The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-06-23
THE AUCTIONEER's STORY.


This is strange world! And yet /
never thought 50 until my attention was
called to the fact by a little incident
that befell me one day, and set me off
thinking sofhard that | seemed to grow
out OF my own head and reach great
height, and then look down olfmy other
self with compassion. l don't know
that it, made me any wiser, but at least
1t made me more attentive to my fellow
beings-more thoughtful of their joys
and sorrows and that counts for some
thing, Ireckon. sA
l had cried dozens of pawnbrokers'
sales in my time and never thought
anything. about them, unless it " is that
old Two to One or Give and Take were
doubling their money and making a
spretty penny, evens 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. 1t was but Joke
to me, who had known the time when
to spout watch, or pistol, or some
light trinket, in order to carry on a
frolic, or help apoorer chap than was,
was but the impulse of the moment, and
carried no further weight than the re-
lief from empty pockets at the moment.
But, as l have said before, something
made me think, and ever since haven't
the same heart to cry away the goods
OF the poor creatures that want and
misery had driven into old Two to
Ones clutches.
The city of B is a splendid market
for our business. The trade done there
by one house alone would discount 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 old lot came into the wareroom
one day, consigned to us by Clutchem
& Keep, shrewd firm of new begin
ners, and, as it fell to my duty to assert
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
bronzes, as Clutchem 4 Keep were
rather first class in their business and
y
but in the lot came across few pieces
Of furniture which attracted my atten-
ton from the fact of our having an
order from western house to pick up
all the antiques and oddities afoat for a
briek-a-brack firm. ~
Here were about a dozen specimens
of claw legs, stick backs, and otherwise
uncomfortable household articles, in
the shape of chairs, dressing glasses,
and cabinets, and l at once labeled
them sold, that they might not get into
next days sale, but be forwarded at
once to our western house,
One article alone | noticed with at
tention enough to remember afterward,
and then only because | struck my hand
roughly againstsit, and the pain made
me stare hard at the cause of it. 1t
was an old cedar cabinet, brass bound
and clamped, but rusty and forlorn-
looking enough in its changed fortunes.
l labeled it, sas l thought, for our next
days sale, as there were two others to
60 west, and the home market was then
going as crazy for everything old, but
parents and friends, as either the west
or north.
But subsequent events discovered my
mistake. Our Saturday sale was big
One-the rival house across on the
corner hadn't chance against us that
day-and by noon every article put up
was bid off lively and quick.
The crowd had begun to thin, and
was hsssily hopping my wet face with a
fresh handkerchief-for it is warm
work, Lean tell you, to cry such sales
from ten to one o'clock--when lady
came back in the store where l was stand
ing and approached me eagerly.
s'Are you the proprietor, STRIP she
asked, with nervous haste, and saw
she was trembling.
II am the auctioneer, madam" I
said, wondering what was wrong. II
will call the firm, ii you wish
She looked around timidly but eager
ly.
perhaps YOU can attend to my bust
ness, I-I-do-not- these
matters WE'LL she answered;
and then I saw she was poorly clad,
although we'll bred and timid.
Il drew an old chair up into the corner
and asked her to sit down, and as she did
SO gratefully-poor little woman!-I
took good look at her. She was still
young and pretty.
Behind her hung long mirror. 1t
had grown dim hanging there, and had
. misty shadow over it, and in the two
angles of the corner stood faded old
Japanese screen and tell chest of
drawers.