Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-09-19
The STORY Telter.
THE AUCTIONEER'S STORY.

This is strange world ! And yet L
never thought 80 until my attention
was called to the fact by a little Incl
dent that befell me one day and set
me to thinking so hard that I seemed
to grow out of my own head and reach
a great height, and then look down
on my other self with compassion. L
don't know that it made me any wiser,
but at least it made me more attentive
to my Acknowledgements thought
full of their joys and sorrows-and
that counts for something, / reckon.
I had cried dozens of pawnbrokers'
sales in my time, and never thought
anything about them, unless it was
that old Two to One or Give and Take
were doubling their money, and max
ing a pretty penny, even with 10 per
cent commission taken OF.
But I had never thought of the
story connected with any one article
of the sale-of the heartaches, of de-
spair, and woman's tears. 1t was but
a Joke to me, who had known the
time when to "spout'' a watch or
pistol, or some light trinket, in order
to carry on frolic, or help a poorer
chap than I was, was but the impulse
of the moment, and carried no further
weight than the relief from empty
pockets at the moment. 49,.
But, as I said before, something
made me think, and ever since have
not the same heart to cry away the
goods of the poor creatures that want
and misery has driven into old Two
to Ones clutches.
The city of B is a splendid
market for our business. The trade
done there by one house alone would
discount any banking, commission or
other business in the place, and only
by some token, the pawDbrokers equal
US in power and profit, and give us
some of our biggest sales.
An odd lot came into the wareroom
one day consigned to us by Clutchem
& Keep, shrewd firm of new begin
ners, and as it fell to my duty to as.
sort and label the goods, it thus also
fell to my fate to have a part in the
following story.
The consignment consisted mainly
of glass and silverware, pictures and
bronzes, as Clutchem & Keep were
rather frst-class in their business, and
did not condescend to family Bibles ;
but in the lot 1 came across a few
pieces of furniture which attracted my
attention from the fact Of our having
an order from a western house to pick
up all the antiques and oddities afoat,
for a bric.a-brac firm.
Here was about dozen specimens
Of claw-legs, stick-backs, and other.
wise uncomfortable household articles,
in the way Of chairs, dressing-glasses
and cabinets, and 1 at once labeled
them sold, that they might not get
Ii into the next days sale, but be for.
warded at once to our western house
One article alone 1 noticed with at.
tentiou enough to remember afterward
and then only because I struck my
hand roughly against it, and the pain
made me stare hard at the cause of it.
It was an old cedar cabinet, brass
bound and clamped, but rusty and
forlorn looking enough in its changed
fortunes. I labeled it, as thought
for our next days sale, as there were
two others to 90 west, and the home
market was then going crazy fol
everything old, but parents and friends
as either the north or west.
But subsequent events discovered
my mistake. Our Saturdays sale wa:
a big one-the rival house across or
the corner hadn't chance agains,
US on that day-and by noon every
article put up was bid off lively anc
quick.
The crowd had begun to thin, and
was busily mopping my wet face with
fresh handkerchief-fo it was warn
work, I can tell you, to cry such Sale:
from 10 to l o'clock-when lady
came back in the, store and approach
ed me eagerly.
care you the proprietor, sir p she
asked, with nervous haste, and I saw
she was trembling.
~ am the auctioneer, madam"
said, wondering what was wrong. 81
will call the firm, if you wish"
"Perhaps you can attend to my bust
ness. I-I-do-not-understand-
these-matters very well," she falter
ed; and then I saw she was poorly
clad, although we'll bred and timid.
1 drew an old chair up into tht
corner, and asked her to sit down
and she did so gratefully-poor little
woman II took a good look at her
She was still young and pretty.
Behind her hung long mirror. L
had grown dim hanging there, anc
had a misty shadow over it, and il
the two angles of the corner stood {
faded old Japenese screen and tai
chest of drawers.
The store was now empty, and the
light was leaving it, as the sun was
creeping away from the door-sill anc
mounting up to the roof, as it had only
waited for the sale to be over.
The lady had face that touched
me at once. She was pale and timid
but there was that ia her face tha