The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley (parable of the sower read online TXT) 📕

two cigars⁠—an unusual luxury⁠—and let the morning paper lie unheeded in his lap as the train drummed over the Hackensack marshes. He felt a good deal of pride in having been summoned to appraise the Oldham library. Mr. Oldham was a very distinguished collector, a wealthy Philadelphia merchant whose choice Johnson, Lamb, Keats, and Blake items were the envy of connoisseurs all over the world. Roger knew very well that there were many better-known dealers who would have jumped at the chance to examine the collection and pocket the appraiser’s fee. The word that Roger had had by long distance telephone was that Mr. Oldham had decided to sell his collection, and before putting it to auction desired the advices of an expert as to the prices his items should command in the present state of the market. And as Roger was not particularly conversant with current events in the world of rare books and manuscripts, he spent most of the trip in turning over some annotated catalogues of recent sales which Mr. Chapman had lent him. “This invitation,” he said to himself, “confirms what I have always said, that the artist, in any line of work, will eventually be recognized above the mere tradesman. Somehow or other Mr. Oldham has heard that I am not only a seller of old books but a lover of them. He prefers to have me go over his treasures with him, rather than one of those who peddle these things like so much tallow.”

Aubrey’s humour was far removed from that of the happy bookseller. In the first place, Roger was sitting in the smoker, and as Aubrey feared to enter the same car for fear of being observed, he had to do without his pipe. He took the foremost seat in the second coach, and peering occasionally through the glass doors he could see the bald poll of his quarry wreathed with exhalements of cheap havana. Secondly, he had hoped to see Weintraub on the same train, but though he had tarried at the train-gate until the last moment, the German had not appeared. He had concluded from Weintraub’s words the night before that druggist and bookseller were bound on a joint errand. Apparently he was mistaken. He bit his nails, glowered at the flying landscape, and revolved many grievous fancies in his prickling bosom. Among other discontents was the knowledge that he did not have enough money with him to pay his fare back to New York, and he would either have to borrow from someone in Philadelphia or wire to his office for funds. He had not anticipated, when setting out upon this series of adventures, that it would prove so costly.

The train drew into Broad Street station at ten o’clock, and Aubrey followed the bookseller through the bustling terminus and round the City Hall plaza. Mifflin seemed to know his way, but Philadelphia was comparatively strange to the Grey-Matter solicitor. He was quite surprised at the impressive vista of South Broad Street, and chagrined to find people jostling him on the crowded pavement as though they did not know he had just come from New York.

Roger turned in at a huge office building on Broad Street and took an express elevator. Aubrey did not dare follow him into the car, so he waited in the lobby. He learned from the starter that there was a second tier of elevators on the other side of the building, so he tipped a boy a quarter to watch them for him, describing Mifflin so accurately that he could not be missed. By this time Aubrey was in a thoroughly ill temper, and enjoyed quarrelling with the starter on the subject of indicators for showing the position of the elevators. Observing that in this building the indicators were glass tubes in which the movement of the car was traced by a rising or falling column of coloured fluid, Aubrey remarked testily that that old-fashioned stunt had long been abandoned in New York. The starter retorted that New York was only two hours away if he liked it better. This argument helped to fleet the time rapidly.

Meanwhile Roger, with the pleasurable sensation of one who expects to be received as a distinguished visitor from out of town, had entered the luxurious suite of Mr. Oldham. A young lady, rather too transparently shirtwaisted but fair to look upon, asked what she could do for him.

“I want to see Mr. Oldham.”

“What name shall I say?”

“Mr. Mifflin⁠—Mr. Mifflin of Brooklyn.”

“Have you an appointment?”

“Yes.”

Roger sat down with agreeable anticipation. He noticed the shining mahogany of the office furniture, the sparkling green jar of drinking water, the hushed and efficient activity of the young ladies. “Philadelphia girls are amazingly comely,” he said to himself, “but none of these can hold a candle to Miss Titania.”

The young lady returned from the private office looking a little perplexed.

“Did you have an appointment with Mr. Oldham?” she said. “He doesn’t seem to recall it.”

“Why, certainly,” said Roger. “It was arranged by telephone on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Oldham’s secretary called me up.”

“Have I got your name right?” she asked, showing a slip on which she had written Mr. Miflin.

“Two f’s,” said Roger. “Mr. Roger Mifflin, the bookseller.”

The girl retired, and came back a moment later.

“Mr. Oldham’s very busy,” she said, “but he can see you for a moment.”

Roger was ushered into the private office, a large, airy room lined with bookshelves. Mr. Oldham, a tall, thin man with short gray hair and lively black eyes, rose courteously from his desk.

“How do you do, sir,” he said. “I’m sorry, I had forgotten our appointment.”

“He must be very absent minded,” thought Roger. “Arranges to sell a collection worth half a million, and forgets all about it.”

“I came over in response to your message,” he said. “About selling your collection.”

Mr. Oldham looked at him, rather intently, Roger thought.

“Do you want to buy it?” he said.

“To buy it?” said Roger, a little peevishly. “Why, no. I came over to appraise it for you. Your secretary telephoned me on Saturday.”

“My dear sir,” replied the