The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-12-15
THE AUCTIONEER'S STORY.
BY INIoGENE II. SYKES.

to grow out Of my head and reach
great height, and then look down on
my other self with compassion. l
don't know that it made me any
wiser, but at least it made me more
attentive TO my fellow beings-more
thoughtful of their joys and sorrows
and that counts for something, L
reckon.
had cried dozens Of pawnbrok-
ers' sales in my time, and never
thought anything about them, unless
il was that old Two to One or Give
and Take were doubling their money,
and making a pretty penny, even
with ten per cent commission taken
off.
But had never thought of the story
connected with any one article of the
sale-of the heartaches and despair,
and woman's tears. It was but a joke
to me, who had known the time when
to spout" a watch, OF pistol, or some
light trinket, in order to carry on a
frolic, or help poorer chap than L
was, was but the impulse of the mo-
ment, and carried no farther weight
than the relief from empty pockets at
the moment.
But, as 1 said before, something
made me think, and ever since 1
haven't the same heart to cry away the
goods Of the poor creatures that want
and misery have driven into old Two
to Ones clutches.
The cit of B. is a splendid mar
ket for our business. The trade done
there by one house alone would dis
count any banking, commission or
other business in the place, and by the
same token, the pawnbrokers equal us
in power and profit and give us some
of our biggest sales.
An odd lot came into the warerOOm
one day, consigned to us by Clutchem
IL Keep, shrewd firm of new begin
ners, and as it fell to my duty to as
sort and label the goods, it thus also
fell to my fate to have part in the
following story.
The consignment consisted mainly
of glass and silVerware, pictures and
brOnsss, and Clutchem ~ Keep were
rather first class in their business, and
did not yet condescend to clothes and
family Bibles but in the lot 1 came
across few pieces of furniture, from
the fact of our having an order from
a Western house to pick up all the
antiques and oddities afoat, for a
bric-a-brac firm.
Here were about dozen specimens
of claw-Iegs, stif-backs and otherwise
uncomfortable household articles, il
the shape of chairs, dressing glasses
and cabinets, and L at once labeled
them sold, that they might not get in
to next days sale, but be forwarded a
once to our Western house.
One article alone / noticed with at
tention enough to remember after
ward, and then only because l strucl
nay hand roughly against it, and the
pain made me stare hard at the caus
of it. 1t was an old cedar cabinet
brass bound and clamped, but rust,
and forlOrn looking enough in il
changed fortunes. labeled it, as
thought, for our next days sale, Il
there were two others to 90 West, am
the home market was then going a
crazy for every thing old, but parent
and friends, as either the West o
North.
But subsequent events discovers
my mistake. Our Saturday sale wa
a big one-the rival house across o
the corner hadn't a chance against Il
that day-and by noon every articl
put up was bid Off lively and quick.
The crowd had began to thin, an
/ was busily hopping my wet fac
Win lItSu ldllukGICnlcI-IOE II
warm work, l can tell you, to CT
such sales from 10 toI o'clock-whe
a lady came back TO the store where
was standing and approached II
eagerly.
Are you the proprietor, sir?" 81
asked, with nervous haste, and sa
she was trembling.
Il am the auctioneer madam
said, wondering what was wrong. =
will call the firm, if you wish"
She looked around timidly br
eagerly.
Perhaps ySu can attend to my bu
mess. I-I-do-not-unde
these matters-vcry-we - she falte
ed and then l saw she was poor
clad, although we'll bred and timid.
l drew an old chair up into the co
ner, and asked her to sit down, al
as she did SO gratefully-poor lit
woman II took a good look at he
She was still young and pretty.
Behind her hung long mirror.
had grown dim hanging there, and h;
misty shadow over il, and in {
angles of the corner stood an old J
pauese screen and tall chest of drar
ers.
The store was now empty, and I
light was leaving it, as the sun w
creeping away from the door-sill a
mounting up to the roof, as if he h
only waited for the sale to be over.
The lady had a face that touch
me at once. She was pale and tim
but there was that in her face IL
made me take Off my hat while tai
ed 10 her. / don't know how to {
press il, but 1t was as if l stood in t
presence of death, and the natu
reverence Of that great mystery co
manded my respect
what can do for you, madam
1 asked.
She had been looking al around
as If seeking something.
"You sell the goods, do you not
she asked eagerly.
eyes, madam"
"You would know the articles 5,
here ?"
probably"
She looked about me again, and
color came and went in her face mel
ously.
81 have just come from Clutchen
Keep" she began in hurried tones,
if ashamed of admitting her knoN
edge Of those gentlemen. "They-h
some-things-Iw was forced-to-p
with" Here she paused for a II
ment; then looked up at me wit