The San Francisco call., 1906-08-26

est we fuoSA PttiL1t-
What a strange place is pawn
shop," said Hagar, philosophizing to
herself "All the hotsam and ietsaLl
OF human lives drift into II. Broken
hearts, wrecked careers worn out and
dead romances-this Is the place for
them all ! should like to know the
story OF that sealed up teapot"
Indeed. so curious she was TO know II
that she felt half inclined TO call on the
old maid and ask for information. But
Hagar, although poor girl. and wan
dering gypsy, and the ageress of a
low London pawnshop had a natural
instinct of dellcacy which withheld her
from forcing the confidence OF one dis
inclined TO give H.
Miss Snow was lady born, as all
Carby's Crescent know. and her un-
bending pride was proverbial. The
few words with which she had checked
Hagars inquiries about the letters en-
shrined in the teapot showed plainly
enough that the subject of the hinted
romance was not one 10 be touched
upon. Hagar therefore KEPT the tea
pot in the shop, and forebore TO call
upon its owner.
For some weeks Margaret continued
TO weave her baskets and take them
20 the shop which employed her She
went TO church every Sunday morning,
according TO her usual custom, and
other than these outings she remained
secluded in her freezing garret. In
that year the winter was particularly
severe in London, and snow fell thickly
before Christmas. In her desire to
save money for the redemption of the
teapot Margaret denied herself a fire
and reduced the amount of food she
took TO as little as would sustain life
In her thin clothing and well-worn
shoes she went to shop and church
amid falling snow and in the teeth of
cutting winds. Naturally, with lack
of clothing. food and fire, with her
weight of years and cmaciated frame.
she fell I'll. One morning she did not
appear. and the woman Of the house
went up 10 find her in bed
Still, her bold spirit, her Unborn pride,
kept her reEolute TO refuse charity, and
she woYe her baskets sitting up in
her truckle-bed between bouts of pain
and anguish. In these straits she
must have died but that. God in his
pity for this helpless and tortured
woman sent an angel 10 aid her. The
angel was Hagar, and a very practical
angel she proved to be.
Learning from the gossip of the
neighborhood that Miss Snow was i'll,
and remembering the episode of the
silver teapot, Hagar marched UP TO the
freezing garret and took charge of the
old maid Margaret objected with all
her feeble force. but the kind hearted
gypsy girl was not to be deferred from
what she conceived to be her duty.
You are i'll and alone, so / must
look after YOU" she said throwing a
rug, which she had brought. over the
poor woman.
But l cannot pay You All 1 have
OF value is the silver teapot"
Well, said Eagar. proceeding to
kindle a good fire, that is safe in nv
shop. so don't trouble about it. AS to
the payment, We'll talk about that
when you get better"
i shall never get better groaned
Margaret, and turned her face to the
wall And indeed, Hagar thought, that
was true enough. Worn by years Of
cold and priVation, Margaret's body
was too feeble TO resist much longer
the inroads of disease. When she left
her garret again IL would be feet fore
most, and another London pauper
would be added to the great army of
unknown dead. With Margaret the
rapidly.
Hagar was like a sister to her. She
kept her supplied with fire and food
and blankets; she gave her wine to
drink. and when she could get away
from the shop she came oftentimes 10
sit by that poor bedside. It was on
such an occasion that she heard the
one romance OF Margarets life. and
learned why the love letters-they
truly were love letters-had been
placed in the silver teapot.
II was late in December, and the
ground was white with snow. The
shops, even in Carbys Crescent were
being decked with holly and rnistletoe
for the season of yule, and, after clos
ing the premises, Hagar had come to
pass an hour with Margaret There
was a good fire-one which would have
made wrathful the miserly heart of the
late Jacob Dix-and a fair amount of
light from two candles placed on the
mantelpiece. Margaret was cheerful
even gay, on this evening. and with her
hand in Hagar's she thanked the girl
for her kindness.
But indeed thanks are weak" said
the blind woman; you have fed the
hungry and clothed the naked. After
thirty years of doubt, my dear. YOU
have restored my faith in human ma
ture"
How did you lose it,"
Through a man, my dear: one who
saio that he loved me, yet who broke
Off our engagement without any rea-
SON"
That was strange, why did you not
ask him for his reason?"
Il could not" said Margaret, with n
sigh; "he was in India. But it Is
lcng story, my dear. If you care to
listen"
u shall be delighted" said Hagar
quickly, especially IL 1T explains why
you sealed up the letters in the tea
pot"
Yes, it explains that In that tea
pot-which was the only present | ever
received from John Mask placed his
cruel letters thirty years ago; also
n,inc to him. which he sent back"
why did he send back your Ietters9p
asked Hagar
Il don't know; / cannot say; but he
returned them. oh" she cried with
a burst OF anguish. how cruel. how
crueli and loved him sol loved him,
But he forgot me and married Jane
Lorrimer. Now they are rich and pros
pereus and happy, while IL am dying
a pauper in a garret. And the silver
teapot is pawned," she finished pa
thetically.
Hagar patted the thin hand which
gripped the bedclothes Tell me the
story" said she soothingly-"that is
il 1t will not cause you too much pain
Pain echoed Margaret bitterly
when the heart is broken ii feels no
pain. and mine was broken thirty years
ago by John Mask" She ra,aafral -