The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-05-26


them. He wore a jacket and waist
coat of fine black cloth, iaultless
linen, large bright colored cravat
a heavy gold watch chain shiny
new silk hat and a stick with gold
head. Perhaps it was not gold, but
it looked like it.
Well, old fellow he called out and
stepped with youthful energy on
my corns. l have come to take
leave Of you. Thanks to the twenty
shillings you generously lent to me
the other day l have become rich
man, and l intend to go back and
live at home. l am going TO buy a
small house and live comfortably
on my income.
Iwasspeechless with astonishment.
He looked perfectly cool and steady.
His hair and beard were fashionably
arranged and he gave one the i'm
preston of being pensioned
cavalry officer or a circus director
VINO having made his fortune was
about to retire into his native town
there to pose as an honored and
| honorable citizen.
What the deuce have you been
doing! | asked. Have you murder
ed your old aunt? Have pou robbed
a bankl Have you won on the race
course? Have you stolen valuable
papers at foreign Embassy.
He shook with laughter, No, he
said, l have only traded in trousers?
Traded in trousers! I roared. till
the windows shook and | sank back
in my chair.
Traded in trousers, he repeated
very calmly. Why should l not
trade in trousers? Don't G. ex-
cited.
l am not excited but | must u
fess that | was rather taken aback at
the first moment by the idea that you
a former officer should trade in
trousers.
Well, he said, slightly annoyed,
| know great many former officers
in America who are earning living
as walters. l fancy a trouser mer-
chant is worth as much as they.
Certainly, | interrupted. But let me
hear your story.
He stretched himself full length up
on couch, lit his cigar, and began ::
A few hours before | asked you for the
sovereign I was hungry, poor and
ragged. In the Rue Rivoli I walked
into a large shop where sale was 60
ing on. l did this not to buy anything
but to get little warmer. When l
had got warm, | listened mechanically
to the crier and heard that on the fol-
lowing day 100000 pairs of trousers,
in lots OF ten pairs, were to be sold.
There were very few people IN the
shop l studied the trousers, as they
lay in lots of ten pairs. and saw that
they were decent results of the tailor's
art; good material and good work.
The pair was sold at two shillings, but
you had to take ten pairs at least.
Long experience has taught me that
my aunt Qhe pawnshop) gives five Or
six shillings for good pair of trousers.
Can't you see my calculation2 With
sovereign l could buy ten pairs j.; you
were good enough to lend me the
money bought ten pairs of trousers
and took them Immediately TO the
pawnshop. A great disappointment
was in store for me. The man
behind the counter told me that new
articles could not be received in a
pawnshop. What could l do? | put
my case to the man, and vowed that
had worn the things, but that they only
| looked so now because | was a very
neat and careful man, who looked after
| his clothes. At last be took them
He gave me six shiilings for each pai1
which l had bought tor two. 1t was a
lucky day Next day | bought twenty
pairs and spent the afternoon and
evening in wearing them. And the
day after that | took them all to the
various branches of the pawnshop, after
which | had sufficient money to buy
fifty pairs.
Or course l could not wear them all
and as l did not know soul in the
place except your old porter l began
to make love to him, and supplied al
your bank officials with trousers-thai
is to say, l made to each of them a
present of pair on the condition thai
he must wear two pairs of new ones q
day. As soon as the trousers began tc
look worn l pawned them-that is tc
say, | caused them to be pawned by
my clerks. For my business went sc
we'll that l could no longer manage i
alone. l had about sixty assistants
some of whom were employed in walk
ing about the boulevards wearing new
trousers. Occasionally got them tc
wear three or four pairs at time ii
order to expedite business. Thus
soon got the 100000 pairs into my
hands. The great difficulty now arose
that the pawnshop, brimming over will
trousers, would take no more. Ny
men were e7en threatened to be taker
to the police. Some 10000 pairs art
now sIumbering in the cupboards o
"my aunt" And the principal pawn
shops are glutted in the same way, TO
| had finally to send travellers into ths
provinces.
The net result of it all is that. afte
all expenses are paid, | have made
a profit OF five shillings on eaci