The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-08-04
RIGHT AT HOME.
The Tenants OF Flat Leave Relative
in Charge Who is Ia Need of Money.

A young couple who may be called Mr.
and Mrs White left the trim little flat on
West Ninety sixth street fortnight ago
and went to the CatslkiIIs for the month
of July. 1t happens that Mrs. White
has an impecunious cousin named
Blanchard. He is struggling young
lawyer, who struggles to make as much
as he can without doing any unnecessary
work.
Consequently he was very much pleased
when Mrs. White asked him to occupy
the flat during the absence Of herself and
her husband. says the New York Mail
and Express. Blanchard moved in the
day after his relatives left. He brought
with him vigorous appetite, parched
throat, and some 81 in money.
He managed to provide himself with
food and drink for the first week, but
soon the crash came. and he woke up one
morning hungrier and thirstier than ever
with just about enough cash in his pock-
ct to buy cheap newspaper. But
Blanchard is a young man Of resource,
and the Whites had many pretty little
things in their rooms on which q pawn
broker would willingly make loan. OF
course, Blanchard argued that he would
redeem them before his relatives got back
from the mountains. He didn't know just
how, but he is the kind OF person who
can make himself believe anything he
wants TO, an Optimist with all SORTS of
optimism on tap for emergencies. So
he took an afternoon tea set and went
around to visit q friend on Columbus
avenue. When he came away he had
pawn ticket for 'one tea set' and $40
in his pocket.
1t was an easy way to get money, and
he kept it up from day to day until the
rooms were stripped of almost everything
which wasn't nailed down. including q
little china shepherdess a bookcase, two
rugs, a lamp and the piano stool, Blan-
chard would have paWned the piano Ii he
had been strong enough to carry it. 1t
was While he was specializing on The
value OF the piano that he noticed hand
some metrOnOme which Mrs, White had
bought to mark time for her daily finger
exercises. Blanchard didn't know what
the metrOnOme was, but as looked like
ready money he tucked it under his arm
and dropped around the corner to see his
friend, the pawnbrOker. Blanchard lost
no time in getting down to business.
What you give me for it?'' he asked.
For What?'s said the paWnbrOker,
''For this, . answered Blanchard, tap
ping the metrOnOme.
Yes, 1 KNOW replied the pawnbrok-
er; ''but what is it?
Blanchard's face fell. 81 dom It know, .
he 1altered.
Where did you get it?' said the man
behind the counter, dOubtfully
cat home, " replied his customer. The
pawnbrOker thought OF the penalty for re-
ceiving stolen goods. you got it at
home, and don't know what 1T is? be
said, sharply. Il suppose that's the way
with the other things you've been bring
Ing around here. Don't you know I run
big risk by such business?H
Practically Blanchard was thief, and
he knew it, but he was game. Il don t
know that it's any OF your business, he
retOr5ed you've made loans on those
things, and if you don t want to advance
any money on this Whatever-yOu-calI-it
guess I know somebody who Will, - and
he started for the door, The pawnbrOker
weakened.
''I'n take it, - said he, showing out the
cash.
That night Blanchard dined in state,
and had enough money left for a good
brea kfast. He knows that the day of
reckoning is near, but as has been said,
he is an optimist. Like the cheerful
Micawber, he S lOOking-nO, hoping-for
something to turn up.