Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-07-24
ouldu't do as well Is another, 20 far as

selves, and poor smmy was almost In
c'ined to abandon her quest. But she
dida' and at last, WIDEN she least ex.
pected it, her luck came.
One day isis little Mrs. Crystal, being
economically disposed, was searching
through secondhand establishment for
coal-scuttle and fire-irons.
'I'm not going to pay outrageous
prices when I can get a bargain, only
title used," said she, thriftily.
Couldn't sell you anything else, "
ma'am2" said the dealer, with that in.
sinuating smile which is peculiar to the
proprietors of secondhand shops. 'T've
a set of red damask curtains" ke..s.
Emmy shook her head. -:--TSssy
''No," said she; 81 need no curtains.
"Half a dozen dinihg-room chairs,
then9" suggested the man. cor pail
Of real old-fashioned girandoles with
cut-glass drops3"
But Emmy Crystal did not hear what
he was saying; her eyes were fixed in
tently on certain old bureau of ancient
mahogany, darkened with age, almost TO
the semblance of ebony, with odd, brass
ornaments under the drawer-handles, and
curious claw-legs.
Just such a one, in truth, as Ralph
was making in the odds and ends of his
time at the shop, because. as he said, his
mother had bureau like that.
''Where did you get that bureau1" she
asked, quickly.
"Ma'am!" gasped the dealer.
81 mean who sold it to you?"
'It was brought in yesterday from
place out on the Sound-one o. them lit
tie one-horse settlements where they
don't have no secondhand empoliums.
But 1 assure you, ma'am," fluttering over
che leaves of his ledger, 'you won't get
it no cheaper for going to principals. I've
bought out and out!'
II don't wish to purchase it." said
Mrs. Crystal. "But l would like to see
The person that-that sold it to you"
''There was lot of other truck from
the same place, said the man. "They're
breaking up house, 1 guess. Oh, I've nc
objection to give you the address, ma'aml
There amt nothing underhand in my
way of doing business" and he wrote of
few words on slip of paper. 'It's an
old woman with hooked nose and 8
tongue like a mill-wheel."
Mrs. Crystal, however, did not allow
herself to be discouraged by this UMPIRE
possessing description, but pretending tc
Ralph that she was going somewhere to
attend an auction sale for the purpose Of
acquiring some table-furniture, china,
cutlery, and such like, she took the
horse cars to Harlem, there changing tt
another line, which, creeping gradually
out among the elms and sycamores, took
her to the edge of the Sound, where
there was struggling settlement of little
houses around tall factory.
In the furthest of them ala queer
little cabin where the spray sprinkled it,
chimney stacks at the equinox tides. anc
row of boats was pulled up on the edg'
of the sand--lived Mrs. Peter Peppin
stall, the woman who had sold the claw
footed bureau to the dealer in second
hand furniture.
The minute Mrs. Crystal saw her beak
shaped nose peeping through the crach
of the door, she knew she had come tt
the right place.
"Anything pa'tickler a-wantin'9" said
Mrs. Peppinstall. because I'm morta
J busy to-day a-movin'. Pm goin' to live
with his folks up in New London, an6
I've got all the hard things to pack, and
my boarder to send off to the poor-hous,
afore l can set down TO rest. If you're
book agent, or one O. them travelin
photograph people There comes Simon
Doolittle's one-hoss Vaughn now, artei
my boarder."
She bounced back into the house like
an india rubber ball, but Emmy pushed
past her into the carpetless, unfurnished
room, where the vivid November sun
shine printed off the pattern of the win.
/ dow-panes on the boards of the foo.
with sort of forlorn glory.
as your boarder an old lady9" said
she.
You'll find her in the back room,'
;crCeched Mrs. Pepinstall, ''settin' all
r. .dyw
And sure enough in the back room,
covering in the scant warmth of tn,
'unbeams, sat little old lady in black
silk, quilted hood, a snuff-colored cloak
and m,.ttened hands, crossed meekly over
each other, as if waiting for some ex
pected summons. her wistfu. eyei
raised themselves pite0usly in the direc.
lion of the new conner.