The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-21

price.
"I went to every old house in the
Faubourg Saint Germain to which |
could gain access: also to every old
chateau in the Seine and in the Seine
et-Oise; | attended every sale of fur
niture and read all the advertisements
of family effects that could be had by
purchase, private or public. i went
to every private sale and every public
auction, and to the sahs of old muse
um duplicates; in fact, l taxed my
conscience day by day that | should
leave no means untried by which l
could search for the brown brocaded
velvet, and honestly earn my five
fracs a day.
while ! was diligently prosecuting
my search two odd things happened.
About two months after / accepted my
mission, ! thought had got the article
at last. There was to be a sale of fur
niture at an old chateau near Pontois",
whore a great many we'll l-known second
hand dealers and amateur collectors
for miles around would Congregate,
and there l saw a roll of about thirty
yards of brown brocaded velvet, as I
thought identically Of the same pattern
and weave. | could not restrain a cry
of joy and surprise. But, alas it was
not quite the same. Two small details
in the design differed, and the lighter
tint of brown in the background was
more accentuatcd. ] was on the point
of writing about it to Madame In Mar
ouise, so beautiful was this fabric, and
so Impossible did it appear to me to get
anything better or as good If lost the
chance. But I hcSitated, for | remcm-
bered she protested that nothing but
the identica thing-absolutely the
same brocade-would be accepted. And
I reasoned if I could not be successful,
could at least be obedient
"The second incident was really
startling. At the end of the fourth
month got to be so well known--and
50 had my sample of brocade--that all
the secondhand shopkeepers began to
laugh at me as a sort Of crank and
call me old Monsieur Brown
"'Here comes old Brown BroCade,'
they would cry whenever they saw me.
But ! did not heed their badinage.
On the contrary it rather spurred me
on to greater assiduity. If by their
noisy mockery they would make others
aware that someone was searching
for a web Of old brocade, there was all
the more hope of the news reaching
the family who might be in possession
! of the very thing / wanted, and their
| railery would act as a sort of free adj
vertisement.
AS l thought it would the news got
| about that a man was searching for N
| particular pattern of old brown pro-
|
| from a surprising number of places.
"One day. on reaching home quite
weary and footsore. after a long days
search, l found ., gentleman waiting
| for me, who said:
| lis IL true, monsieur, that you are
| searching for twenty-five yards Of old
| brown brocaded velvet
| 1T is quite true, monsieur
| "'And that you will pay any price
| for it?'
| II will pay n fair price for it, mon
| sieur, but not an eXtOrtionate one
"'WiN you show me your stuff?
| Certainly
After examining 1t he said to me:
| 4 am q manufacturer of similar goods,
and ] will undertake to make you that
| identical brOcade for one thousand
francs a yard. Be discreet and they
| will never know the difference for I
can make it look as ancient as the
sample by an admirable process of my
own invention. The Rayonne de Clunys
ara immensely wealthy people and,
moreover, eXtravagant, They care alb
solutely nothing what they pay for
anything if they fancy it. Why rot
pay the price ] ask and get the mater
ial from me and end your fatiguing
| quest? I guarantee that it shall be of
the best material and a perfect copy,
ard you can deduct as commission two
hundred francs on the yard What dc
you say?'
"'No monsieur
land why nOt?'
because what I seek is an au-
thentic ancient brocade, and a copy
of this present century will not do.
81 tell you that I guarantee to pro-
duce the fabric so exactly that nc
one, not even an expert, could tell the
difference. The Rayonne de Cluny
family will have perfect faith in its
genunenesG, and that it was made two
hundred years ago. If you do not
close with my offer you may as wei
retire from the search and save the
wear and tear of your boots, for
tell you that you will never find it, AL
the dealers have already told you the
same story
Then why do you come to me Sc
confidently, saying that you can fur
nish the exact thing if ! will let yol
manufacture it for me-
because ! can make it exactly like
your pattern and | thought you would
gladly treat with me and pay on'
thousand francs per yard
"'Ah, well, we are wasting each 9th
ers time. Let us end this conference
monsieur.
Come now. I'll make you a NOR
liberal proposition. III give you thre
hundred francs yard commission b.
cutting down my own price.
"Tf you gave me three Thousand
franca yard monsieur, ! should de
cline IT, and have nothing more t
say
well, you will find out your mis-
take when it is too late. 1t is, n
doubt. excellent 10 be honest, youn
man; but to be stupidly over-hOnes
and so ridiculously scrupulous as yo
/ seem To be does not pay, to say tn
| least And the tcmpter Withdrew.
, My order as to length of time ha
nearly expired, when almost at tn
, 'ast day, when I had given up hope
and merely 10 acquit myself of ster
: duty and have nothing with which I