Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-07-25

John r. Raymond on tho stage il
! much like nCol- Mulberry Sellers on
the stage, with his Hmilli0ns in if.' He
wins cracking Jokes with friends up
Town the other day, when be pulled
out his watch, ON the face OF which in
lieu Of figures are the twelve letters ol
his name. II reminded him OF watch
i presented to him at Mobile and a ro-
nance that was connected with is dis
appearance. He proceeded to tell III:
4 Ever been in pawn shop What
n pull il is the first time. I've been
| there. Often Oiteni But the first
time was a wonderful thing. was
dead broke. had watch, presented
| to me by the citizens OF Mobile, all in
scribed and engraved. went down
to Simpsons. / couldn't muster up
courage to go inside. ] stood on the
curb, while the cold sweat came out
on my forehead. / thought every man
that passed was looking at me,
thought the policemen were gather
ing on distant corners TO keep watch
Of me. thought that everybody was
saying TO everybody else: Look nt
him. He's got something 10 pawn.
Where do you s'pose he stole itT
stood there on one foot and theu the
other for nigh two mortal hours. Then
l bolted in like a mailman. Before l
had time TO look around / WAS in n
little stall. 1t was dark, and / was half
scared cut of my senses. But in the
next stall i heard the piteous, waiiing
voice OF woman begging for s. more
on some article For Gods sake, NV.
mother is dying she said, and unless
/ get SO more they will turn us out of
the house, Then the clerks grulf
voice responded, telling her 10 take
what he offered and get out, or take
her goods. 1t sounded awfully brutal
to me. | knew from her sobs that she
went out Then he turned to ME. /
handed up my watch without a word.
j didn't expect TO get enough on il to
last week, judging from bis treat
ment OF the woman. In fact. was SO
scared that IL he had asked me whose
watchlt was, should have replied /
didn't know, and should probably have
boiled. felt like felon, and must
have looked like thief. How much
do you want 2" he asked What can
you loanY responded Sixty dol
lars 2 he said. Gracious, how breezy
] grew. Sixty, dollars Why it was u
small fortune. My board WAS only $3
a week, and with a dollar for washing
and another dollar for sundries, l
counted on twelve weeks OF ease from
care. l grabbed the money and start
ed out withous a ticket, when he call
cd me back for il. Once out on the
street | was making dash for the
street car, when woman stopped me.
She was weeping. knew instructive
ly it was the womnn OF the pawn
shop. Were you in there. sirr she
asked feltlike drawing myself up
10 full height and denying the dhmna-
ble charge. But she was woman and
her plteoas-ory WAS. still ringing i'm
my ears. | owned up What shall
do 2 she said. u can't 60 home with
Out SO more. Oh, they are monsters
in there. My mother is dying, and /
am half-wild lest they turn us ont
pulled out my roll OF money and gave
her SO. She was about to thank me,
when turned and rushed fora street.
ear. ~ '.fefl
@Nearly ten years later, while the
stock company plan was still in opera
1on over the country, and only the
stars went from place TO place, l was
II western city Tor an engagement.
was late in getting there, and whom
rushed on the stage for tho first
entrance Iscouldn't understand why
he leading old lady acted so queer.
When came of she was waiting for
ne. Are you Mr.. Raymond, reallyr
he said. i am, indeed Can I speak
o you n moment2 / want to ask ii
1ou wasn't at Simpsons pawn-shop nj
uch a time 2 All my old repugnanco
Igainst admitting had ever been in
uch place came up, but / managed
o stlmmer that | was Then she ask
d il remembered giving SO 10
'oung woman on tho corner in dis
ress. 1t turned out that she was the
'oung woman. My mother died
within an hour she said, but tho
money you gave me enabled me 10
.eep our rooms 10 bury her from. l
vas ballet girl then. Now am plly-
ng old woman parts and doing we'll
Wasn't that great outcome OF my
Oh, about the watch con-
luded Mr.. Raymond, Il was SO excit-
d that lost my ticket, and so poor
lterward that il didn't make amy dif-
'rence. i never saw IL again, and
resume it went to the meiting-pOf
5 have never heard OF it since"