The Brass Counterweight

I walked down the block to the neighborhood dry goods shop to inspect the counter displays. On the low pine sideboard, a miniature brass weight shaped like a tiny bell had slipped into the hollow beneath the upright post of an apothecary balance. The two shallow pans hung suspended at an uneven tilt, held askew by the empty clearance. I stepped onto the smooth timber to assess the beam. Taking the cool metal weight between both hands, I lifted it free and set it squarely into the center of the lighter pan. The brass arms dipped twice, aligned against the vertical indicator needle, and rested entirely still.