Show rd v u HAGAR OF THE PAWNSHOP y Fergus I oLn the with whom Hagar Eagar Hagard td d to t do 10 whIle managing the Lambeth I pawnshop she li always to MJ br br r Margaret Snow The memory of IF that pale blind old maid with her har S Or r I story arid and her patient endur alice ance hever died out of at the girls heart The pitiful little episode of the silver sUver teapot which she pawned so and only out of sheer Sher necessity the sad tale recounted by the crushed creature and the unexpected part which she took in the conclusion sion SIan or of such We tale all these theM things served to keep gr green n the memory of the sad woman hom Hagar called her customer There was even some something something thing ludicrous in parts of the affair something naive and childlike in the absolute simplicity of the romance but Hagar hager never saw its humor All she knew was that Margaret was a 8 mar martyr martyr tyr or a saint Mint and that the world was the loser for not knowing her story SUch as it is the tale runs thus It was dusk one November evening when entered the shop with witha a parcel tied up In an old towel Ha Hagar Hagar gar knew her well ell by sight as a blind blindwoman blindwoman woman who lived In an attic at the top of the end house in Cre ent and as one who earned a hard bard and pe penurious penurious kY weaving hand has bas baskets of a 8 great emporium At Atthe atthe the corner orner of the outside street These specialty ot of the gre great t shop were given to customers in which to carry away small and as the demand was constAnt the supply was as the same Margaret could always alays sell sellas U as many of these baskets as she could weavE but although skillful and nim hIe with her ber Jon long fingers she could rarely arly earn more than 10 shIllings s a On this she had bad to live and drEss and buy food so her existence was really a kind of miracle Still she had Iad never asked charity of a single uI being proud and r reserved and in inaH all aH the years she had dwelt in she had never entered the pawnshop Knowing this H Hagar r was as astonished to see her standing in one of the sentry boxes with the bundle on the counter before her Miss Snow cried Hagar in sheer surprise Wh What t is the matter Is thErE anything that I can do for you ThE thin pale face of the woman flushed as she heard ber herself elf called by hEr name and her voice volee was hesitating ing and low as she laid one slender slander linger finger on the bundle before making re reI I have been en ill Miss Stanley she I softly UJO I have not done work lately Very little money moneyS Ls S come orne in II am obliged toto pay my rent She broke don dows altogether and added de desperately lend me something on this Hagar became a business woman at al aliP 11 iP What That is it she said undoing bundle hundle deftly It isit isa silver teapot Miss Snow the only valuable I pos SS I wish to p pawn wn it for three thre months until I can redeem It II 11 hope to repay the money by then Three three pounds will be Her voice I died away in her bel throat and nd Hagar saw her poor thin h hand nd steal up to her I av u Cu face uc to v brush U away a a u te r i The i teapot was a square one ot Geor Georgian gian design with fluted skies sides an ele elegantly gantly curved spout and a smooth han r of ivory Hagar Hager was Quite willing Ih k nd on it the required three pounds j a as tile S silver ilver was worth more untIl she shel l lf a 5 curious discovery The lid of pot was closed tightly and soldered aJ round In a 0 manner which made it impossible to be opened This odd C ir rendered the teApot for aU all practical purposes ee entirely useless no nfl one could u a hermetically sealed essel Why is this teapot closed asked Hagar In surprise It was done thIrty years ago by my rier replied the bUnd blind woman oman In a aIm voice then after a 2 pause she In faint and hM hesitating tones tone There are letters in it Letters Whose letters Mine anda persons with whom YOU 11 have ave no concern Pleam do not ask any more more questions Miss Stanley Give nie me the money and let me go I hope to deem the teapot in three months Hagar hesitated and looked doubtful As it is ae sealed led up the teapot Is hard h of much use uee she said sakI after s a aJ J rinse Take it b back ck my dear now and Ill lend Jend you the three I I Thank you no replied the old L maid coldly I take charity from no nc orr If you cant lend the money on th teapot give ghe me back k my property HOh Ob well ru take It in pawn if you I like rejoined Hagar Hager with a 2 shrug Hf Hern re are three sovereigns and Ill I make out the ticket at once The hand of the blind woman closed L n the mon money y with a sigh of mingled L regret and relief When Hagar re turned with tH ticket she saw that Margaret was fondling the piece of silver as though unwilling to part with it She drew back flushing on hear ing he approaching ching footsteps of Ha Hagar gar and taking the ticket in silence I moved moed away with tears running down ter Ler withered cheeks Hagar was as touched by this mute misery Can you find your WilY way back home in t the e darkness she called out My dear said the elder woman with dignity dignifY day And night are the same to mE You forget that I am blind Also she added with an attempt at lIghtness I know every inch of this neighborhOOd When hen she departed Hagar put ay away the teapot and aDd wondered a little over oer the odd cir circumstance of it being c cand closed and containing love Jove letters She was 8 certain that the letters were full ot of love from the faltering way in which Mar garet had mentioned them also be cause they were her u own and a per persons persons sons with whom you have no con concern concern cern That last sentence as spoken by the blind woman showed Hagar only too truly her Indomitable reserve and pride She must reduced to her bel last crust before she could have brought herself to pawn the queer a teapot as a receptacle for love let letters tern was very queer eon On tamed the evidence of her youths dead J mance Thirty years ago the teapot r La i been s sealed Hagar Hager knew also tb t tty ty years ago the he heart rt or of this blind blinda a I unattractive old maid had l been een i bt Here indeed was for a that t The strang strangest est the most pitiful What a strange strang place js is a pawn pawnshop pawnshop shop said Hagar philosophizing to herself An All the flotsam and of human lives drift into it Br ken hearts wrecked careers worn out and dead ead is the D isee ee for them alL I like Uke to know the story of that sea teapot so curious was she he to know it that she f felt half inclined to call on the theora theold old ora maid and nd ask sk for But Hagar although a poor gIrl and a wan J I c f T 1 H I 1 i 2 J I t fr i t I U CP n T erin Y I d gypsy and the manageress or of a aw Ilow lo w pawnshop had a natural I instinct i of delicacy which withheld h her herrom r from f rom forcing the confidence of one cBs dis I i to give it ft Miss Snow was a lady born as all C Crescent knew and her har un UG bending be pride was proverbial The rhe few words w with Which she had checked Ha Haars gars g ars about the letters en i iro Ii the teApot showed plainly enough nough e that the sUbject of the hinted romance r was riot not one to fo be touched upon pon u Hagar therefore kept Ue the teApot in i n the shop and to call upon Its I ts owner For some weeks Margaret continued to t o weave her baskets and take them to the he t shop hop which employed her She went to t o church every Sunday morning ac c to her usual custom and other than han t these outings she remained 5 ac e hided In hEr freezing garret In that y ear the winter was particularly severe severen in i n London and snow w fell thickly before Christmas C In her desire to save money for f or the redemption or of the teapot garft g aret denied herself a 8 fire and reduced the he t amount of food she took to as little Hale littles HaleAS AS a s would sustain life lite In her thin clothing lothing c and shoes she went 1 f the shop and church amid falling ow and in the teeth of cutting winds Naturally with ith lack k of clothing food and a nd tire fire with her weight of years and e frame she fell ill One morning rhe did not appe r and the woman of the house houe went up to find finder bel h er In bed Still her bold spirit her inborn pride kept k ept her resolute to refuse charity and s he wove her baskets sitting up in her t b between tween bouts of pain nd ad a In these straits she must have hae d but that God in his pity for thi h helpless and tortured woman sent an a angel angel ngel a to aid her The angel was Ha Haar g ar and a 3 very practical ang angel l she roved proved p to be Learning Leaming from the of th h n C n h n C n n that Miss tUss Snow was s sand Ill and a nd remembering the episode of the ilver s teapot Har marchEd up to the f garret arret and took charge of the old o ld maid Margaret objected with nil aU aUbel niler bel h er f feeble ble force but the kindhearted Y girl was not to tc be deterred from w hat she conceived C to bo be her duty 4 You ill and alone so I must look after fter a you she said throwing a rug which she had brought over the poor woman But I cannot pay you All I have of value is the silver teapot Well said Hagar proceeding ding to I kindle n a good fire that is safe in my i shop hop s so dont trouble about it It As to the payment well 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 Margarets body was too feeble to resist much longer the inroads i of disease When she left her garret again It would be feet foremost and another London pauper would be added to the great army ot of unknown dead With Margart t the sands of time were running out very veo rapidly Hagar was like a sister to co 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 to sit by that poor bedside It was on such ai ocea slon sion that she heard the one romance or of Margarets life and learned why the love truly were loe let Jet been placed In the silver sUver tea teapot teapot pot It was late in December and the ground was white with snow The shops even In Crescent were being decked with holly and mistletoe for the seAson of yUle and after do clo Ing the premises Hagar had come to pass an hour with Margaret There was a good which would have made wrathful the miserly heart of the late ate Jacob a fair amount amunt of fC light front from two candles P placed Ced on the mantel piece was as cheerful even py gay on this evening tail nd with her hand In she thanked the girl for her heI kindness But indeed thanks are weak sl said the blind woman you have fed the hungry and clothed the naked After thirty years or of doubt my dear you h have ve restored my faith in human na ma natUre mature tUre How did you ou lose it Through a man my dear one who said Mid that h he loved me IDe y yet t who broke off our en engagement ement without any rea reason son soil Tb That t was strange Why did you not ask him for his reason I 1 could not said Margaret with a sigh he was as in India But it is a long story my dear If you care to listen I shall be stUd said Ha Hagar If it explains why yoU sealed up the letters in the tea teapot teapot pot Yes it e explains that In that tAA ta I was the only present ent I ev ever r rr r received from John MaikI lIkI placed hIs cruet cruel letters thirty years ago also alK mine mineto to him which he sent back baek Why did he send back your letters letter asked H Hagar gar garI 11 I dont know I cannot say but he returned them Oh she cried with a burst of anguish bo how cruel how cru cruel cruel el and I loved him soI loved him But he forgot me and married Jane Lorrimer Now they are rich and p pros porous and happy while II am dyIng a p pauper tn in a garret And the silver silvor teapot Is 15 pawned ned she finished Hagar patted the hand which grIpped the bedclothes thes Tell me the story said id she is if it will not cause you too much pain Pain said Margaret bitterly When the heart is it feels no pain and mine was broken thirty years ago by John Mask lask She remained si silent silent lent for a moment and then continued uI I lived at ChrIstchurch in Hants my d dear r in a little cottage just outside the town This I Inherited from my together with a trifle of money rot not much indeed but sufficient to live upon Both my mother had died leaving me inc alone in the world at atthe atthe the age of 20 so I liv in my cottage with Lucy Dyke and nd a little maid as my servants Lucy was near my own age and looked after the tha house as well I Iwas Iwas was blind you see my dear said Mar Margaret garet softly and could do nothing for myself Dear Lord but I hove have had bad to earn my own living since then Overcome by bitter memories she paused for a moment Hagar did not dare to break the silence and in a short time Margaret resumed her tale Also I had a dear friend can called d Jane Lorrimer who lived near with her par parents parents and who visited roe me constantly We were like sisters and I loved her better than anyone any one In the world till tiU John Mask came to Ftc Fe was vIsiting the rector of the parish and I met him Although 1 never saw sav his face I was told that he as aa very handsome and he had n ii swe sweet t low I voice which ch charmed nned me greatly You Tou know my dear how we poor blind folk II love a sympathetic voice Wen Well I loved John but I had bad no idea that there would be any return of that love for how could a 8 blind girl hope that a hand handsome handsome some young man would look on her especially added Margaret in a mel melan melancholy an choly tone when Jane was so hand handsome some But he did not love Jane observed I Hagar significantly uNo No said the bUnd blind woman oman proud proudly ly he loved me and this ho he told me after we had known each other a year We became en engaged ed and life was then at It its brightest for me However he heau au going out to India Indi to be a tea teo plan planter ter and he said when he WAS settled there and had made a fair of money that he would send for me meA A Alas alas that promise waS was never kept Why it asked Hagar Har bluntly Who can tell said Margaret et sad sadly sadly ly Not I not Jane She was Wats as sur surprised surprised as I was wag when the end came AlthoU Although h bl blind my dear clear I en can write fairly well and John Jhn made me promise to correspond COrre vond with him I did so 80 for more than a year and he answered faithfully Who read his letters letter to you ou Sometimes lane Jane sometimes Lucy Dyke Ah Ab they were both good friends to me in my trouble At first Johns letters were very affectionate but as the months went ent by they grew colder and colder Oftentimes Jane said that she JIbe would not read them to me I wrote to John asking the moaning meaning of this change but h his s replies were not satis satisfactory factory At last eighteen months af after ter his departure I received back my lett letters Really Did Jane or Lucy bring them to you uNo No Jane wu was ab absent ent in London friends and aDd Lucy was at the moment out of the house The lithe mald brought me inc the packet I opened it thinking it m mIght ht be a present from John u as he had gIven n me nothing but the silver teapot which io 10 presented to me before he departed I made the little maid walt wait till I opened the pack packet et and I asked her ber to read the letter front from John Inco ed Did she Yes Oh too the pain of It cried Mar Margaret Margaret garet He aid that it was best that our engagement should end and that he returned to me my letters thirteen in all Not an excuse or ii a or a ar r regret Only two curt cruel lines 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