling with nervousness,
sswhat is the value of this seal ?"
Well. MISS" said, taking the seal
into my hand and looking at tit was
an old-fashioned seal, such as country
gentlemen used to wear, with coat Of
arms cut upon it" that depends upon
whether you want to pledge it, or to
sell it outright.
:" [ am married, sir," and she said the
words proudly and with dignity, though
still SO shy, and seeming ready to burst
out crying; " and my husband is very
Hand and" And then the tears
wouldn't be kept back any longer, and
she sobbed as if her little heart would
break.
90 There, there, my DEAR" I said to
her; "don't cry; it will all come right
in time;" and I tried to comfort her as
well as could in my own rough-and-
ready way. 81 will lend you, ma Fam, y
I said to her at last, .'a sovereign upon
this seal; and if you wish to sell it,
perhaps may be able to sell it for you
to advantage" And so I gave her a
pound; it was more than the thing was
worth as pledge; and she tripped away
with lighter heart, and many thanks
to nae, and I thought no more of the
matter at the time.
The very next day, the day before
Christmas, there came into our place OF
business very eccentric gentleman,
who had called upon us pretty often be-
fore. not for the sake of pawning any.
thing, though he was generally dressed
shabby enough, too. But he was col
lector, one of those men who are mao
upon old china and curiosities Of al
sorts.
Anything In my way, to-day, Mr.
Davis?" he said, in his quick, energet
ic manner, with jolly smile upor hi
face, and putting down the cigarette ht
was smoking upon the edge of tn.
counter.
The Rev. Mr.. Broadman is collect
of gems, and rings and seals, and, il
fact, of any stones that have heads OF
figures engraved upon them. And
had been in the habit of putting aside
for him whatever in this way passed
through our hands, for he gave us {
better price than we should have go
for them at the quarterly sales. s.Tht
fact is, Davis, he used to say to me
"these things are invaluable; many O.
them are as beautiful, on small scale
as the old Greek sculptures; and some
of them even by the same artists. AnG
they are made no longer, you see; fol
in this busy nineteenth century of ours
time and brains are too precious to be
spent on these laborious trihes" Now
although had no stones of the kind be
wanted just then, it entered into my
head that would tell him about the
seal which had come into my possession
the evening before.
I told him the story somewhat as ]
have just told it to you. He listened
attentively to all ] said. When I had
done, he looked at the seal and said: 8:
observe that it has the heraldric emblem
OF baronet." He then congratulated
me upon the way in which I had
acted. He asked, too, for this young
lady's address, which she had given me
quite correct; and then he left the shop
without another word.
You must give me leave to tell the
part of the story in my own way, al
though it may be very different way
from that which the reverend person
employed in relating it to me afterwards
1t seemed that it was runaway
match. A country barones's son had
fallen in love with the clergyman &
daughter in the village where his father
lived, and they had run away together
and got married. Then they came UP
to London, these two poor young
things-for neither his father, nor hers
either, for the matte. of that, would
have anything to say to the match-he,