Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-06-15
AN AUCTION STORY.

This is a strange world. And Yet
| never thought 50 until my attention.
was called to the fact by a little incl
dent that befell me one day. and set
me thinking so hard that it seemed to
grow ont of my own head and reach
a great height. and then look down
on my other self with compassion
don't know that ii made me any
wiser, but at least it made me more
attractive to my fellow-beings more
thoughtful of their joys and sorrows
and that counts for something. |
reckon.
had cried dozens of pawnbrokcrs
sales in my time, and never thought
anything about them, unless it was
that old Two to One or Give and
Take were doubling their money,
and making pretty penny, even
with 10 per cent. commission taken
off.
But ! had never thought of the
story connected with any one article
of the sale the heartaches, and
despair, and woman's tears. 1t was
but a joke to me, who had known the
time when to spout a watch. or
a pistol, or some light trinket, in
order to carry on a frolic, or help a
poorer chap than l was, was but
the impulse of the moment, and car
ried no further weight than the relief
from empty pockets at the moment.
But, as / have said before. some
thing 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 Il. 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 lis our biggest sales.
An odd lot came into the ware
room one day consigned to us 10y
Clutchem Il Keep, shrewd firm
of new beginners, and as it fell
to my duty to assert and label the
goods. it thus also fell to my fate to
have a part in the following story:
The consi gnment consisted mainly
of glass and silverware. pictures and
bronzes, as Clutchem Il Keep were
rather first class in their business, and
did not yet condescend to family
Bibles; but in the lot l came across
a few pieces of furniture, which at
tracted my attention from the fact of
our having an order from q Western
house to pick up all the antiques and
oddities 8fioat for a brio -a-brac firm
One article alone l noticed with at
tention enough to remember after
wards, and then only because l struck
my hand roughly against it, 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 orlorn-looking enough in its
changed fortunes. l labelled it, as ]
thought, for our next days sale, as
there were two others to go West
and the home market was then going
as crazy for everything old, but par
ents and friends, as either the West
or North.
But subsequent events discovered
my mistake. Our Saturday sale was
a big one-the rival house across Oh
the corner hadn't a chance against us
that day-and by noon every article
put up was off lively and quick
The crowd had begun to thin, and
l was busily mopping my wet face
with fresh handkerchief it is
warm work, I can tell you, to cry
such sales from 10 to l o'clock wher
a lady came back in the store where
I was standing and approached me
eagerly.
"Are you the proprietor?' she
asked, with nervous haste, and / saw
she was trembling.
Il am the auctioneer, madam"
said, wondering what WAS wrong. 81
will call the firm. if you wish"
She looked around timidly but
eagerly.
"Perhaps you can attend to my
business Lido not - under
stand-these- matters - very well,
she answered, and then / saw she was
poorly clad, although well bred and
timid.
I drew an old chair up into the
corner, and asked her to sit down
and she did so gratefully-poor little
woman!-I took a good look at her
She was still young and pretty.
Behind her hung long mirror. II
had grown dim hanging there, and
had misty shadow over it, and in
a corner stood a faded old Japanese
screen and tall chest of drawers.
The store was now empty, and the
| light was leaving it. as the sun was