Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-01-01
TIE PAWNBROKER'S STORY,

He was q little, old man, dried and
grizzlcd, with gray hair, thin and scrag-
gy, which matched his beard and suited
his tanned complexion and wrinkled
face as if it had been ordered for that
especial purpose.
Thirty years in one shop" he mused
more to himself than to his visa Wis in a
cosey little uptown chop house the other
evening That's a long time to be a
pawnbroker. l began" he continued,
after a short pause, ''in shop in Paris
over forty years ago as errand boy, and
worked my way up to the proprietorship.
Pawnbl okcrs' shops in France, as you
probably have heard, are not managed
by the Jews exclusively. l was born in
London and went to Paris boy. 1t is a
business which develops shrewdness if a
man has any of that quality in his COM
position, and if he hasn't he had better
retire or sell out to some man who has.
The Partisan rogues are as sharp, unscru-
pulous and deceitful as those you have
in New York, and the methods of
swindling are marvels of ingenuity.
Even the most experienced money
lender is imposed upon at times. When
/ was Young in the business young
mechanic came to me one day with a
cheap silver watch which he wanted FIVE
francs for. 1t wasn't worth over ten,
and loaned him the money. The next
week he reclaimed the watch, telling me
it was an heirloom in his family, and
money could not buy it. He was an
honest young fellow, and believed
him. About a week later he came in
and borrowed five francs again, which
he repaid with interest at the end of the
week. This sort of thing ran on for five
or six weeks, until | began to look on
him as a steady customer. Finally one
dayhe came into the shop overcome with
emotion.
"Mon Dieu,' he exclaimed, 4 am
ruined
"'What is the matter2 I inquired
kindly, for regarded him as an old
friend.
"'My father is in prison, and must
have money to pay his fine 1t was not
his fault that he was arrested He in
terfered to save man he never saw be-
fore from being killed, and was arrested
by the officers, and fined for disturbing
the peace
How much money do you want" ]
asked.
Il" Fifty francs he answered, but
have no security save this poor, little
watch of mine and it is not worth q
fraction of that amount
Give it to me, replied, and
counted out the money.
81 have the watch to this day."
"Some years after" continued the old
man, "whcn | hld been in the business
long enough to be judge of character
as we'll as diamonds, TALL we'll dressed
young woman came into my shop and
asked to see me personally. / ought tc
have told you that the police exercise a
strict surveillance over pawnshops in
Paris, for it IS there that the clues which
lead to the detection of many crimina
are discovered. AS | was about to say
this young woman, who appeared to be
long to the upper class of bouse servants
asked to see me. and when | stepped in
to the shop she imploIed me to grant he
a private interview, so we went into my
back Office where we could be quite
alone. didn't at this time think any
thing of this, so accustomed was | tC
such requests from women unacquainted
with pawnshops. After we had seated
ourselves she asked me if took dia
monds in pledge. said that did.
"Then she reached into her dres
pocket and drew out silk handkerchie
which was knotted and punched. Thi
she undid, and in few minutes spreat
| out upon her lap the most gorgeous dis
! play of diamonds my eyes ever beheld
| They were of all sizes, al unset, and il
the sunlight they shne and sparklet
dazzlingly. was amazed. AT once
suspicion flashed across my mind.
"'Where did you get theseP asked
"My father, she replied, is dia
mond merchant, and he received thes
stones from a smuggler. He has beer
apprehended twice by the police, anC
does not dare dispose of them Their
can be no danger though in your taking
them, for no one can identify them
and I will sell them to you at such low
figure that you will find it profitable t,
buy them.
"After long argument upon the pric
she wanted ten thousand francs, whicl
was marvelously cheap, for they wer
worth five times that much-we came b
an understanding. | took the jewell
and gave her the money in gold. Sh'
gave me her name, which was Mari
Blanc, and told me her residence was 2
Rue Colbert