The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-04-10
T1e Paper -Weiglt's Story.
By Benjamin Northrop.

Was old and stained with use when the present century was vet unborn No one knew where this antique desk, with il, ogre-like back, goblin arms and snarled and knotted legs which ended in great carved claws had come from originally The master of the house had picked it up in little untrequented inn in Roumela It had stood in his btd-chamber, where 1t served as dress ing-case, lavatory and clothes-press Dur ing the night its grim presence Sooddly out of place like d tombstone in draw ing-room, had given to his dreams >trangeness and vividness that made an impression upon him which the bright sunlight of the succeeding day utterly failed to remove, So he bar gained with the tavern-keeper for il through the medium of his valet SO as not to excite the old man cupiditv and finally bought it for an amount much larger than it's value, and had it shipped to his residence ill this city This k the story he tells to those of his guests who are attracted by it's grotesqueEcss. but the servants-and who by the way, know so much about a house as the ser wants ?-tell a different story. The valet who bargained for 1t relates weird tale of murder in the old castle among the Balkan mountains where the secretary is supposed to have originated, of miss ing will of secret drawers under the goblin arms, of trickery, of a charming heiress and of an eventual clearing up of the mystery to the intense enjoyment of all. This is the tale of the servants hon onl tho hn nrlS of fh. ,Tli h ual.f it thrills his listeners and adds not lit tie to his fame as hero, for valets are only human after ali But wherever it came from, whatever was its age and however romantic its past history may have been, its present is certainly com monplaee enough In one end of the library, on a Parisian rug of great rich ness of color and depth of pile, it stands the mute and unmovable attendant upon five clock teas, evening musicales and whist parties, where its history is as lit tie appreciated as though it were planted in drawing-room on the planet Mars
 Upon the shelves in the back of the secretary there are various curoS ot vary ing degrees of value and uglincss also picked up in odd places in the old World and valued chiefly for their use lessness and rarity, Among these is a vase prettily shaped, for d wonder, and delicately colored. It came from the Orient where several hundred years ago some patient CeleStials spent days and weeks compromising and mixing, with pestles and mortars shaping and reshap- ing, burning and glazing until this art icle was turned out q perfect one of its kind This vase iS very proud ot it's rtr ity and its value In the catalogue which the owner has It k described in T whole page and its cost is marked in large figures printed in very black type The amount is $l00OO and connoisseurs declare it is a rare bargain even at that On either side of it are other vases not so pretty, some antique pots and mugs, and various other articles of vertu which go to make up an industrious amateurs collection. On the desk be low these shelves there is some writing paper, magazine or two, paper knife of Japanese manufacture and a plain shapen, iron paper-weight with d turned knob handle. It is clearly more for use than ornament and the presence of any thing useful among so many ornaments often give rise to talk, for bric-abrac will gossip as we'll as people, and with as little judgment too On this occasion the library was very quiet The guests had gone down to dinner, the lights were turned down low and the orna ments felt in more talkative mood than usual
 Well, observed the Japanese Paper Knife to the Chinese Vase You have had praise enough to-day to satisfy any one who is not disposed to be greedy Which of course you are not it added with cutting irony
 Yes, replied the Vase languidly, for it had learned that all fashionable people were languid-the more fashion able the more languid they werc-and 1t was an apt scholar Yes. they seemed to think that am very rare and very beautiful
 At this remark the Egyptian Idol at the farther end of the shelf smiled with exceeding contemptuousness and added not little to the hideousness its maker had given il
 Beautiful, indeed!' it chuckled ma liciously Why, only last year they called me beautiful
 That was joke, my dear Idol, broke Tn the Knife sharply lhey oc- casionally do get off joke now and then, by way of diversion.
 They never called you beautiful re- torted the Idol rudely
 No responded the Knife, am useful
 We'll, so was I. for that matter an swered the Idol Several thousands of years ago, when l was young l pre- sided over the destinies of kingdom and I was consulted about everything that was done"
 II dare say" snapped back the Knife, and where, ] may ask, Is that nation now9"
 What makes you so valaable?" asked the Paper-W eight of the Vase.
 Il am so rare" answered the orna- ment with faint trace of enthusiasm, and I cost the labor of many men for very many years I represent years of