Smyrna times., 1890-03-05
OLD CLOTHES.

taken bad money, and no more know
from whom than know the Koran. AnC
what is more" added Mr.. Pattipan, 90
shall offer it to some one if I carry il
about with me, and get into difficulties
I'll leave it here"
He put it into the china bowl full Of
visiting cards that stood on a table in the
corner of his wife's parlor as he spoke
kissed her, and took his way to those re
gions vaguely spoken of as ''down town,
and Mrs. Pattipan looked at the counter
felt note, and in order that she might moi
make some mistake herself tore it across
the middle before throwing it back intC
the china bowl.
"Mr Pattipanneve observes sufficient
ly," she said to herself. Ellis organs OF
reflection are large, but his organs of OBJ
servation are small"
Mrs. Pattipan had studied phrenOlogy
in her youth, when it was fashionable to
do so, and had habit of attributing
peoples virtues or failings to their bumps.
Then she went about her household
duties, ordered the dinner, scolded the
servant, arranged her bureau drawers and
attended to Mr.. Pattipan's buttons, and
in the middle of this task heard the door
bell ring. 1t rang twice without being
answered-cook and Sara Jane being in
a deep quarrel, occasioned by the re-
proofs of their mistress-so Mrs. Patti
pan, having peeped over the balustrades
for some seconds, descended the stairs
and opened the door herself. Through
the glass she could see that it was only a
peddler of some sort, who would be sent
away at once, after which she would at
tend to the culprit below stairs.
As she opened the door she saw upon
the steps without an old clothes man with
basket Of china on his arm. A fat lit
tie old fellow with an immense nose and
a benevolent smile, who pushed his bas-
ket into the door as an entering wedge,
and said very softly and tenderly and
with persuasive waves of his hand from
the cheek outward:
''Laty-dear rlaty-a-me-aiblel laty, will
you not exchange some ole clo'es which
areof no goot for some elegant new vases
vich viii make you always some pleasure
ven you look at dem? Elegant vases! Oh,
you shall see DEM
mo" said Mrs. Pattipan, ''no, I think
not"
But the woman who deliberates with
an old clothes man at the door is lost. The
basket wedged itself further in.
''It viii cost noding to look at dem, s"
said the old clothes vender. ''It will be
a pleasure and cost nOding."
every well," said Mrs. Pattipan. 81
dontreally promise, you know; you never
give much for the clothes. think your
acquisitiveness is more largely developed
than your benevolence. Seems to me SO,
looking at you"
MADAME is very good" said the old
clothes man, waving from him the COM
pliment he fancied he had received. 81
60 in-danks."
He entered the parlor. Mrs. Pattipan
rested herself on chair near the window,
and the old clothes man exhibited his
stock Of common vases, at which Mrs.
Pattipan looked contemptuously.
Finally regarding her with an acute
eye the clothes man restored all these to
his basket, and saying:
''NO, desc are not to madame's superior
taste" put his hand in his pocket and
drew forth a little ornament of very beau
tiful CHINA Cupid with butterfly on
its shoulder. ''Zere!' he said, spreading
both hands abroad. COW about zisy'
"Well, said Mrs. Pattpan, "that is
lovely"
"And zere is no more; e come from
Paris, said the old clothes man.
''Oh, he is sweetp' said Mrs. Pattipan.
"Il see what I have"
And upstairs she rushed, and gathering
from drawer and closet all the old panta
looms with baggy knees, and all the old
coats with frayed cuffs and greasy col
lars which were in the house, laid them
at the feet of the clothes man.
But now it was the old mans turn to
be scOrnful.
''Zese ragsl Oh, madame, not zese rags
for my lOfely Cupid from Parish he
sighed, reprOachfully. Madame will find
somezing else; she will not expect re Door
old clo'es man to cheat himself. Madame
has some pretty silk dress-a cloak. a
shawl-madame will seer
Madame, who could not give up the
idea Of possessing the Cupid, now that
she had once harbored it, ran upstairs
again. She searched her drawers. her
wardrobe, but really she had nothing.
Suddenly it occurred to her that she had
broche shawl, and that she never wore
1t. Shawls were out of fashion, and if
she hated anything it was a shawl turned
into cloak. The thing would lie there
useless for years, or she should give it to
Mr.. Pattipan's Aunt Jane. She would
never wear it again, that was morally
certain. Why not buy the Cupid with it?
She unfolded the shawl and felt an un-
usual contempt for it, it looked so old
fashioned. 1t had cost S25 when it was
bought, and was as good as ever; but
what an ugly thing! Yes, she would do
it, She carried it down stairs therefore.
and the clothes man condescended to ac-
cept it. However, he also put into his
bag the old cloth garments.
81 viii not leave zem about to trouble
madame, he said; 81 will oblige her bv
carrying zem away"
Mrs. Pattipan returned to her parlor
to adore her Cupid-certainly a very
lovely little being.
Glow l admire It'll It's my idealitv
and my form, I suppose" she said, be-
comins chronological again. Il should
have been 4u artist, having form and
color 50 largely developed"
Then she placed it on the cabinet
shelves, and as she retired to distance
TO observe the general effect, saw that
the counterfeit bill that she had thrown
into the china bowl after tearing il across
had vanished. The old clothes man had
taken it-there could be no doubt Of that.
"But he was 50 acquisitive he could
not Withstand temptation" said MrS
Pattipan. 'Well, hope he will not
pass it on some Door person, and 1 don't
care if he gets himself into trouble-he
deserves it."
at all events she had her lovely Cupid
how much better than an old shawl
that she detestedl Still, she would not
mention the old shawl or the coats to Mr..
Pattipan. Since she had made the awful
mistake Of exchanging his best trousers
for match holder it was understood be-
tween them that old clothes men were not
TO be permitted to cross tho threshold.
No; she could buy what she pleased,
and Dir. Pattipan never thought Of ask
ing where it came from. It should 20
80. But, OIL her lovely Cupid-how She