Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-30
UNREDEEMED PLEDGES.
ACcUMULATIONs OF A PAWNsROKER
PUT UP AT AUCTION.

| Tall Stories-Sentiment.
| The auctioneers had house clearing. All
the watches, jewelry, scarf pins, opera glasses,
pocket pistols which Mr. Wilkins Micawber,
! Gent, and others who were waiting for some
! thing to turn up had confded to the care Of
a south side pawnbroker, were to be sold
under the hammer. Mr.. Micawber attended
( tie ceremony. So did Mrs. Micawber. So
/ did throng of bargain hunters. The street
was packed with them. The auctioneer was
elderly, bald and benevolent. He wore spec
tacles. He bore general likeness to Mr..
! Pickwiclz. He was assisted By young
( gentleman Of rapid and disjointed utterance
who rese1nbled aIr. Jingle; and he was always
/ calling attention to his Pickwickian philan-
thropy, the purity Of his motives, the square
nessn of his conduct. In his vindication Mr..
| Jingle aided him volubly.
The sale began with q pair Of solid gold
mounted earrings Somebody bid 50.
1.-TWO dollars" sang out Mr.. Pickwick.
''Two dollars and q quarterf Who says
quarter' Quarter, quarter, quarter, viii
! you make its"
Property Of prominent society lady"
! cried Mr.. Jingle Husband speculated-
went to board at night-hung himself from
/ gallery-cut down in morning-wheat rose
/ immediately-wouldh have been millionaire
sad case-very."
"My only reason,n said Mr. Pickwick, "for
| parting with these precious relics is the
! pawnbroker's stern command Gentlemen,
you know me. guarantee everything
sell Ny heart bieeds to dispose Of these ear
rings, but guarantee them. Now who says
| quartera Quarter, quarter, quarter, shall I
| make it?'
The crowd was now dense Two or three
! heavy faced, beetle browed men stood near
! the auctioneer, and whenever he urged them
| TO SNAKE it a quarter" they generally made
it quarter. A suspicion that they were in
| sympathy with the vendors made their
neighbors fight rather shy Of them, and
whenever they showed much disposition to
pile up quarters" they generally had the
bidding to themselves. Once or twice wo-
man at the back would timidly raise her
finger and secure ring OF q brooch. The
professionals would turn with laugh, and
regard their unprofessional sister with scorn.
| A handsome Newfoundland dog strayed in
from the street, lay down on the edge Of the
throng, and regarded the proceedings with
| philosophic loftiness. "What form of human
chicanery is thisr' he demanded, blinking his
big brown eyes in the sun
"Here is watch" said Mr.. Pickwick,
''with solid fourteen carat gold case"
Gan immense bargain" added Mr.. Jingle.
''Stem winder," said Mr.. Pickwick.
| 'Key winder," said Mr.. Jingle.
tPerfect ORDER" said Mr.. Pickwick.
Cease alone worth the money!" said Mr..
Jingle.
Gentlemen" said Mr.. Pickwick, beanning
through his spectacles, ''thiS is not my sale.
This is the pawnbroker'ss sale. Youknow the
pawnbroker. He is as benevolent as I am.
His heart bleeds when circumstances compel
him to sell the forfeited pledges Of the needy.
Twenty dollars are bid Who says quarterl
Quarter, quarter, quarter, shall make itf'
A third auctioneer now made his appear
ance. He was more violent than his part
ners He was revolutionary in his doctrines
and was for Smashing things" A ladys
gold watch was produced. ''Break it to
pieces, gentlemen" cried the revolutionist
''Grind it to powder. The gold dust to which
you reduce it will be worth more than you
bid for it."
Remarkable watch" cries Jingle, 're-
markable history-lady approximations
scandal-thought she eloped with German
baron-no baron at all--only footman-
hadn't a cent-everything sold-watch
pawned-curious story-very."
Gentlemen" says Mr. Pickwicl, "here is
lady's lace pin; star and crescent; nine
diamonds; worth $3.50"
Formerly property Of Hattie BLACKBOARD"
says Jingle-"daughter of Philadelphia par
son-went to Russia-called herself Fanny
Lear-not grand duke-grand duke all broke
up-robbed grandmothers shrine-gave
stolen diamonds to Fanny-Russian police
bounced her-fed to Paris-went broke
sold this lace pin-odd creatnre-very"
'Worth $780," says Mr.. Pickwick. "Who
bids for Fanny Lear's lace pini Ten dollerss
Thank you, sir. Quarter, quarter, quarter
shall / make itr'
''Here is a Tissot watch" says the revolu-
ZIONIST "Snasb it with q hammer. Screws
are solid gold. Tear 'em to pieces; rip 'em
up; pulverize 'enl; and q pawnhroker will
lend you s75 on the fragments. What's the
bids Six dollarsf Why, the glass is worth
moren
Watch belonged to Bearded Lady," saya
Jingle. "Great attraction-din1e museum
manager presented vatch-token Of esteem
--envfous rival-took scissors-approache
Bearded Lady In bed-cut of beard-never
grew again-Bearded Lady busted-manage
fred her out-pressnted another watch to
envious rival-sad calanity-very.n
Mr.. Pickwick got rather Jealous Of Jingle's
tales. lie even attempted to spin yarn CT
two Of his own. He tried to pass or gold
beaded cane as "Tascott1s cane" But the
crowd jeered, the professionals laughed and
the Newfoundland dog gave an orninous lit
tic growl. They wanted the original Schs-
herezade, the authorized teller Of tales, or
nobody.
Ii "The Ragpicksr of ParisH-that famous
cid pley of Feli- Pyat, the communist-the
ragpicller sorts out his bag and finds shred
Of sentiment or hunor in every rag. This
BIT Of lace was worn by the belle Of the ball,
that scrap Of calico came from SHIFT that
was made b. starving mother beside the
cot of a dying child. So in this pawn
brokers' sole every article had its history.
Jingle, the rdnancer, knew nothing about
them The opera glasses in motaeT-of- pearl
that lie at his side could tell Of the nigbs
when he and she went for the first time
together TO the theatre; how she had no eyes
for anything but the stage, and he had no
eyes for anything but her; and how the
opera glasses, having the gift Of observation,
sarnised from her behavior that the engage
rlent subsequently, came TO nothing. This
ring could cell Of betrothal Of which tie
parents hoped so much; that ring could tail
Of a marriage which ended in strife and
separation.
Gravely rose ths Newfoundland dog;
eravely be shock his head; graveiy he walked
away. Dinly it dawned upon his canine In
tellizence thst this auction was an epf.one