h, and placing it in the hands of the
pawn-broker, with whom he seemed to be on terms of acquaintance, he
exclaimed, "Quick now, Crimp; thirty dollars on that; you've had it
before, and needn't stop to examine it."

The money was instantly produced and paid over; and the young man of
fashion, crumpling the notes up in his hand, ran off at full speed,
first looking up and then down the street in a manner that gave me a
suspicion as to the cause of his haste. I took the liberty of following
him to the door, and was in abundant time to find my conjecture
verified by seeing him accost the poor woman who had just left the
shop, thrust into her hand either the whole or part of the sum he had
just received on the pledge of his watch and chain, and then hurry away
to the other side of the street, without stopping either for thanks or
for explanation.

The reverie of mingled surprise and admiration into which I was thrown
by this unexpected manifestation of benevolence, was interrupted by a
loud outcry from Mr. Crimp, the pawn-broker, and by seeing him, with a
look of wrath and horror, hurry round his counter and out through the
door, upon the sidewalk, where he stood for a moment straining his eyes
down the street, as if in search of the kind-hearted youth, who had by
this time disappeared up one of the cross streets.

"The villain," he exclaimed; "the swindling scoundrel! Which way did he
go, the ungrateful thief? Tell me," he continued, turning to me, "tell
me which way he went, and I'll give you any thing you've a mind to ask.
Yes, I'll give you--half a dollar, if you'll show me where he is."

I was not a little astonished at all this, but deferring the
gratification of my curiosity for the present, pointed out to Mr. Crimp
the course taken by his late customer, and mentioned also what I had
seen take place between him and the poor woman. The information, or
perhaps even the brief space employed in giving it, seemed to produce a
change of intention in the mind of the estimable gentleman.

"Ah it's no use," he said; "he's got off clear by this time, and my
thirty dollars is a case. But I'll find him yet, some day." And thus
soliloquizing, Mr. Crimp returned into his shop.

The explanation for which I was so curious, was now afforded me. The
young man had several times before deposited the watch in the hands of
Mr. Crimp, as the quid pro quo of certain needful advances, and as
often redeemed it, when accident or luck at