THE ROMANCE OF A PAWNSHOP.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2076, 24 August 1885, Page 2

THE ROMANCE OF A PAWNSHOP.

L L"JoKn T," Raymond .j SkeV'lH Mulbany thetfiage : with Bis" millions iu'ii, J -' : *He ffa?'Sracking jokes with frieiidrnp town the other dar, when he pulled out his watch, ion thel'ace of which, in lieu of figuWare the twelve letters of his niimo. It reminded him of a watch presented to , him at Mobile,'and a roiiiarice.!'that'-' '"i connected with its disappearance Be proceeded to tell it: ' " Ever been in a pawnshop? - What a pull it is the first time. I've been there. Often I Often! But the firat time was a wonderful thing. I was dead-broke. I ■ had a watch •presented, to me hy the citizens of Mobile, all inscribed and engraved. I went down 'to Simpson's. I' cduldn't muster up courage to go inside. 1-stood ou , the i erb while the cold sweat came 0 tit on sff' ; forehead. I thought every man that passed was looking at jrne, I thought the policemen were gathering on distant comers to keep watch of me. I thought that everybody 1 was saying to everybody else: Look at him.- He's got something to. pawn. Where do yous'pose he stole it? I stood there on one foot and then on the other for nigh two mortal hours., Then I bolted.inlike a madman. Before I had time to look up I \vas in a little stall. It was dark, and 1: was half scared out of my senses. But in the next stall I heard the piteous wailing voice of a- woman, begging for ?3 more on some article. ' For Sod's sake, my mother is dying,'shesaid, 'and unless I. have §2 more they will turnus out of the house.' Then the voice responded telling her to take® the • offered and get out, or take liergoim It sounded awfully brutal to me..lknewfroiu her tobs that she went out. ' .Then he ■turned to me. I handed up my watch without a word. I didn't expect to get enough on it to last a week, judging from his treatment to the woman. In fact, I was no Beared that if he had asked mo whose watch-it was I. should have repljg I didn'i know, and should probably liott bolted. I felt.like afelon, and must have looked like a thief. ' How.' much do you want}' ho asked' What can you giVe ?' I responded'. 'Sixtydollars,-liesaid! Gracious, how breezy I grow. Sixty dollars! 1 Why, it was a small fortuno., Mr board was only 83 a woek, and with a dollar for washing and another for suiidrios, I counted on twelve weeks of ease from care. I grabbod the money and was'starting out without, a ticket, when he called me back for it. Onco out on the street, 1 was making a dash for the street car, when a woman stopped me. She .was weeping. I knew instinctively it was the' womanjjof the pawn shop," '.Were you m there, sir ?' she asked, ■ I felt like drawing myself to my full hieght and denying the damning charge, - But she was a woman, • and her piteous cry was still linajring in • my ears. I owned up. ' WliaSßall I do?' shesaid. ' I cant gohoiiio without : 33 more. Oh, they are monsters in there. My mother Is dying,, and lam ' half wild lest they turn us out.', I pulled out my roll of money and gave her $3. ' She was about to thank me, 1 turned and rushed for a street oar, i ' 'Nearly ten years later, wliile'the stock company plan was still in operation all over the country, and only the stars went ■ from place to place, I was in a, Western ' city for an engagement. I was late in getting there, and when I rushed on the stage 1 for the firat entrance, I couldn't underi stand why the leading old lady acted so 1 queer. When I came off she was waiting i forme. 'Are you Mr.Raymond, really! 1 1 shesaid. 'lamindeed.' 'Can,l speak • to you a moment 1 I want to ask if you ! wasn't at Simpson's pawnshop at such ft ' time ?' All my old repugnance against 1 admitting I had ever been in such a place s came up, but I managed to stammer that i I was. Then she asked if I remembered , giving §3 to a young woman on the corner ' in distress. It turned out that sho was ; the young woman. 'My mother died within an hour,' she said, 'but tflhioney ■ you gave me enabled me to keep 01ft ijooma, ; to bury her from. Ito a ballet girl 1 then. Now lam playing o)(l p:\rta, i and doing well.' Wasn't;that a gresigjt, ■ come of my romance? Ohi abciut^e ■ watch,"concluded Ifrliaymoiid, "I.was i so excited 'that I lost my ticket, and so 1 poor afterward that it didiit make any I difference I never saw it again, and , presumo it went to the melting-pot, as I ! 'have never seen it since. ''-N.Y. Tribune.