Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-07-19
TIE AUCFTOMEER's STORY.

This is strange world And yet
never thought s@until my attention
was called to the fact by little Incl
dent that befell me one day, and set
me off thinking so hard that I seemed
to grow out Of nv own hard sphere
and reach a great height, and then
looked 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 ioys
and sorrows-and that counts for
something, / reckon.
had cried dozens of pawnbrokers
sales in my time, and never thought
anything about them, unless it was
that the 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 ssle-of 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
pistol, or some light trinket, in order
to carry on a frolic, or help a poorer
chap than ! was, was but the impulse
of the moment, and carried no further
weight than the relief from empty
pockets at the moment.
But, as have said before. some
thing made me think, and even since
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 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, aud 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 ware
room one day, consigned to us by
Clutchem & Keep, a shrewd firm of
new beginners, and as it fell to nv
duty to assort and label the goods,
it thus also fell to my fate to have a
part in the following story.
The consignment consisted mainly
of glass and silverware, pictures and
bronzes, as Clutchem & Keep were
rather frst-class in their business,
and did not yet condescend to family
Bibles; but in the lot came across
a few pieces of furniture, which at
tracted my attention from the fact of
cur having an order from a Western
house to pick up all the antiques and
oddities afoat, for bric-a-brac firm.
Here were about dozen specimens
Of claw-legs, stick backs. and other
wise uncomfortable household articles,
in the shape of chairs, dressing-glasses
and cabinets and / at once labeled
them sold, that they might not get
into next days. sale, but be forward
ed at once to our Western house.
One article alone | noticed with at
tention enough to remember after
ward, and then only because I struck
my hand roughly against it, and the
pain made Inc 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. Il labeled it, as |
thought, for our next days sale. as
there were two others TO 90 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
a 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 buslly mopping my wet face with
a fresh handkerchief-for it is warm
work, can tell you, to cry such sales
from ten to one o'clock-when lady
came back in the store where / was
standing and approached me eager
ly.
Are You the proprietor, sir?" she
asked, with nervous haste, and I saw
she was trembling.
am the auctioneer, madam" /
said, wondering whatwas wrong. al
will call the firm, if you wish.
She looked around, timidly but
eagerly.
Perhaps you can attend to my bus
ess. l-l-do-not-understand-