The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-05-17
HOW REUBEN 5: j: :! \ ] WAS I \ SAVED: a
A Story for Boys.

otV1y iVl OVJas 92, :,
Nj. Linwoed, an old merchant of Bos.
ton, carrying on large importing,
wholesale and retail dry goods business,
visited one day, some fifteen years ago,
brother merchant IN a. suburban town.
AS he was passing through the :mer-
chants store, hiss seA; upon q roll OF
foreign lace exposed for. sale. He gave
it,a scrutiniZing glance, paused, and fol
moments appeared tos beaqnite absent.
minded. Then, recovering himself, he
made some careless remark and passed
onto the counting room After transact
ing the business which had brought hiu,
there he remarked, as he arose ito take
leave: a sif.3 itst: .sgssiz s91t ~
.ssMr. Ames, perhaps you noticed that
I Hooked rather closely at d piece of lace
on your middle counter, as / came in.
That is a very peculiar kind of lace,
Are You aware of the fact ?'a,o .3s,,'S ~
81 hadn't thought much about it, re-
piled Mr. Ames. - i don't know so much
about laces as you do. aa.:tssl g s
aPerhaps z know as much about them
as any other man. n saidI Mr. LinRood.
ought TO, for i. have imported laces
these twenty years, and, besides, have
visited all the principal places; in France
and Belgium where they are made.- =
Do you Know where that lace comes
from ?psiTa! !,'sfiltS ss,si7i 1851 - 'S'S
.tNo, 1 do not. 1t is yalenciennes,
believer" f9T.Er2
''You are right. Itwas made at Cour-
trai. Show me any piece Of Yslencien-
mes lace, ana Twill tell you whether it
was made at Courtrai, or Bruges, OF
Ghent, or any other Of the half.dozen
places where Valeneiennes Is manufac-
tured. Though all use the same mate
rials, and work them BY the same process,
each place produces its peculiar style;
which an experienced person can always
identify aIi, IS ssiiI.rsear:c,,is1 3 liaf.c-
.This lace, added Mr.. Linwood, grave.
ly, after moments pause, "is peculiar
even for Eourtrais And Ewasn biaware,
until I SAW 70 on syour mid die counter,
that itWas fer sale IN any other store in
America than my own ''.s,' '
tsIndeedw said Mr.. Ames, interested.
"I suppose you import it?1
II not only import II, replied Mr.
Linwood, as if it'were a: matter of serious
importance, ssbut 7 import all that is
made of it, and that is q small quantity
More than that, j. do not wholesale it;
keep it for my retail customers. So the
question Isl" he said, with a smile, how
You came by that lace?" 5N-s - 55sssss
s1 cameEh EhSnestiy by it;m laughed Mr..
Ames. "But it is rather strange, il, as
you say, you import, an fit You must
be mistaken III some way. 80, >5s
every. Hskslys IKE r. Yet + have, supposed
to Be trustworthy. Anyhow, 7 should
like tokne# who else imports that kind
T5aB csas perhaps baa assss4taIiasd,,
said Mr.. Ames, tnrning to a memoran-
dunn book q Ttwas brpngh tito mesby q
young man who travels, and sells by
samples. Here isEbis address"
"Wilkes-in chambers Milk Street. y
murmurea Mr.; ;Linwoo :yysI have heard
Of him. But I did not know that he
dealt in such expensive goods. May ]
ask, not what you paid for the lace, but
what you retail it for 7'',;,s,s ,.,s,..
eCertainIy.n And Mr. Ames named
q price which caused the blood TO rush
into the face Of the veteran importer ~
aaDearman, = ssid she, Sthe lace costs
double that sntn at the makers prices!
There is something wrong.n - ,tr.
Mfr. Ames. -S,.ss',' ,,ss,s 80 ;,s
The old merchant shook his head.
The lace was brought in and carefully
examined. f0sIf1 rs II e III 5iyS; BID
mo imitation about that Mr, Lin
wood declared. Now, my Giend II
might not be well, for me to appear per
soaally in this affair; but Iask, asa fagos,
that you will, learn from this Mr. Wilkes
through what channel. .he, gets my Yalen,
ciennes-C Courtrai lace. Only do not tell
him that T rant to know Be discreet,
and report to me, and You will greatly
obGge meng aM8n3 & )
MT. ;Ames cordially promised, and the
old merchant returned to thecity.: ltt3a
A few days later Mr.. Ames called upon
seIhaTe q slew to your lace" said! he,
when they were alone together.
"Weil?"
"a clerk of yours Is doing little bus
mess of importing on his OWL account. 7
"Impossibtep III 3ES ~ n y
$50 Wilkes says. Have you a clerk
named Williams9n
M4s LinRooa had utSAfty clerks in
his service, of whom there were two of
tarhare. ie old. Jol,r ;yv;sl;o,,,o "a, man ~