Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-07-19

"Gra-a-nl'' called the guard. and the eleva-
ted train discharged its Grand street contin-
gent among whom were a party of our per-
sons two young men and two girls, in whose
eyes ride in an east side train and a visit to
the Bowery evidently constituted kind Of a
lark as jolly as il was unusual.
The girls chartered like blackbirds as they
ran down the steps and made their way
through the cosmopolitan crowd that filed
the dusty street. The young men piloted
them carefully among the quieksands of side
walk musicians, beggars and wandering en-
poriums of collar buttons. shoe strings
and polychromatic crayats; directing
their amused attention to the wondrous at
fractions of the museums as shown on the
startling canvases that adorn the fronts of
the buildings in which the various fat girls,
tattooed Circassians and sixteen-toed men
were to be seen for that insignificant pinch
of silver one dime
''Oh, it's the qucerest place" cried the in.
FAINT of the party, whose blonde bang had
won her the irreverent title of TOW" among
her intimate friends See that absurd little
drum up there, beating away TO draw atten-
ton to the Only Living Bearded Baby-poor
thing; ! hope 1t gets enough to eat, and
Miss Tow beaved u sympathetic sigh and
lapsed into silence for fifteen seconds.
They were bound for certain jewelry store,
where one could often find quaint old silver
aud antique bijouterie that had been rescued
IIbUl lut pawn EhDln Ut CotAtu HpUl lle
cabinets of poor descendants Of wealthy fam
lilies; and the second hand trade of the
dealer had grown until he found it an inn
portant part of his business, and hunted
both Chis country and Europe over for oddi
ties and relics with which to please the whims
of HE patrons. The young people were
soon deep in the my steries of Apostle spoons
Nuremberg tankards and rocco eandlesticks
and if the elder girl had not interposed Miss
Tow would probably have run her poor papa
in debt to shocking extent.
what is that Frank" asked this more
prudent damsel, as she gave last covetous
glance at an enamel brooch ornamented by
famous French miniature painter with the
portrait of court beauty, who lived in
those
Teacup times of hood and hoop,
Or while the patch was worn.
"It's a blessed old malachite spectacle case;
did you ever see such tremendous silver
bowed goggles as the poor fellow that owned
il had to wear?" answered the young man
laughing. And here, Fanny, see this. IL
looks like book OF devotions, and he I'M
fastened the tarnished silver clasps that
closed a book bound in faded yellow velvet
and strengthened by broad silver bands and
a heavy silver rim around the case. n relic of
the days when books were books and not
things to be turned out by tens of thousands
to be read once and then thrown away.
nv WV spulS shtu INT BlEi
stood examining the old missal, while Miss
Tow vowed she had seen enough books dur
ing her last year at school to satisfy her for
the rest Of her days, and went prowling in
the depths Of big tray full of antique brace
lets, archaic christening spoons and miscel-
laneous trumpery of the species so dear to
the feminine heart
A squeal Of delight from the book-hating
treasure hunter made them turn to see the
latest discovery.
"Oh, say!' cried that yolatleyoung lady.
"This is the dearest old pungent | ever saw,
and an just going to carry it home, be-
cause need one and shall never find any
thing again that like half so wellI'' and she
held out a little box.
81 wonder where this came FROM" she
ratified on.
'1'm sure it must be English or Dutch, for
its too quaint for an use--lookl"
The Others gathered around and admired
the toy furnished and denied, and with
hinges that were almost past their days of
service. But Fanny studied it closely for n
moment.
"oh. dear" she aid. 81 think | was grow
ing sentimental over that old book that was
so dear 10 somebody, and now this positive
ly makes me want to cry. Do you see this.
you little vandal7' and she pointed to some
letters worn into an absolute ghost OF an in.