The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-27
The Pawned Character
From the Bohemian OF Svatopuk Czech. Translated for
the Philadelphia Times by Leo WeinerS.sst.ts.ssss
UR WRITER'S are all guilty OF
the same fault. They squander
too much moncy-that Is, on
paper. Follow up any hero in
Ill. -.hnni lnntr inllEnn,..

what do YOU find? lie has generally
no office. no position. and yet he lives in
the best hotels. eats the most expensive
deliCaCies, smokes exclusively fragrant
HaVanas, and always duCat at hand
for an old beggar gives ducats for tips.
and a mettled steed Is always saddled
for him to ride in a moonlight night.
lie takes sea baths, travels through
Italy, and after having wasted in that
manner nine sheets of a useless life. he
still has left sufficient sum in the
tenth. to throw himself. out of despair "A
the faithlcssncSs of his sweetheart, in
the boiling whirlpool Of voluptousness,
To drown his sad memories in floods OF
champagne to wallow and rave in or
gies. -. Well as I said above. our
writer's do not know the value OF
money. They simply distain smaH
amounts. If you ever find any sums
mentioned by them it is always millions
twenty and thirty thousand annual
income: they won't dabble with smaller
numbers.
With this goes another fault. In de-
scribng a person they always neglect
an essential characteristics. They give
long discussions about his form. hair.
nose. dress. Character--but they pur-
posely avoid the only important thing
They let us take "A look into the secrets
of our hcro's wardroba. into the hidden
workshop of his thoughts. into the
darkest depths of his soul--in short.
INTO everything except his pocketbook.
And it is there they really ought to be-
gin. Then the reader would know at
first glance with whom he has the
honor and the hero would at once
stand out in the clcarest light.
| shall take the first timed step in
| that direction. Here is the pocketbook
of my hero, Alfred y. Kindly look into
! It,. You will see few divisions. and in
! thcm-nothing: here is one special
! division--in it again, nothing. Let us
| turn the poCketbook upside down: let
| us shake it. What has fallen out?
! Nothing.
| The remaining personal notice | can
/ give i'm few words. They partly fol-
/ low from the empty introduction. 4
slender well formed body; a pale
| dreamy face; on the lips-a bitter
! smile, and world-moving ideas in the
| head. On his feet, a pair of rn-out
| slippers; on his body. mysterious
! trousers and three-fourths Of a coat:
! in his hands, a pipe, two ellis i'm length,
from which escapes last breath in
the shape of a blue cloud The little
cloud rises rounds out, fancy weaves
it into it's last beautiful picture, and
this pales. goes out, molts away with
the cloud. And the pipe and fancy
| grow cold.
And what picture was II that has
| passed away with the cloud? The
picture of charming but cold-hearted
girl
Twilight nostles in the bare corners; ;
| his wardrobe yawns wide: the bed
| dreams fair dream of featherbeds:
the book shelves Clamor for books
and misery laughs ghostlike on all
sides. "Hee, hoe. The world has
abandoned you, your sweetheart has
scorned YOU, but | will not leave you,
my dear fellow"
| The cold pipe drops out of his hands
the bitter smile flies from his lips, the
cyelids close-the golden dreams are
gone.
gentle tap was heard a the door
Alfred jumped up. Should he open
No doubt, some one had mistaken the
door. 1t certainly is none of his ac.
quaintances, for they know that there
is nothing to be gotten out of him. He
would open in Gods name.
He opened softly, with due regard tC
his mysterious trousers and the three.
fOurthS of his coat
\ head showed itself and on It.
crooked features was written what
his lips chirped, "Old clothes. ole
linen, my young master, Aaron pay.
We'll, God knows, he pays we'll"
ON Alfred's lips appeared the ole
| hit tt., bn b. a.
the jew.
But ii was not so easy to get rid ~
him. He pushed his way into tn,
room, and said through his nose
"Well, maybe YOU will find something
old boots, old ShOeS-Aaron buys ever,
thing, everything"
"Convince yourself" Alfred retorte,
angrily. Here is the ClOthespresS
here are the bOokshelves. here
GOO knows. nothing at all" tn
Jew wondered AS if it had beel
: swept out It's pity. young gentle
| man pity! Aaron pays Well,
= With these words he drew from hi
, dirty chaftan much-used leathe
. purse ana shook it. And there wa
\ heard clear, full sound, the enticin
% voice of the metal, more emicing tha,
= the song Of a siren.
: Alfred was stirred at this sound; hi
eyes clung eagerly to the dirty none
: bag.
. Don't trne with me, Jew! or yo
I will fly down the staircase straig igln
: into the lap of Abraham"
, Aaron knows what he is about.
I the jew sOOthed him with disgustin
n submissiveness. You have rar
: gem for which Aaron will pay you any
q thing you ask"
- Saying this, he ran his hOOke
= fingers over his purse. Alfred follow
ed the motion with sparkling eyes an
called out
speak what is it that | have withol
>, knowing il? What am | to sell I
q you?"
The jew came out a step neare
3 leaned forward to his ear and whisper
II ed: Your character"
a Alfred stared at him in terror: M
e character, Are you crazy
"a The jew stepped back, straightenc
d himself out and said with haught
Y mien: You are surprised We
q Aaron buys everything-Cast-Off clotl
d ing, old umbrellas, honor, braid
a., sparks Of genius, rabbit skins-AarC
q buys the whole world. Why should !
n not buy character? Character is
fl rare thing I'm our days. There a
D. plenty of people without character"
n Alfred looked at the speaker in no
n rOr, The last rays of the falling 81
ia Just then burst through ghostlike a
/. peawHce. The purse in his hant
a. cleaned red, his disheveled hair al
beard We're changed into gold,
threads gold tliCkered into the fol-
Of his Chaftan and into his crooky