Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-07-29

Il
veritable old gentleman.
Sir, says he, 1 am Il man who
does not find himself getting on well
and am forced to try going about among
the gentlemen. | am u tailor. | have
made an expensive OvorCOat for IL gen
tleman. Ten pounds was the price, and
he did not pay me So when he had it
on his back one day said, Sir, pay
me. And he said. You wait until l
am ready"
livery well. sir, will wait. But l
zee there is Il button loose. will fastcn
it for you. l have silk and needle here.
"Ah, said he, Just like You to
leave it that way. and off comes the
coat
"'You shall have it again the next
day after never, said l. So away l
walked. Iwould sell it for G6, which is
very cheap
II looked at the coat, which he I'M
folded from paper.
" Guess it will fit my son. said l.
IN try it on, and We'll see.
$50 it did
Then, said /, now, you zee, do
this to make up to you. as far as | can.
for that other fellow $ rascality.
"'You are an honest gentleman,
said he, and l will repay You by a
great bargain. l must sell my solid sill
yer spoons. | meant to melt them, not
to expose my poverty, but you shall
have the whole dozen for the tritie of
60
''Well, of course, jumped at that"
Mr.. Christy here laid the spoons on
the table--''and took out so.
But he had something else which
he took from under his arm
"'My wife is trying to sell her
shawl, he said.
''Well, looked at the shawl he shook
out Of its folds
"'You shall have it for e1, as a sam
pie of my generosity he said, with
tear in his eye
"Well, l knew you'd like it, my
dear. 1t looks like one | used to admire
you in when l courted you-red center,
cashmere border" and Mr.. Christy
shook ont the folds-the old shawl Mrs
Christy had exchanged for the vases
that morning She knew that at once
she could not mistake it. But as she
looked at her husband, beaming and
twinkling with good humor. she could
not bear to utter the truth outright
and tell how completely he had been
taken in.
''Six pounds for the coat and t2 for
the spoons, he said merrily, land 81
for the shawl, and this ''-holding out
Gl note-''is all have out of my G10
note! Poor old fellow! The last pound
he had in the world, he said, Hello!
What is this?" Mr.. Christy put on his
glasses and looked at the note Your
name is written on it in red ink, my
dear-'Caroline Christy.' All This is
counterfeit. Why, what in all the
world'-
"Ohr' cried William, at this mo-
ment entering the door. "That's the
note mother took long while ago--a
counterfeit.
And it has come back to me-" said
Mr.. Christy. "YOu never passed it,
Caroline Perhaps some servant took it.
What fool l was not to put ON my
glasses when the man gave it to mel"
''We both need spectacles, " said Mrs.
Christy, MY dear, neither of us can
laugh at the other We are both com
pletely sold" And when she had told
her story it became very plain to all of
them that the peddler who had stolen
the coat, spoons and the counterfeit
note from Mrs. Christy had by chance
entered Mr.. Christy's Office in his bust
ness travels: that he had sold him back
his own stolen coat and his own plated
spoons under the guise of wonderful
bargain in solid silver.
Happily the Christy family We're toll
erably well off and could afford to laugh
at the farce they had taken so promi-
nent part in, and Mrs Christy declared
she was glad to recover the shawl that
her husband remembered her wearing
during the happy period of their court
ship days
A member of the police force called
shortly after to state that the thief
could not be traced and was no doubt
very cunning fellow. But the Christy
family did not contide their joke to the
worthy officer. They had the wisdom
to keep it in the family. Spare
Moments.