The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-06-13

dulge himself when he received the first re.
mttance from his new lawyer and new prop.
erty.
This baube is principally accountable
for my being short of money he thought.
i will make it remember me- On the back
of the quaint old locket were the initials
V. ID. V. and below them M. e. There
had been picture on it once, but there was
lett only the marks of the knife with which
it had been pried out. 1t was growing late,
and calling hack Frank jumped in and
told the driver to take him to the New
Court House. Arrived there he told the
driver to wait, passed through the building
and out the other door, walked briskly to
Simpsons, hesitated a moment, bolted in
the door and in a moment stood in box at
the counter, where poor woman was pawn.
ing some clothing for foed. Frank shud-
dered, drew out the locket and laid it down.
A dark man took it up, looked at it, turn
ed it over, scrutinzed the initials tested the
gold on corner, and said laconically:
| How much I?
| Ten dollars
The man turned away, made out the tick
ct, handed Frank the money and his du-
plicate ticket, and turned to the next COM
| er.
With sigh at the atmosphere of misery
hanging around the place, from the dark
corners of which the hollow faces of the
specters of want and starvation seemed leer-
ing at him, Frank passed quickly out OF the
door, regained his cab, said to the driver:
'Brunswick-quick ? and rolled away.
Two little red lips quivered perceptibly,
and two big black eyes with tears. To be
hungry-absolutely unpoetically and prac-
tically hungry-was a novel experience to
Bessie Prang. To be hungry in iashiona.
BILE lodging house with plenty down stairs
in well filled larder and cool and pleasant
dining room, was absolutely absurd. Sitting
in pretty room, amid a mass of pretty
feminine knick knacks and brio "a brac hear
ing the rattle of knives and forks come up
on the air from the lunch tables below, and
yet be hungry was positively maddeningly
ncongruous,' she thought. To be sure there
was no reasons why she should not have
gone to the land-lady and explained her
situation and been sure of proper treatment,
but they bad been in the house but a few
days, and had been taking their meals out
at neighboring restaurant. Bessie's mother
had been called away to visit a sick sister
who was ill, and she had left her little girl
alone, not without misgivings, ard the night
before Bessie had lost her purse or had her
pocket picked coming from dinner at any
rate it was gone, and with it the money
which was to have bought her food for the
next two days. A practical woman would
have done the obvious thing and interview
ed her land-lady. But Bessie was even
more than most women sensitive about go.
ing to strangers when in trouble, especially
about money matters, and feared to encount-
er suspicion, and at lunch time was raven
ously hungry. What curse good appe-
tite is at times Then it occurred to her
that she had heard her cousin Tom Joke
|
to a pawn-broker. What horried thing a
pawn-broker must be? A kind of cross be.
tween a Shylock and a Fagin, she thought
and they would oge her perhaps Oh, no |!
she would starve before she would 90 there
But as the afternoon wore on and hunger
increased and with it her perpexity she
began to cry, But crying don't help mat.
tiers any on the contrary the pangs Of
hunger increased, and with them her deter
minatiOn to find her cousin Toms Uncle.
She resolved that no one should know of
her perplexity but herself mot even mamma,
nor of her visit to the pawnbroker's never
that
From under a mass of ribbons and laces,
artificial flowers and dainty lace handker-
chiefs tumbled in a bureau drawer, she
fished out small box, and took from it a
queer old locket. 1t was carved head of
Christ, surrounded by brilliantly enameled
snake with ruby eyes, and on the back the
initials NJ. f., and underneath, V. d. V.
Poor old grandma how Mortified you
would be if you only knew, and hadn't been
dead these ten years ? she said to herself
softly, as she put the locket back into its
place, and ran down stairs in the late sum,
mer afternoon.
1t was along walk down Broadway, the
pavements were hot and scorched her feet,
her face grew flushed with exertion her black
hair clung damply to her white forehead
Besides she was weak from long fasting, She
thought at last that she did not know where
she was going, but she mustered up courage
to ask policemen. He eyed her curousy,
and told her civlly enough where to go.
| Hot waves of crimson dyed her face and
neck as she passed in at the door way under
the trio of golden balls and stood at the
counter. She heard poor woman nexth her
refused the amount she begged for on an old
shawl. 1t was moth-eaten, and they did not
want it at any price.
Then a voice said
| We'll, Miss p
She produced the locket.
How much p after hurried examination
she was relieved to see that the man took
her novel situation cody enough, and she
spoke for the first time.
Ten dollars, please
The money was counted out, she bestow.
ed 81 of it on the poor woman whose shawl
had been rejected and who stood in dazed
way on the sidewalk, escaped from hel
thanks into Fourth avenue car, and wa,
soou bathing in her cool room, and forget
ful, now that she had money, of her hung
er.
Just then note reached her.
DEAREST BESSIE: Do come over and
dine. Fred and are in town day or two
In haste, thine.
MARIE.
No. 2S West Forty-fOurth street.
Put money in thy purse and thou shal