The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-07-19
THE AUCTIONEER'S STORY.

This is a strange world! And yet
never thought so until my attention was
called to the fact by a little incident
that befell me one day, and set me of
thinking so hard. that /. seemed to grow
out of my own head and reach great
height, and then look down on my other
self with compassion. / 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 some
thing, reckon.
had cried dozens of pawnbrokers'
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 a
pretty penny, even with ten per cent.
commission taken off. a fai
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 a Joke
to me, who had known the time when
to spout awatch, or pistol, or some
hight trinket, in order to, carry, on q
froiie, 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 / have said before, something
made me think, and ever since haven {
the same heart to cry away the goods
OF the poor creatures that want and
misery had driven into old Two to
Ones clutches. .
Ihe city Of B is a splendid market
Tor our business. The trade done there
oy 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. % O0'
An old lot came into the wareroom
one day. consigned to us by CTutchem
Keep, shrewd firm of new Begin
hers, and, as it fell to my duty to assort
and label the goods, it thus also fell to
my late to have a part in the following
story: = - 9
The consignment consisted mainly of
glass and silverware, pictures and
bronzes, as Clutchern & Keen were
rather first class in their business and
did not yet condescend to family Bibles.
put IN the lot came across a few pieces
oLfurnlture which attracted nv .atten-
ton from the fact of our HAVING an
m order from western house to pick up
ali the antiques and oddities afioat for q.
Orick-a-brack firm.
mere were about 3 dozen specimens
oi claw legs. stick backs, and otherwise
uncomfortable household articles. in
Me shape OF chairs, dressing glasses.
ana cabinets, and / at once labeled
enem sold, that they might not get into
next days sale, but be forwarded Of
once 10 our western house.
One article alone I noticed with At
Nnslon enough to remember. .afterward.
anu tnen only because struck NV hand
rougnly against it, and the pain made
LUG STARE hard at the cause of it. It
vas an old cedar cabinet, brass bound
an1 elamped. but rusty and forlorn-
Ts TlOsohlhg enough in its changed fortunes.
laneled it, as l thought, for our nerf
oay sale, as there were two Others 70
80 g. vest and the home market was then
sonsg as crazy for everything old. but,
pa,ehls and friends, as either the west
- noftn. @ W zs &, s..s
NUT Dus subsequent events discovered INV
nn mls1ake. Our Saturday salewas = bio
oue-tne rival house across on the
aa ao,ner hadn't chance against us that
wss aahd "a: by noon every article put up
4 old off lively and quick.
wssl Inc ne crowd had begun to thin, and T
frssS g SoQslly mopping my wet face with q
me mesa nandkerchief-for it is warm
frons fo,a' ! can tell you to cry such sales
ean zen to one o,cloek-when a ladv
ipa a',e sn oaek in the store where Twas stand
ana approached me eagerly.
.sLaao are you the proprietor. sirp'' she
sSs sssed, with nervous haste. and nd I sa@ sus
Sne eva, was trembling. @"
said am am the auctioneer, madam u
viii esg s%gI1.hpering y what was wrong. II
q SLa eaIl the firm, if you wish.n
" around tmidly but eager