St. Paul daily globe., 1892-02-07


with strange excitement. and then
| quickly-reaehed out to take the volume,
Let me look at it,'' said the visitor
! turning about.
"Oh. don't think you will like it,
Sir. lt hasn't been very we'll cared for,
| and l fancy that the binding wasn't
very good in the first place. Indeed
sir" he added, becoming more eager to
take the book, II don't believe that it is
so old as its date would imply-16s9.
don't really belive it is so
old as that. l haven't looked
into the matter very closely, not
being much interested, you know, but l
don't believe there was an English
/ translation OF Plutarch so far back as
| that"
1.-The deuce there wasn't" the visitor
replied; "hOw did Shakespeare manage
to follow Plutarch's Julius Cesar so
closely?"
,,.'Well, but Shakespeare may have
| been better scholar than Ben JOnson
thought he was. Indeed, sir, great men
have begun to believe that Bacon wrote
the plays-a least the classic ones"
| ,o'Rats!" said the visitor. ''How many
volumes are there of tllIs?"
"Eight, and you see what unWieldy
things they are"
t'What will you take for the set?''
7"Really. sir, think L have an edition
| that Will suit you much better"
"Don't want any other edition--want
this. What will you take for it?''
/ IL don't want to sell it," he said, TAX
ing the volume from the visitor.
1T Isn't so rare, old man, that it is
priceless. will give you S75."
"Ihe price is satisfactory enough, but
| don't care to sell.''
but don't you need money? Didn't
L hear man say just now that unless
you pay him $40 tomorrow steps will be
taken to turn You into the Street?o
Yes. that's fact; yes"
Then why are you so fOolish?''
MY dear sir, l wouldn't order man
out of my. honse for the world, but
wont you please go away? | am sick
and must lie down.
Yes, will go away, but will come
back tomorrow
The visitor went out. and the old
man.gathering up his precious volumes,
tenderly placed them on his bed. and
then Law down beside them. Hours
passed, and still he continued to lie
there. Once some one came in and
coughed to attract his attention. but he
did not look up. He dozed Off into
troubled dream. and was awakened by
voices in the '.ioint." He got up, and.
after rubbing his dim old eyes, recog-
nlzed two acquaintances.
Hello. Dorsey"
Good evening, gentlemen"
you may well say evening if you
wish to refer to the lateneSs OF the
hour"
''What time is it?''
AFTER twelve.n
81 had ITO idea 1t was so late" the old
man SAID, getting up and coming for
ward.
"Yon were not awake to hear the
news"
"What news?''
1.-The express office just up the street
was robbed of $4,000 this evening. But
don't suppose it concerns you much?"
well, can't aysthat am shocked,
still the news is interesting. If some
body had to be robbed, don't know of
an institution that is more able to lose
money than the express company. 1t is
much better, too, than if an old book
store had been robbed. Won't you come
back and sit down?''
mo, just thought we'd drop in mo-
ment and look around. Good night"
The first thing Dorsey thought of
next morning was that he had to paw
hopes that he might make enough of
what he termed comparatively indiffer-
eht sales to raise $40; yet the morning
wore away and no one came In. just
atan0on the collector entered the office
.fWell, have you got $40 for me?"
s'l'm sorry to say that / haven't. [
expected some money this morning. but
it didn't come. But [ am sure it will be
here by tomorrow. Anything | can do
for you, Slr?'' he asked, turning to
man who had just entered, and then he
drew back. for he recognized the man
who had offered SIS for Plutarch.
Yes" the man ans swered, .'you can
let me have those bOokS4'
but told you"
"Never mind what you told me. Here
are SIS, nearly enough 10 pay two
months rent. Come now, don't be
foolish. You'll soon forget the attach
ment you had for them. You don't
want to be set out in tile street. Here.
give the man his rent"
'But he can't put me out under a
month, and by that time Pll have the
money"
Well, but what's the use of hanging
fire over thing that must be dOne?''
A long discussion followed. The
Wonld-be purchaser was persuasive and
logical; the old man finally yielded in
sort of dreamy way. The persistent Gus
toner marched Off with his books and
the collector went away with his rent.
Old Dorsey's eyes were more than
ever mildewed brown, and his flowing
beard, which had seemed to be kept as
ii sort Of religion, was tangled as 10
creed ought to be. Sometimes he would !
mumble as though talking apologetlcal !