The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-06-18
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Moses Croker, 'okls Pawnbroker.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

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Moses Ml' { Croker 'ol'er Paw Pa''w'nbroker:.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS. ..u 't.
Moses Croker kept pawnhroket's
shop, It was as dingy place as could
be Imagined; It was in shabby street,
and shabby people patronized 1t for the
most part. Miserable women with red
noses, shawls over their heads, and bot
ties under their arms, stepped into Mo-
|ses Croker's, ron their way to the gin.
shop, to- pawn the fat irons. 81 The. dis.
|sipafed .mechanic@ lefts at Crok sr's the.
box orEtoois shat--should have won
bread for his family, 10 order that he
might make q more perfect beast of him
self one night, Vice, on the down
hill road, pawned its, shabby, fnery at
Croker's. Burglars found their way to
Croker's now and then; sneak, thieves,
dishonest servants, Croker shut his
eyes and pretended to himself that they
were all honest folk in distress. ~
Once Moses Croker had been young
man. Life had not been without its
sweetness, its romance to bin he had
loved and wooed d pretty Jewish girl.
with eyes of black velvet and lips Of
coral; and he had always been good
husband to her; but she died, and her
black eyed baby with her. There was
lnothing to keep romance or tenderness
talive' in the heart OF Moses Croker he
had given himself over to money making
and despising mankind 81 Men and We.
men wereito him only the pruprietors of
Ipledges they could or could not redeem
He had neither friend nor companion ~
To those days when he had more tender
feelings more amiable impulses, gentler
lemotiens,t Moses alluded as--o -oi,,9sai Az,
| when / was young and fool"
| TO apy5 plea for mercy. and pawnbro-
kerss. often bear such prayers, be replied
Invariably: 0ae 10 0fAst.
"Do you think me a fool ?"
Sense was making money, folly losing
a penny one could come at, With Moses
Croker. 'ii' '''Af A$ i& 94h
One day, dark November day, Mo.
ses having sent his shop.boy home and
put on his ,ea-kettle, was about to make
his supper Of some fisb, stewed in oil
which ,simmered in the saucepan, some
bread and some coffee The shop was
lleft to itself: and sitting over his stew
ed fsh old Moses Croker grew low spir.
tied ard vent back in memory 10 long
ago he remem bered Miriam his wife and
her dark beauty the child With its round
eyes at her knee; he fancied her nowliv
ing, . pretty matrop, dressed very finely
4 Yes, she should have been finely dress
I ed; and the schild-a young man-to
help in the business and. take it after Q
while. In every Jewish heart is desire
to he Patriarch in his old age
"Yes, there would have been many
children now" said the old man "Here
should have sat amongst them !; bn
she died, and / have no wife, no sons
He felt a curious contraction Of the
throat; his eyes burnt something ho
and salt ran down his cheek into hi:
mouth; he was crying efnl2*i' el.s5
]: just at this instant s'tinkle" went the
bell: he allowed Il to tinkle uhnoticet
for moment; then be mopped his eye.
with q red handkerchief and went into
the shop. In one of the compartments
in which genteel poverty hides itself at {
pawnbroker's he saw q mana gentle
man in appearance, tall, dark. graceful
. his left hand, large and white, lay on th,
counter; on the little tinger shone dia
mond ring. aLl1 egetf 1ls9etf fiad ba
| By the light Of the Kerosene lamp til,
pawnbfoker peered at bis. customer. 3H
"Well,'' be said, s'what can I do 70
!. you, sir p ,[o,t~aa;s..sf
The customer did mol not answer, and Mo
ses repeated The question, and the gentle
man ,tprned. ',''3 '''A .l..se2 g y
! Excuse me- he said, II am weak be
cause I am starving; Icame in to paw
this ring; find cannot do 1t; forgiv
me for troubling you unnecessarily. o1
He turned to 60 Moses, prompted b,
some motive which he did not attemp
to aualy &c, caught his coat tails. 'U'2's
"a sssStop," he said, Why can't youp
: dasMy wife gave it to me-and she Il !
dead Jr,c,a,l,r II, ,5,,,. -. - .'a''o' :.
With these words returned to Nose
the dark face of Miriam, most beautifu
Of all women In his eyes, the only thin
he had ever truly loved he felt himsel
choking again, and acknowledging this
be was becoming fool, abandoned wis
: dom for 9 short tim. 81 97l-I,ea" >"
"Look here" be said clutching tn
stranger fast and speaking thickly; Hoo
. here: I know about that l had a wife
she, too, is dead Oh, but she was On
woman-a fine woman-A 8 beautiful We
Eman. Wait, my dear; no, you shall nc
pawn the ring your wife gave you'll / wi
make you loan without security, an
Iyou can pay me when You canba Here!
q II He dragged open his money -diawe
0 and with trembling hands took out fis
dollar note; be named the interest on tt
sum. q Rbaei gtHsw3 8gH Fao g iIav
l"You will pay me when you can," b
: said. "You are gentleman; see tha,
1.-The stranger turned. flushed an
: -Itroubled face toward him. h dsaf94 bsl
EbiHMay God bless you,'' he said; ''if
| live you shall be repaid" qB 4 li
!. "And meanwhile" said Moses Croke
ssome nice tish, stewed in. oil, is burnin
u on the stove, and there is coffee enoae
y for two; take supper with me. "letnar'
= lrs An, IN wonted scene followed; Mes'
!. doing the hopors Of his board to CUES
: When they parted he knew that tt
stranger had been q soldier, and that
thad hopes of future prosperity,eqe8 ~
-L;d"That ISL said Moses, as he barre
Ibis door and began to regain his no
NAL condition of mind- ''that is, il !
/, does not lie, which is most likely"
For long while Moses called himse
q q fool every night; at last. however, u
money returned to him, with interest, al
. very grateful note. Mr., Croker ! T
}. tjoiced. ~ 81, ha@ f97 o5t 80.
led '"It is only afool in luck for once
Il He never loaned money without sec
rity again. and be grew very rich in Il
course OF many years, until, at last.
came into his mind to speculate. Spe
d ulation is a rock on which many stauh,