THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



August 



THE PAWNBROKER, 



Hts Lrife Not a Happy One From His O-wn 

 Point of VieTf. 



"Yes," said the pawnbroker, "the 

 public has au idea that we are a harci 

 aearted lot, but that is only one side of 

 the story. A man in this business who 

 Qad tears to shed wouldn't have a roof 

 over his head inside of a year. ' ' 



"You mean you can't afford to pity 

 the misfortunes of others on a cash 

 basis?" I queried. 



"Very few people come here on ac- 

 foiint of misfortune. You saw the young 

 man who went out as you came in?" 



"Yes — an actor, eh?" 



"Very likely. Here's a watch he 

 brought. The works are second class 

 and the cases filled. I can buy a carload 

 at $15 apiece. He was hard up and 

 came here to make a raise. He said his 

 wife was dying, and he wanted $25 on 

 the watch. When I offered him $5, he 

 wept, but if you'll follow him two 

 blocks you'll find him in a saloon, 

 spendin:g part of the money. Nine out 

 of ten customers don't hesitate to lie, 

 and ten out of ten would beat your Un- 

 cle Isaac if they could. ' ' 



"But people pawn their clothes to 

 get food, ' ' I said. 



"Perhaps so. Here's a dress a woman 

 brought in an hour ago. She also wept. 

 She had a story about sickness and hun- 

 ger, and she declared this was her wed- 

 ding dress. From certain earmarks I 

 know she bought this dress secondhand. 

 I know she paid $4 for it. I strained a 

 point when I offered her $2, but she'll 

 go out and call me a highway robber. " 



' ' But you never get taken in and done 

 for?" 



"Don't I? Well, I'd like to seethe 

 pawnbroker who hasn't been done up! 

 It's a cold mouth when I don't get beat, 

 and by the very people whom you would 

 sympathize with most. See these shin- 

 ers?" 



"Yes — fine diamonds.'* 



"Want 'em for a dollar apiece?" 



"You don't mean it!" 



"Glad to get it, sir. They were left 

 by a woman who wanted to raise money 

 to bury her husband. I was half sick 

 and very busy and gave her $60 on 

 them. They are paste — only paste. She 

 came in here to beat me of course, and 

 no doubt had a good laugh over. it. 



Here's a locket set with pearls, which 

 my clerk advanced $30 on. The weeping 

 man who brought it wanted to bury his 

 dead wife with the money. I can buy 

 'em at wholesale for $3 apiece. Don't 

 you believe all you hear about your un- 

 cle having a heart of stone. There are 

 plenty of people who wouldn't beat a 

 street car, but we are considered fair 

 game for them, and they'll lie like 

 smoke to take us in. It's a great place 

 for tears, sighs and tales of sorrow, but 

 the main idea is to give your Uncle 

 Isaac the cold drop, and it's done often- 

 er than I care to acknowledge. ' ' — De- 

 troit Free Press. 



luternational Arbitration. 



The re-al obstacle in the way of inter- 

 national arbitration is not so much a 

 lack of efficacy in the method as the 

 lack of a disposition to try it. The sys- 

 tem of arbitration necessarily presup- 

 poses that nations desire an amicable 

 adjustment of their differences. Such 

 au adjustment may be prevented either 

 by a willful opposition to it or by the 

 adoption of a style of controversy that 

 will render argument impracticable. 

 Against such obstacles it is difficult to 

 contend, since their direct tendency and 

 effect is to bring about a collision be- 

 fore an arbitrator can intervene. It is 

 obvious that arbitration can no more 

 afford an absolute safeguai-d against 

 such contingencies than can a system of 

 municipal law absolutely prevent men 

 from attempting to settle their differ- 

 ences by fighting in the street, if they 

 desire thus to revert to primal condi- 

 tions. Yet severe penalties, strictly en- 

 forced, may reduce such chances to a 

 minimum, and it is conceivable that a 

 scheme of international action might be 

 devised so comprehensive as to render a 

 resort to war exceedingly difficult and 

 hazardous. — "The Possibilities of Per- 

 manent Arbitration" in Century. 



Self Defense. 



"So you accompanied your wife to 

 the play, after all?" 



"Yes. I happened to think that if I 

 didn't she would tell me all about it 

 when she came home." — Chicago Rec- 

 ord. 



Stern duties need not speak sternly. 

 He who stood firm before the thunder 

 worshined the "still small voice. "^- 



