Part 34 (1/2)
”I at once determined to take advantage of this gentleman's antiquarian zeal. I will own that I had some qualms of conscience--about imposing upon the old gentleman, but I didn't know of any other way to procure the money I absolutely needed.
”Having made all of my preparations, I set off for Mr. Leland's house.
To disguise myself I put on a pair of big goggles and an old-fas.h.i.+oned collar and tie.
”'I understand, Mr. Leland, that you are in the habit of collecting curiosities,' I said.
”'Quite right, sir,' said he. 'I have got together some few,' and he gazed with an air of pride at the nondescript medley which surrounded him.
”'I have in my possession,' I proceeded, 'two or three of great value, which I had hoped to retain, but, well, I need money, and so I must part with them, much as I wish to call them mine. But I wish to see that they get into the proper hands, and I have been told that you are a great antiquarian, understanding the true value of such things, and so--'
”'Pray, show them to me at once!' cried the old man, eagerly.
”'I have traveled a good deal, and been a pilgrim in many climes,' I went on. 'I have wandered along the banks of the Euphrates and dipped my feet in the currents of the Nile. I have gazed upon ruined cities--'
”'Yes! yes! show me what you have!' he cried, eagerly.
”'Here is a curiosity of the highest order', I said, opening a paper and showing a bit of salt about the size of a walnut. 'This is a portion of the statue of salt into which Lot's wife was turned.'
”'Is it possible?' cried the antiquary, taking the salt and gazing at it in deep veneration. 'Are you quite certain of this?'
”'I am,' I answered. 'It is a portion of the wrist. I broke it off myself. The hand was already gone.'”
”And did he buy it?” questioned Joe, in astonishment.
”He did, and gave me fifty dollars in cash for it.”
”But that wasn't fair, Mr. Montgomery.”
The seller of bogus curiosities shrugged his shoulders.
”Perhaps not. But I was hard up and had to do something.”
”Did you sell him anything else?”
”I did--a walking stick, which I had procured in Connecticut. It was covered with strange carvings and he mistook them for hieroglyphics, and gave me ten dollars for the thing.”
”I don't see how you could have the nerve to do such things, Mr.
Montgomery.”
”Well, a man can do lots of things when he is driven to do them. I admit the deals were rather barefaced, but, as I said before, I had to do something. Some day, when I am rich, I'll return the money to the old fellow,” added the impostor.
He left the hotel that morning, and it may be said here that Joe did not meet him again for several years.
Christmas came and went at the hotel, and our hero received several presents from his friends, including a pair of gloves from Ned Talmadge and a five-dollar gold piece from Felix Gussing. Some of the regular boarders at the hotel also remembered him.
”And how do you like married life?” asked Joe, of Felix Gussing.
”We are getting along very nicely,” said the dude.