The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-10-02
2Hiscellameous.
Mas Old Beau.

me of an incident that had occurred few years
ago in the vicinity of st. Louis, which seems te
be worth relating.
Clara and Mary Merwin, sisters and orphans
r were in the sittng-reom of their pleasant home
on the edge of a village near the Missouri
Their mother had been dead several years
L their father had lately died, leaving them an
estate, as they supposed, of the value of some
forty thousand dollars, but they had learned
quite recently that the property was encum-
bered to such an extent that they were likely
to be deprived of all. This discovery, as may
be supposed, filled them with sadness and anx-
iety, and they were seated in silence, unable to
" read converse, work, or anything but brood
over their great misfortune.
While they were thus occupied with sombre
thoughts, a buggy drove up in front of the
house, and man alghted, and the buggy
drove away
i The man must have been on the shady side
of fifty, to Judge from his gray hairs, although
his face was fresh and unwrinkled. He was
| dressed with remarkable neatness, and his
manners indicated briskness as well preci-
sion. In one hand he carried small valise,
and in the other umbrella, as he stepped
quickly to the door and rang the bell. In
g. -4:----t-- l. = II IT, It~ ,-aea,no
of the young ladies.
"I'm obliged to introduce myself" he sad
smiling and bowling in courtly ymanner-"Ab-
ner Pierce Here is my card-professonal
card. You will perceive | am lawyer in st.
Louis, and presumably respectable man.
Don't be afraid am not here to hurt you, but
to help you. | have the honor to call myself
a friend of your family-that is to say, although
it is many years since have seen any mem
Der of said family. l always had the highest
possible regard for your now sainted mother,
and nothing would please me better than to be
of some service to her children"
'We are happy to meet you," murmured
Clara.
"Thank you. 1 happened to hear-no mat
&arh hov-x khak~v Io~-1
up here in the belief that you can trust me. |
am actually an honest man, although law
yer, and mean WE'LL although 1 may express
| myself cumsily."
| II am free to admit" said Clara, ''that we
need assistance and advice, and that we have
| not known to whom to look for it."
! every well. 1t is a good thing, no doubt,
| that have come. Now, sit down, and tell me
all about it,"
| Clara Merwn, who was the elder of the or
| phans and leader in everything, told how she
and her sister had taken out letters of admins-
! tration upon their fathers estate, when man
of whom they had never before heard put in an
appearance, and presented mortgage with
bond included, executed by the late Mr.. Mer-
win, upon all his real estate, for the of for
ty thousand dollars. Not content with pro-
hibiting them from attempting to sell any ything,
he had tied up their money in bank, leaving
them absolutely penniless. They had used I
their credit, but tradesmen were becoming i'm 6
patient, and some had refused to supply them i
any further without pay. f
"This is a bad case,' said Mr.. Pierce. "You a
need money-this is the first thing to attend to- 7
You must let me act as your banker until get e
you out of this scrape, and that won't be long, b
hope. How much do you over" r
"More than one hundred dollars" answered i
Clara. o
The old gentleman counted out two hundred =
dollars from well filled pocket book, and e
handed it to her. f
"For your mothers sake" he said, when she a
refused to receive, and he forced it upon her in
such way that she could not help taking it. Ii
He then accepted the young lady's invitation il
to make their home his home during his stay,
and he went in to dinner with them. g
"Is there any place where I can smoker" he
asked, when they had returned to the sitting ii
room. 81
"You can smoke here" said the impulsive S
Mary. "Pa always smoked here, and we are tt
used to it, A
So he took meerschaum and some tobacco a
from his valise, and was soon putting away tc
with an air of contentment. Fl
II can think better when smoke" he said. il
DID you hfys KISS sgal the matter
that it was 4 pain case against US, aIInousn'd i
was strange that we never heard OF the mort 81
gage before" d
Every strange. WHAT'S the name of the man k
who holds it?" 81
"Alexander Campbell" p
"Hum. good name but bad man am "
afraid. When and where can see hlmE p
"He will be here this afternoen," answered h
Clara. 'He proposes, if we will make him a et
deed of the real estate, to give up the bond and
mortgage, leaving our money in bank and the "
rest of our personal property"
every liberal. Introduce me to him when
he comes as an old friend of the family, and
not as a lawyer"
Mr. Alexander Campbell called in the course
of the afternoon and was made acquainted tt
with Mr.. Abner Pierce, at whom he looked sus- a
piciously; but his eyes fell when he met the t.
old gentleman's intent gaze Mr.. Pierce glanced d
but slightly at the deed which was offered for d
the consideration of the ladies, being occupied r.
in studying the countenance of the man IN Il
whose favor it was drawn. d
81 can't decide upon it just now," he said a
"I must make few inquiries concerning the o
value of this property. Suppose you come al tt
ter supper, Mr.. Campbell, and bring that mort p
gage with you. l have no doubt it is all cor b
rect, but would like to see it, r
Mr.. Campbell assented to this and Withdrew. n
Abner Pierce filled his pipe with nervous haste, Il
but oIso with tnhaecnz and Nary brought him q
light. g
"T know that you have some good news for 0
u.s." she said. ''I can see it in your face"
"Not bad, my child. l hope and trust that t
It is very good. A good name, but bad man, a
1 said, and that is true. think see my way t
out of this difficulty, and the money lent you S
is safe. But you mustn't interfere Win me- G
young ladies, or be surprised at anything may /
say or do, or object to it. You must trust me, 4
and let me work in my own way" IA
After supper, when Abner Pierce had enjoyed a
another comfortable smoke and conversed with {
the girls concerning their mother, as he had
known her in her youth-a subject upon which
he grew quite Observation-Disclosures Campbeil
came in, bringing the deed and mortgage, both
of which he handed to Mr. Pierce for examl-
nation.
81 have made inquiries concerning the prop
| erty," said the old gentleman, "and am salts |
| fed that it is not worth more than the amount
| Of the mortgage and would probably bring
much less if sold at foreclosure Your oher Is
| liberal one, but must first look at the mort
gage This appears to be correct" he contin-
| ned when he had examined the instrument
at is properly acknowledged, and the sigma
| ture is undoubtedly that of Philip Merwin. L
| suppose the young ladies will have to 60 TO the
| county seat to execute the deed"
| The girls countenances fell at this sudden
surrender on the part of their champion.
"This reminds me-" said the old lawyer,
picking up the mortgage again, "ot an occur
renee that fell under my observation in Ten
nessee. Not that the two cases are allke, as
the Tennessee case was fraudulent affair; but
there is similarity in the circumstances DO
| not look SO down hearted, young ladies; what
will be must be, and it is useless to cry about
what can't be helped. AS was about to say,
| a man died IN Tennessee, leaving u WIDOW anu
one daughter The widow was about to ad- |
minister upon his estate, when man who was |
unknown came forward and presented mort
gage similar to this, and for exactly the same
amount 1t was examined by lawyers who |
were familiar with the signature of the deceas-
ed and pronounced correct.
"Although there was something strange
about the affair, they could find no flaw in the
instrument 1t was particularly puzzllng to
one of them who thought that he had transact
ed all the law business of the deceased. He
got hold of the mortgage and brought it to me
when was in Nashville, happened to have
in my possession a very powerful magnifylng
!. glass that had been presented to me-the most
powerful single lens have ever seen. Win
this examined the mortgage, and soon dlscov-
cred that four had been raised to forty. There
was no mistake aboutit. could easily see the
| mark of chemical erasure, and the difference
in pen and ink, between the "raised" and the
rest of the instrument. How the rascal got IN
4Lo .oo;star,c affioa don't know. but the