The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-06-18
MAS OLD BEAU.

The recent revelations concerning deed
forgeries at criminal trial at Chicago
reminded me of an incident that occurred
a few years ago, in the vicinity of St.
Louis which seems to me to be worth re-
lating.
Clara and Mary Mcrwin, sisters and or
phans, were in the sitting-room of their
pleasant home on the edge of village near
the Missouri. Their mother had been
dead several years their father had lately
died, leaving them an estate; as they sup
posed, of the value OF some forty thousand
dollars, but they had learned quite recently
that the property was encumbered 10 such
extent that they we're likely to be deprived
of it all. This discovery, as ti,ay bt SUP.
posed, filled them with sadness and anxiety.
and :hey were seated in silence, unable to
read, to converse, to work, to do anything
but brood over their great misfortune.
While they were thus occupied with SOM
bre thoughts, buggy drove up in front of
the house, and man aiighted, and the
buggy drove away.
The man must have been little on the
shady side of fifty, to judge from bis gray
hairs, although his face was fresh aud un-
wrinkled. He was dressed with remark
able neatness, and his manners indicated
brisk as well as precision. In one
hand he carried n small valise, and in the
other an umbrella, and he stepped quickly
to the door and rang the bell. In few
minutes he was ushered into the presence
of the young ladies'.
81 m obliged to introduce myself he
said, smiling and bowling in a courtly man.
ner-''A bner Pierce. Here is nv card
professional card. You will perceive that
| am lawyer in st. Louis, and presumably
respectable man. Don't he afraid; | am
not here to hurt you, but to help you. I
have the honor to call myself the friend of
your fainiIy-that is to say. although it is
mary years since have seen any member
of said family. | always had the highest
possible regard for your DOW sainted moths
er. and nothing would please ME better
than to be of some service to her children. ~
"We are happy to meet you," murmrired
Clara.
''Thank you. I happened to bear-no
matter how-that you are in trouble, and
have come up here in the belief that can
assist yod. l hope you will feel that you
can trust me. / am actually an honest
man, although a lawyer, and / mean well,
although l may express myself cumsily."
81 am free to admit" said Clara, that
we need assistance and advice, and that
l. l. ,..t.-x
VERY well. Iti a good thing, no doubt,
that Il have come. Now, sit down, and
tell me all about it."
Clara Merwin, who was the elder of the
orphans, and leader in everything, told
how she and her sister had taken out let.
estate, when a man of whom they had
never before heard put in an appearance,
and presented a mortgage, with bond in
cluded, executed by the late Mr.. Merwin,
upon all his real estate, for the sum of for
ty thousand dollars. Not content 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 impatient, and some bad
refused to supply them any further, with
out pay.
THAT is a bad case" said Mr.. Pierce.
"Tou need noney-that is the first thing
to be attended to. You must let ne act as
your banker until l get you out Of this
scrape, and that won't be very long, 1 hope.
How much do you owe ?"
.'More than one hundred dollars" an
swered Clara.
The old gentleman counted out two
hundred dollars from well-filled pocket
book, and handed it to her.
''For your mothers sake,' he said, when
she refused TO receive it, and he forced it
upon her in such a way that she could not
help taking it. He then accepted the
young ladies' invitation TO make their
house his home during his stay, and went
into dinner with them.
SIS there any place where I can smoker