The Dickinson press., 1888-04-28
IN THE PAWN SHOP.
A LITTLE GIRLS MISSION AND HOW
SHE PERFORMED 1T.

Scenes at the Counter-The Clerk and
His Unfortunate Customers-tTimond.
Are Way Town"-"Doin' of 1t Agin.'
Heavy Interest Charged.
In the afternoon of one of the coolest davs
last week a little mite of n girl pulled and
wleczcd laboriously up one of the east side
streets. She was remarkable for the artistic
way i'll which her face was soiled and for Il
big red shawl that was wound about her,
One end of it swept the sidewalk several feet
behind. a big basket was on her right arm,
and that it was much too heavy for her was
proved by the way she hitchcd it up at fire.
qurnt intervals. dirty little hoy on the
opposite side of the street stopped rubbing
his cars long enough to shout:
Are you dom of it agin."
The little girl laughed as broadly as her
frozen face would permit, and nodded at the
basket on her arm. In course of time she
had pulled her way up to Il dingy building
ornalncnted with three gilt balls above the
heavy door. She placed her back against
the door, and, by pushing with all her might,
forced it open and slipped behind it. Then
she was i'll Il small, square space, and was
very uncomfortable in u little knot of very
poor persons.
ALL MANNER OF
There was Il short counter, on one end of
which stood n little desk, with Il tall, ground
glass back that obscurel the business done
upon it from the persons in the store. Just
i'll front of the other end was a little inclos-
ure like Il sentry box, that was for the use of
customers who were ashamed of being there.
y range of shelves behind the counter, that
,o,l,n f,,l,, {l,o H--. a., Al. -
loaded with all manner of circular bundles
that bore upon their exposed ends little
squares of brown paper. But by far the
most prominent thing in the place was Il
gigantic safe that stood with gaping doors
near the desk.
y tall, heavily built man, with eyeglasses
and Il Hebraic cast of features stood behind
the counter wrangling with a good natured
Irish woman. In the mans shirt bosom and
on several of his fingers g%littered big dia-
monds. On the counter between him and the
woman was a pair of girls shoes but Slightly
worn. Il white skirt and Il sheet.
Come, now; be good natured,' she was
saying as the little girl entered, "and give
me -. Shure, Ill be afthcr taking them out
again on Saturday. Me man has steady
work now"
81 py me dose new for two dollar. 1 lose
money of | gift You Won dollar, hut you vas q
goot customer, ind SO l toni gale."
Then he swept the articles out of sight,
wrote Il few words on aticket, md passed it
to the woman, together with a silver 81.
"Nrll!"
The remark was addressed to u weak old
man with Il mass of unkcmpt gray hair float
ing about his face. He trcmblingly drew
from his pocket q we'll worn silver watch and
n thin silver chain and placed them in tho
clerks hand. TIL latter tlicked open tho
cascs, stuck Il jewelers. glass in his eye, and,
after II minutes inspection, said:
''Two dollar"
The old man bowed.
The door opened, letting in n rush of cold
air and slim young man, who dartcl into
the little box and raped imperiously upon
the counter. The clerk hurried to attend to
him, for the proceedings smacked of a dia-
mond transaction. This is what it proved to
be. The diamond was u large one, set in a
ring, II the young man was heard to say
500, as though he expected to get it. But
among the many rules that govern this bust
ness is one that says the first request must
never be granted. This rule was strictly adj
hcred to on this occasion.
"Timonds are way town." said the clerk.
"And they are bound to so up again, as
you very well know was the sharp reply;
'bnt if they were down lower than they ever
were before that stone would bring S75 any,
wlerc.'
81 gif you $40"
make it $40 and let me get out of here.n
The clerk made it $40, and the young man
hurried out.
OF DAILY OCCURRENCE.
Then q little dumping of u woman pro-
duced from the volulninous folds of u quilt
a big gilt volume, and laid it, together with
the quilt, upon the counter. The clerk
glanced ut them i'll u cursory way, and asked:
"Von tollar.H
1.-TWO, ave its plaisln' to ye," was the mild
reply.
Twelve shilling"
"All right, sir"
Then the little girl forged slowly up. and,
with an effort, raised the basket and set it on
the counter The clerk lifted the lid and
pulled out n pair of flat irons and a we'll
worn dress.
Nc mudder says will yc give seventy-five
cents..'
"Forty cents" said the clerk.
"Me mulder says she'll take them out sure
on Saturday, and will We please do it.n
'Forty cents"
The little girl raised herself on her toes and
began s%nufling.
"Fcefty cents"
The little girl burst out into u wild wall.
"~Feefty-tive cents and no more.'
can right, sir" piped the little girl, grow
ing suddenly calm.
Then, having done it again, " She took her
empty basket on her arm, wound the shawl
about her and walked out.
These are a few samples of the scenes that
daily occur i'll the pawn shops. There arc SC
many of these places in the city that it is a
wonder to many how they are supported. II
can be safely said that the liquor stores and
the pawn shops live through one another to q
great extent, and much of the money that
passes over the counter of the pawn shop.
finds its way into the till of the liquor stores
that, in their turn, %impoverish so many anG
force them to the pawnshops for help. The
pawnbrokers charge 25 per cent. u year OF
the money they lend, or per cent. a month
on u fraction thereof. This is a heavy inter,
est to pay, especially where there is really nc
risk. 1t is true that u goodly portion of thu
articles pledged are never redeemed. but
these, after q certain lapse of time, are sol(
at action or by private sale and much Droii
is reaped from thcm.-New York Sun.
Waiting for the Blessing.
An EASTERN Unified States snnotor tel1c fiji