The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-03-11
IN PAWN.

were few in the rambling old pawn-shop
in the Bowery about which | sm going
to tell you, and the strange little man
who kept the place had more time than
usual to look over his stock and calcu-
late his sales.
A woman with battered face and
bleared eyes had just been in and
pawned an infants chair, which was
probably the last article of any value
she had left in the house. And this was
not worth much, for cold Guttman y
as the pawnbroker was called, would
only give her ten cents for the priv
lege of leaving it among his possessions.
swat you do with the monish, Sal?''
he asked, as the woman, with trembling
hand, picked the dime from the coun-
ter.
"I'm hungry" she replied, in a
maudlin way, :" I'm hungry"
"Ve shall see," he answered, as the
woman, without another word, dragged
herself from the place.
Then old Guttman moved round once
more among his strange wares, mutter-
ing a little to herself in his own Ian
guage. Canary birds sung and hoped
about in gilded cages, quite forgetful OF
their former homes, and valuable NAL
tese cat, whose owner brought it food
every day, purred about the pawn
brokers' feet, to all appearance as
happy as cat could be.
1t would be almost impossible to
name an article of wearing apparel, or
an ornament from paste to diamonds OF
Al. solid
gold, that old Guttman did not have IN
his shop. French clocks and wooden
clocks licked side by side on shelf,
while babies cradles, cribs, wax dolls
and playthings told pitiful story of the
destitution that made such sacrifice
necessary. There were oil paintings,
bronzes, statuary, books, and every con-
ceivable article of bric-a-brac. In
short. Guttman's stock was unusually
extensive and varied, and his pride in
his miscellaneous assortment was CORE
spondingly large.
Among the pictures was portrait OF
a beautiful woman. 1t was in a costly
gilt frame, which occupied prominent
place on an easel in a corner OF the
shop. No one could glance at this
portrait without turning to look at i
again. 1t was evidently the face of an
Italian lady, and was marvelously
lovely.
The pawnbroker, with his feather
duster, reached this corner at last, ant
as he busted the frame, he said, with
shake of his bald head
"You hat been much trouble to me
nv lady. More than Won year, you bac
creature, you been here, and no monisi
paid for you. You will go to de shen
tlman what ask to buy you. You hal
freak my rule with your great eyes, anC
the ozzer eyes that comes In here anc
cry for YOU! But old Guttman mus
hat soft heart no more, my lady, nc
mo-el''
At this moment the door with thC
three painted balls on the ground glass
pane, swung open, and girl, perhaps
eight or nine years old, came into thu
shop. She was ragged, and we
through with the rain. Her long darE
hair was drenched, and hung in grea
linn masses down her back. She wOr'
neither stockings nor shoes, but he
feet were small and shapely, and tn
rags, grotesque in their blending Q
shades and colors, could not conceal tn
grace of the girlish figure.
"Oh! ! have hurried so, Guttman
dearln she said, looking quickly abou
her as she spoke, shut she has kept m
begping till this minutei" and the chill
stepped before the portrait and looke'
at il with her whole soul in her eyes.
ssHow much did they gif you, Nina?'
the pawn broker asked.
..Oh, only very little. 1t was to
wet for the gentlemen to stop am
put their hands in their pockets 1t
ALWAYS bad when it is wet.''
sAnd sometime ven it ish dry" sal
her companion. "Come to de fire.
"No. I'm not cold,' the little on
answered, and | must go soon.
Guttman, what should do if my dea
mamma did not live here with you
Mnst she not be a beautiful angel
nv friend? I dreamed of her la:
nicht in heaven, and she was the love
hest of all.
The pawn-broker had opened hi
mouth to speak several times, but az
customed as he was to all phases OF tn
unhappy business, he could not brin
himself lust then to say any thing to Il
sorrow-stricken child about the sale
the picture.
More than a year before, Nina s lathe
man broken down in soul and body I
hard drinking, had pawned the pictul
of his dead wife. Shortly after he die
and nothing had. ever been paid on