The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-03-28
A DOUBLE DEAL.


When the old peddler came to the
door with those extremely pretty vases,
Mrs. Christy felt that they were the
very things that she wanted in her
spare bedroom, and so, instead of say
ing "Nol" when he politely requested
her to see if she had any ''old clothes
to change for some splendid vases, +" she
allowed him to come in and sit down
while she went up stairs to rummage
and came down with some old garments
of her husbands and a shawl of her
own, which certainly she never should
wear again, unless it was at night, for
it was a fashion which went out before
she was married.
1t came to her mind that she was
foolish to leave a stranger alone SO long,
but the old man was sitting quietly
where she had left him, and looked so
much like a benevolent old patriarch
that she was ashamed of remembering
that the spoons were in the pantry and
the pantry unlocked. However, he was
Qu1UO WO1lQ1y C1OuSA w OIANC a AdAu
bargain, and to the coat, vest and shawl
she had to add a gown that might very
well have been worn often again.
However, it was not ready money,
and she felt that the vases-good imita-
tions of very costly ones-were lovely.
She carried them into the spare room,
and they made the mantelpiece quite a
different thing. Returning to the din
ing room, however, a shock awaited
her. Her husbands overcoat, which he
had unwisely left at home that day, be-
cause it was unusually warm, was gone
from its peg ON the hall rack, and,
| opening the pantry door, she saw that
the spoons were gone with it. They
were only plated, but no one likes to
lose anything in that way. Besides, she
felt greatly to blame for it.
The old mar had been gone a long
while, and, though she sent a messen-
ger for a police officer, he gave no hope
of catching the thief or of getting the
things back.
"Was there nothing else gomez" the
man asked.
Mrs. Christy looked about her and
discovered one thing more-a forged e1
note. She had it given to her by some
one a year before, and she found that
it was worthless and had written
across the back, ''This is a counter
felt" and added her name, and some
how she kept it in her workbasket.
The old nan had spied it with his
glistening black eyes and had helped
himself to it.
Sat all events, he can't pass it..
laughed Mrs. Christy. 81 feel a little
conscled when l remember how provok-
ed he will be-.
"He'Il pass it somehow" said the
policeman as he walked away, promis-
ing to report the case.
But Mrs. Christy, when she remem-
bered that the overcoat that had been
stolen was worth s. and the plated
spoons at least e2, found it necessary
to go to her own room and have a good
cry. 1t was not so much the value of
the lost articles as the feeling that it
was her fault, and that her husband
might possibly SO far forget himself as
to tell her SO. At all events, she would
lose a little of that fine character for
good sense with which, to her great
satisfaction, he had endowed her.
The day did not pass very pleasant
ly. Callers came, and she could not help
telling her story, but it was a joke to
the best intentioned among them, and
as the dinner hour approached she felt
very much indeed like running away.
However. of course, she was obliged
to stay. Her daughters were paying a
visit to some cousin, and there was no
one else to preside at table. Besides,
she could only have put off the evil mo-
ment. She went up stairs and got out
some spoons she kept in reserve and
waited for the impending moment. She
hoped that her husband would, at least,
be in good humor, and not-as when
things went wrong with him-a little
cross.
Mr.. Christy, however, returned that
evening inl gin good humor. Moreover,
he had an overcoat upon his arm. Could
it be that he had come back for it, after
all, and the theft had been limited to
the spoons and the counterfeit bank
note?
81 thought you went without your
coat, she said, with a little rejoiceful
leap of the heart, as she seemed to recog-
nize the ga lent by its form and color.
But Mr.. Christy laughed:
$50 l did" he said, $50 I did. No;
this is a new coat. l bought it for Will
liam. Ny son William is as tall as 1
am and nearly as stout, and this fits
me snugly-snugly. l came across it
a queer way. 1t is quite bargain. You
see, it looks entirely new.
Eyes, it certainly does, " said Mrs.
Christy, land exactly like yours, too,
dear. Aren't you jesting?"
"No, no. no, " said her spouse. ''You
know l only bought mine a week ago.
| presume i. is the newest style, and
William has none yet. He means to get
n cheaper one. So today, while / was
in the Office, in walked an old IN
veritable old gentleman.
"'Sir, says he, 1 am a man who
does not find himself getting on well
and am forced to try going about among
the gentlemen. 1 am a tailor. have
made an expensive overcoat for a gen
tleman. Ten pounds was the price, and
he did not pay me. So when he had it
on his back one day l said, 'Sir, pay
me. And he said, "You wait until |
am ready"
every we'll, sir, 1 will wait. But l
see there is a button loose. will fasten
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 1. So away 1
walked. Iwould sell it for Sc. which is
very cheap
81 looked at the coat, which he I'M
folded from a paper.
Guess it will fit my son, said l.
'I,l try it on, and We'll see.'
$50 it did.
"'Then, said /, now, you see, l do
this to make up to you, as far as / can,
for that other fellows ~rascality.
"'You are an honest gentleman
said he, and l will repay you by q
great bargain. l must sell my solid sill
yer spoons. l meant to melt them, not
to expose my poverty, but you shall
have the whole dozen for the trife of
e.
"Well, of course, l jumped at that"
Mr.. Christy here laid the spoons on
the table-''and took out e10.
: "Rut hA had something else which