The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-01-03
"7heye,' said Mr.. Emblem, ~
MiS letter no NOR

his letter no DsOrs."
FASTING his slips with punctilious regard b
duty, hal been fDllowI ng his masters move
men t. with curiosity
Counting his inves tmerts again as usual,
Mr.. james murm' red. "Ah, and adding
em upl Always at IT, On, what trade h
must have been..oncer'
Just then there appeared in the door {
gentleman. He was quite shabby, and ever
ragged in his dress but he was clearly Z
gentleman. He was no longer young; hi'
shoulders we're bent, and he had the un
mistakable stamp and carriage OF . stu
dent
"Guv'nor's at home" said the asss tan'
briefly.
had under bis arm half-a-dozen volumes,
which, without "A word, he laid before Mr.,
Emblem, and untiei the string.
you ought to know this book, he said
without further introduction.
Mr.. Emblem looked doubtfully At the
visitor
you sold it To me twenty i've years
ago" he went on, "for five pounds
II did And | remember now. You are
Nv frank Farrar. Why, it is twenty Ave
years ago"
IL have bought no more books FOR twenty
year. and more" he replied
Sad sud, Dear me-tut tnt,-bought
no booksf And you, Mr. Farrar, once my
best customer And now--you do not mean
to say iha, you are going to seli-that you
actually want TO sell-this precious bookr
II am selling, one by one, all my books
replied the other with sigh. II am going
downhiil, Emblem, fast"
'Oh, dear, dear, dear" replied the book
seller ''This is very sad. One cannot bear
10 think of the libraries being dispersed and
sold Of And now yours, Mr.. Fsrrari
Really. yours' Must 1t bef'
Needs must" Mr.. Farrar said with a
nckly smile, needs must when the devil
drives. have parted with half my books
already. But | thought you might like TO
have this SGT, because they were once your
own"
80 I sbould"-Mr Emblem laid q loving
hand upon the volumes-'so should, MIR.
Fnrrar, bnt not from you; not from you, sir
Why, you were almost my best customer
think almost my very best-thirty years
ago when my trade was better than il is
now Yes, you gave me five pounls--or was
il FIVE pounds toni-for this very work And
it is worth twelve pounds now-I assure you
il is worth twelve pounds, il it is worth a
penny"
win you give me ten pounds for it,
thenF cried the other eagerly; III want the
money badly"
"No, can't, but will send you TO man
who can and will. lido not speculate now;
l never go to auctions. / am old, you see.
Be idcs, | am poor will not buy your
book. but will send you to a man who will
give you ten pounds for it, am sure, and
then he will sell it for fifteen" He wrote
the address on a slip Of paper. why, Mr..
Farrar il an old friend, 30 TO speak, can
pm the question, why in the world"
"The most natural thing" replied Mr..
Fsrrar with a cold laugh; 81 am old, as I
told you, and the younger men get all the
work That is all Nobody wants gem
salogst and antiguary"
Dear ue, dear mel Why Mr.. Farrar,
remember now; you used to know my poor
Bon in-law, who is dead eighteen years since
I was Just reading the last letter he ever
wrote me. just before he died You used TO
come here and sit with him in the evening
| RENE mber now SO you did.
J
Farrar. Yes | remember your son-in-law
knew him before his marriage
IBID your Before his marrisgel Then"
He was going to add, Then you can tell
me his real name" but he paused, because
il is pity ever TO acknowledge ignorance,
and especially Ignorance in such elementary
matters as your son-in.law's name.
so Nj Emblem che cked himself
"Ile ought tn have been rich man." Mr..
Farrar continued; but he quarrslled with
his father, who cut him Off with shilling, |
suppose.
Then the poor scholar who could find no
market for his learned papers tied up his
books again and went away with hanging
head
"Ughl" Mr.. James, who had been listen
ng, groaned AZ Mr.. Farrar passed through
he door "Ughl Call that way Of doing
busin $50 Why, il it had been me, Ia have
fought the book off o. tho old chap for
,ouple o pounds, would Aye, or a SOW,
70 seedy he is, and wants money so bad.
And | know who'd have given twelve pound
Ior it, in the trade too. Call that carving
IN business, lie may well ndd up is in
Vestments every day, II he can afford to
,huck such chances All, but he'll retire
'oun' His fiery eyes frightened, and his
'aco glowed with tho joy Of anticipation.
'He must retire before long"
There came another visitor. This time it
vas "a lanky boy, with blue bag over his
shoulder and notebook and pencil.stump
N his band He nodded To the assistant as
% an old friend with whom ono may be at
'ase, set down his bag, opened his notebook.
md nibbled his stump. Then he read aloud,
with "a comma or semicolon between each, a
lozen OF twenty titles They were the
names q the books which his employer
wished to pick up. The rcd-eyed assistant
lstsned, and shook his head. Then the boy
without another word shoulderei his bag
md dcpa' ted on his way TO the ne Il second
hand book shop
He was followed, at a decent interval, by
mother caller. This time il WAS AN old gen
.lemsn who opened the door, put in his bead
and looked about him with quick and sus-
picious glanco AT sight OF the assistant he |
nodded and smiled In the most friendly way
possible, and came in.
Good morning, Mr.. James good morning,
ny friend Splendid weather. Pray don't |
iisturb yourself. am just having a look !
look round, you know. Don't |
move, Mr. James"
He sddrcssed Mr.. James, but he WIS look |
ny a. the shelves as ne spoke, and, With the |
IL -