Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-25
In Pawn.
'fdperiey.

1t was a rainy morning. Customers
were few in the rambling old pawn
shop in the Bowery, about which am
going to tell you, and the strange little
man who kept the place had more time
than usual to look over his stock and
calculate his sales.
A woman with battered face and
bleared eyes had just been in aud
pawned an infants chair, which prob
ably was the last article of any value
she had left in the house. And this
was not worth much, for "old Quit
man." as the broker was called,
would only give her ten cents for the
privilege Of leaving it among his pos
sessions.
"Vat you do with de monish, Sal ?"
he asked, as the woman, with trem-
bling hand, picked the dime from the
counter.
lin hungry she replied, IN
maudlin way, I'm hungry"
We 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, NUT
tering little to himself in lis own
language. Canary birds sung and
hopped about in gilded cages, quite
forgetful Of their former homes, and O
valuable maltese cat, whose owner
brought 1t food every day, purred
about the pawnbrober's feet, to all APP
pearapce MS 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
the first water, from gewgaws to 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 pia, things told pitiful story of
the destitutlon that made such sacrifice
necessary.
There were oil paintings, bronzes;
statuary. books and every conceivable
article OF bric-a-brac. In short Quit
mans stock was unusually extensive
and varied. Nnd his pride in miscel.
!aneous assortment was correspondingly
large.
Among the pictures was portrait OF
o beautiful woman. It was in q costly
gilt frame, which occupied a promi-
aent place on an easel in a corner of
the shop. No one could glance at this
portrait without turning to look at il
again. 1t was evidently the face of an
1tallan lady, and was marvelously
lovely.
The pawnbroker, with his feather
duster, resched this corner at last, and
as he slowly busted the frame, he said,
with shake Of his bald head:
You hat been much trouble to me.
my lady More than Won year, you
bad creature, you been here, and no
monlsh paid for you. You will 20 to
DC shentleman what ask to buy you.
You haf break my rule with your great
eyes, and the ozzer eyes that come in
here and cry for you But old Quit.
man must hat soft heart no more, nv
lady, no more T.
AT this moment the door, with the
three painted balls on the ground glass
pane, swung open, and girl, perhaps
eight or alne years old, came into the
shop.
She was ragged, and wet through
with the rain. Her long dark hair was
drenched. aud hung IN great limp
masses dewn her back. She wore
neither stockings nor shoes, but her
leet we're small and shapely, and the
rags; grotesque in their blending of
shades and colors, could not conceal
the grace OF the girlish figure.
On l have hurried so. Guttman
dear !! she said, looking quickly about
her as she spoke. but she has kent
me begging till this minute I" and the
child stepped before the portrait. and
i7oked at 1t with her soul in her ewes.
How much did they elf YOU.
Nina. the pawn-broker asked.
"Oh, osly q very little. It was too
wet for the gentlemen to stop and mt
their hands in their pockets, It il al
ways bad when it is wet"
Ana sometime ven it ish dry"
sala her companion. "Come to de
"No. I'm not cold" the little one
answered, and must 20 Soon. o
kaufman, what should 1 do if my dear
mamma did not live here with YOU ?
must she not be beautiful angel. nv
friend dreamed of her last night
In heaven and she is the loveliest of
ALL" o'''' u
Inc pawn-broker had opened his
mouth to speak several times, but &C.
enstomed as he was to all phases of
TINS unhappy business, he could not
Dring himself just then to say anything
10 the rrow.stricken child about the
sale Of the picture.
more than a year before, Nina's
father, man broken down in sonI and
1ody hy hard drinking, had pawned
tue picture OF his dead wife. Shortly
after he died. and nothing had ever
been paid on it; SO, according to the
rules OF the establishment, and per.
maps OF honest dealing, the pawn.
broker owned the picture, and 4 WINS
MS to dispose of to anyoxe who wished
to purchase it.