The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-03-23
CHAPTER II


harassed as he was. l recalled Hugh
Colfax as one of the most distin-
guished engravers of his day, q
strange, arresting character, old when
the Nineteenth century was young, the
stoutest of British patriots. From the
outbreak of the American Revolution
to his death, he refused to execute
any of the orders for bookplates which,
In those days of the infancy of design
and engraving In this country, cult
waited Americans. especially southern
ers. were in the habit of sending to
England. | had once seen and care
fully studied several Colfax plates at
the home of collector who was one
of our best customers and had invited
me to q private view. But an Amerf-
can Colfax would upset all history and
tradition.
81 do want to see it" l cried.
you're sure it's a real Colfax? Do
you know Hugh Colfax refused every
American order he received, and he
could have always named his own
price? What's the owners name? Is
1t dated?"
give me chancel" begged Peter.
"It's more than / got upstairs this
morning. Actually, don't dare leave
the building until Mr.. barrow Oh,
hi! there goes that internal time
clock againl Excuse me, Constance;
nerves are shattered"
"Go on about the bookplate."
swell, Thursday morning | had just
picked up the catalogue in the exhi.
bition room of the Richmond auction
galleries, when my eyes Lit on Notes
on Medical Statutes ct cetera.
asked the clerk to bring 1t out. He
said another gentleman who had called
for il was still examining ii, and would
| wait. / did, and glanced up the
counter casually at the other gentle
man, thinking | could get line on
him if he should be rival bidder. All
| could see of him was his back, but II
was enough. | considered him TO be
an exceedingly strange gentleman TO
be interested in an old law book. He
was young and dressed like bad
dCiOI Will SOOu Jou-piASnl-oiuC
suit, gray spats, slick black hair.
While waiting his pleasure, wan
dered off TO look at some other eX-
hibits near the door, and while ] was
examining them. girl walked In from
the street, past me. She was the
loveliest girl. Constance, I've ever
SEEN"
"What q relief! | saw | was no
longer to be the greatest influence in
Peters life, Sometimes ii had been
pretty wearing, fond as was of my
little boy friend. Some one else could
do it far better, knew.
"How wonderful. Peter! And the
boOkplate?"
81 had to watch her; | couldn't help
it." he resumed simply. "She hurried
forward toward the counter, then sud-
denly she bounded back as If she had
been hit There was nobody at the
counter except that man, and he had
his back toward her. and was, more
over, completely absorbed in examin-
ing the cover of the book, which he
was holding open. She dashed behind
big case of china, and disappeared.
"Well, l looked at some Chinese
snuff-bottles and hooked rugs, and
then decided it was time for the other
fellow to leave. SO l asked for the
book again, and the clerk told me that
young lady was examining 1t now,
and would | wait And sure enough,
up the counter was the same young
lady. having doubtless. from her coign
of vantage behind the case of china.
beaten me to getting that book. The
gentleman of the spats had vanished.
was ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS the word?"
Intrigued"
Correct, especially as at once per-
ceived that the young lady was COM
pletely absorbed In examining the
cover of the book, which she was hold
ing open just as the man had: that is.
so as to look at the inside left-hand
cover. could see it had bookplate
on 1t.
"Well, that girl suddenly laid down
the book on the counter, and fed out
of the door. That time ] got hold of
it. | wondered why in thunder those
two young people could apparently be
so interested In an ordinary bOOkplate.
The first thing noticed about Ii was
that one corner was loOse-the right
hand corner, under the snake, you
know"
1.-THE snake? What in the world
ah, have it'll You mean the serpent,
twisted like a capital c. that Colfax
signed his best plates with; circle
means eternity; a serpent's wisdom
had taught him how to draw immortal
designs-modest old chap. Isn't 1t
nice that the Legal federation has al
ready ordered the book. so we shant
have every bookplate collector In the
city here to fight for the plate
SIT wouldn't be the first time it has
been fought forl" broke in Peter, bit.
terly. "You see, I judged those two
young folks must be collectors of
bookpates who each thought he-or
| she-had stumbled on a real find in
that old law book, and were keeping II
| dark so as to snap 1t up at bargain.
| Everybody knows that once in a while
| catalogues miss trick. like anybody
else Now, had general standing
orders to buy that book whenever
came across it. spent the rest of the
morning in Libraries and museums,
tracking down information about book
| plates with snakes.
81 finally discovered Colfax, and fig.
ured out what you imply: that he was
so much against Free Staters and the
| Near-West policy that no one had ever
| Thought of his drawing a Yankee book