Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-06-24
MAS OLD BEAU.

ing deed forgeries at a criminal
trial at Chicago, reminded me Of
an incident that occurred a few
years ago, in the vicinity Of St.
Louis, which seem to me to be
worth relating.
Clara and Mary Merwin, sisters
and orphans, were in the sitting
room of their pleasant home on
the edge of the village near the
Missouri. Their mother had been
dead several years; their father
had lately died, leaving them an
estate, as they supposed, of the
value of some forty thousand dol
lars, but they had learned quite
recently the property was encum-
bered to such an extent that they
were likely to he deprived of it
IaIl. This discovery, as may be
supposed, filed them with sadness
ard anxiety, and they were seat
| ed in silence, unable to read, to
converse, to work, to do anything
bat brood over their great mis;or-
tune.
While they were thus occu! led
with sombre thoughts, buggy
drove up in front of the house, and
a .Ean alighted, and :he buggy
drove away.
The man must have teen o
little on the shady side of fifty, to
Judge from his gray hairs, al
tbough his f4ce was fresh and uu-
wrinkled. He was dressed with
/ remarkable neatness, and his man.
ners indicated briskness as we'll as
precision. In one hand he car,
risd small valise, and in tue
other an umbrella, and he stepped
quickly TO the door and rang the
bell. In a few minutes he WAS
ushercd into the presence Of the
young ladies.
"l'm obliged to introduce my
SELF" he said, smiling and bowling
in a c0urtly manner-"Abner
Pierce. Here is my card-pro-
/ fessional card. You will precive
that | am a lawyer in St Louis,
aud presumably q respectable
man. Don't be afraid; l 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 member of
said family. | 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,
muTmured Clara.
Thank you. 1 happened to
hear-no matter how--that you
are in trouble, and have come up
here in the. belief that | can as
sist you, I hope you will feel
that YOU can trust me. ! am act.
ually an honest man, although a
lawyer, and l mean well, although
| may express myself clumsily."
Il am free to admit" said Cla,
ra, "that we need assistance and
advice. and that we have not
known to whom TO look for it"
every well. tbs a good thing,
no doubt, that l have come
''Now, sit down, and tell me all a.
bout it,
Clara Merwin, who was the ell
der OF the orphans, and leader in
everything, told how she and her
sister had taken out letters Of ad,
ministration upon their fathers es-'
tate, when a man of whom they
had never before heard put in an
appearance, and presented mort.
gage, with bond included, eXecu-
ted by the late Mr.. Merwin, upon
all his real estate. for the sum of
forty thousand dollars. Not con-
tent with prohibiting them from
attempting to sell anything, he
had tied up their money in bank,
leaving them absolutely penniless.
They had used their credit, but
tradesmen were becoming impa-
tient, and some had refused to
supply them any further, without
pay.
THAT is bad case," said Mr..
Pierce. "You need money-that
is the first thing to be attended
to. You must let me act as your
banker until get you out of this
scrape, and that won't be long, [
hope. How much do you owe?"
More than one hundred dol
lars, answered Clara.
The old gentleman C, united out
two hundred dollars from a WELL
filled pocket book, and handed it
| to her.
"For your mothers sake" he
said. when she refused to receive
it, and be forced it upon her in
- - 49, olo oo,,1J ,,of