The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-06-25
ZOO LATEl roo 1911


urb Of London, have had occasion to
SEQ painful and not unpleasant phases
Of society. Just TO give an idea Of what
occasionally comes under the notice Of
persons 10 my profession, I shall des-
cribe little incident and its consequen-
oes One evening stepped tothe door
for little fresh air and to look about
me for moment. While was gazing
up and down the road 1 saw q tidily
dressed young young person step up to
our side door. She walked like lady
and let me tell you that in nine cases
out of ten its the walk and not the dress,
which distinguishes the lady from the
servant girl-and first she looked about,
and then seemed to make up her mind
in furried sort Of way, and in a mo-
ment more was standing at our counter,
holding out glittering something in a
little trembling hand covered with a
worn kid glove.
Ny assistant, Isaac, was stepping for
ward to take the seal, when I came in
and interposed. The poor young thing
was so nervous and shy, and altogether
so unused to this work that felt for
her as il she had been my own daughter
almost. She couldn't have been above
eighteen years old-too fragile and gen
tie a creature.
"If you please, will you tell me, she
said, timidly, in very sweet, low voice
trembling with nervousness, "what is
the value of this seal 2"
"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 a coat Of
arms cut upon it-"that depends upon
whether you want to pledge it or sell it
outright"
'I am married, sir, " and she said the
words proudly and with dignity, though
still so shy, and seeming ready to burst
ont crying, 'and my husband is very i'll
-and-and"-a then the tears would
not be kept back any longer and she
cried as If her poor little heart would
break.
"There; there, my dear" said to
her, 'doD't cry. 1t will all come right
in due time, " and 1 tried to comfort her
as well as 1 could in my own rough-and-
ready way. 81 will lend you, ma'am, "
said to her at last, sovereign upon
this seal, and if you wish to sell it per
haps 1 may be able to sell it for you to
advantage" And 80 1 gave her apound.
1t was more than the thing was worth
as pledge, and she tripped away with
lighter heart and many thanks to me,
and 1 thought no more Of the matter at
the time.
The very day, the day before Christ
mas, there came into our place of bust
moss very eccentric gentleman, who
had called upon US pretty often before; t
not for the sake of pawning anything, !
though he was generally dressed shabby t
enough, too. But he was collector, t
one Of those who are made upon old
china and curiosities of all sorts.
Anything in my way, to-day, Mr..
Davis2" he said in his quick energetic
manner, with jolly smile upon his face,
and putting down his cigarette he was
smoking upon the edge of the counter.
The Rev. Mr.. Broadman is a collector
of gems, and rings and seals, and, in
fact, of any stones that have heads or
figures engraved upon them. And l
had been in the habit of putting aside
for him whatever in this way passed
through our hands; for he gave us a
better price than we should have got for
them at the quarterly sales. "The fact
is, Davis" he used to say to me, "these
things are invaluable-many of them
are as beautiful, on a small scale, as the
old Greek sculptures; and some of them
even by the same artist. And they are
made no longer, you see; for in this
busy nineteenth century of ours, time
and brains are too precious to be spent
on these laborious trifes." Now al
though I had no stones of the kind he
wanted just then it entered into my head
that 1 would tell him about the seal
which had come into my possession the
night before.
told him the story somewhat as I
have just told it to you. He listened
attentively to all said. When 1 had
done he looked at the seal and said: 81
observe that it has the heraldic emblem
Of baronet." He then congratulated
me the way 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
rest Of the story in my own way, al
though it may be very different way
from that which the reverend parsonage
employed in relating it to me after
wards.
1t seemed that it was a runaway
match. A country baronet's son had