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

it was bis to dispose OK 70 any one VINO
wished TO purchase it.
Every day since the picture had been
| in old Guttman's care, Nina had visited
the shop to see the face she loved SO
well. Some days the little one would
4 fit in and out half-a-dozen times, and to
this most unusual behavior, the pawn
broker had never made the slightest OBJ
lection.
When Nina's father died she was ut
terly alone in the world, and after lit
1 tie attention from the more kind-hearted
of her neighbors, the child had drifted
into the care of a woman who made her
beg from morning until night, her only
reward being a roof to cover her when
she slept and a portion of the poor food
that had been given her through the
day.
Eyes, Nina,n Guttman remarked at
/ last, as the child stood spell bound be-
fore the portrait, ''the painting is beau
tiful; every one viii always say that;
but all de time, Nina, it is not your
mother, for she, We viii say, is in Heay-
en-; yesi"
40 Guttman dear, / know she is in
hesxeni" the girl replied; ''but this is
all have now, and l could not live
without it, indeed l could not. say to
myself, when it is cold, and the rain
pours down, and my feet freeze with the
snow and the ice, Never mind, Nina,
your mamma is over there, and Quit
man dear will keep her safe;' and then
/ think no more of the cross people and
the cold streets.n
$780," said the pawnbroker under his
breath, with a glance at the little figure
standing motionless before the portrait.
tistie, and this child, bareheaded, bare
foosed, and dressed in rags, with the
look of an angel in her sweet infantile
face, was a picture that he knew his
friend Raphael would have craved to
immortalize.
The pawnbroker loved the masters,
and always spoke of them as his trends.
There was bit of busting to do in an
opposite corner, and when Guttman
turned round again, Nina was gone.
"Ah, GuttmanI you be Won old fooll"
he said to himself when he found he was
alone. "And you, my pretty lady with
de big eyes, hat bewitched me long
enough-too long. sorry for de child,
but l may not keep you always because
of that. When de shentleman come
again and want to buyyou, it viii be one,
two, tree, and off you go.'
Business grew more lively towards
noon, and the pawnbroker forgot all
about the big eyes; but they looked out
wistfully, nevertheless, on the strange
company in this strange establishment,
and sometimes one visitor more alive to
the beautiful than the rest would linger
moment before the easel, and forget
his troubles in the charm of this lovely
face.
The rest of this stormy, disagreeable
day passed as usual in the pawnbroker's
establishment. Men and women, old
and young, crept in with their treas
ures, and after few low-spoken words
with the proprietor, would creep out
again, his. money clenched tightly in
their hands.
In the evening young man of re-
fined appearance came in, hurriedly,
and pawned his watch, large gold re-
peater. He was evidently an old Gus
toner, for he said, with hard laugh, as
he put the money in his pocket
al have got ahead of uncle this time,
Guttman. He thinks 1 have turned
saint, you see. If he should suspect any
thing, and come poking round, keep
mum, will your
"Bahl know my business" the
pawnbroker replied.
The young man Lit cigar, and with
another hard laugh, walked out of the
shop.
Two hours later, just as old Guttman
was closing the shop. another gentle
man entered. The pawnbroker's face
frightened as ho saw him, for the new
conner was weIl-known artist, man
whose pictures he was very fond and
proud of.
4" Good-evening, Guttman," the gen.
tleman said, pleasantly. "Has Frank
been herep"
90 Yes," said Guttman, holding up
the watch the young man had just left.
"How much did you give himP'
"Twenty dollar
"All right" said the gentleman,
"here is your money"
The watch and the money changed
hands again, and then the artist turned
to the portrait.
"I'll take this home tonight" he
said, 90 If you'll let me have it."
Sc Yes, all right said Guttman.
"One, two, tree, and off she goesl"
A price was agreed upon, and then
the artist took the canvas from the
frame, leaving that to be sent to him in
day or two. The beautiful lady with
the 90 big eyes - that had so long ''made
a fool' of old Guttman was carefully
wrapped up, and the artist, with a
pleasant goodnight, walked off with his
long-coveted treasure.
"Bah!' said the pawnbroker. few
moments afterwards, as he stood before
the empty frame.
"Bahl'' he exclaimed again, with a
SILVER, as he put up the shutters, and
hid the three balls from sight for the
next few hours.
"BahI" he repeated later in the
night, as he woke from dream about
Nina and her mother.
Old Guttman made his fire earlier
than usual the next morning. Some
times the pawnbroker had made little
more coffee than he needed for himself,
and saved roll for Nina. This morn
ing there was generous cupful left in
the coffee-pot; but breakfast passed ,and
no Nina. The forenoon and the after
noon also went by, and the little one
still absented herself. Evening came,
and when old Guttman had lit the lamps,
he opened the door and looked up and
down the busy street, ostensibly to find