The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-06-14
NTA,s OID BEAU.


MAS OLD BEAU. sf
The recent revelations concerning
decd forgefiea at criminal trfnl at Chi.
cago, have reminded me Of IN incident
that occurred few years ago, in the vi.
cinity Of ST, Louis, which seems 10 me
to beworth relating. q '''t '',ts..l
Clara and Mary Merwin, sisters and
orphans, were In the aitting-room Of
their pleasant home on the edge Of q vii
lage 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 dollars, but they had
learned quite recently that the property
was encumbered 10 such IN extent that
they vera likely to be deprived Of II all.
This discovery, as may be supposed, fill
ed them with sadness and anxiety, and
they were seated in silence, unable To
read. to converse, TO work, TO do any
thing but brood over their great misfor-
tune. s... -.,'.'h. -i4..,..-i be-
While they were thus occupied with
somber thoughts, n buggy drove up in
front Of tho house, man alighted, and
the buggy drove awny. g.
Tho man must haye been little on
the shady side Of fifty, 10 Judge from his
grty hairs, although his face was fresh
and uhwrinkled. Ho was dressed with
remarkable neatness, and his manner
indicated brisltness rs well rs precision.
In one hand he carried q small yalise,
and in tho other an umbrella, and he
stepped quickly 10 the door and rang the
bell. In few minutes he was ushered
int the presence Of the young ladies.
"I'm obliged 10 introduce myself," lie
said, smiling and bowing in o courtly
rnanner-"Abne Pierce. Here is my
card-profesgional card. You will per.
ceiye that / am q lawyer in st. Louis,
and presumably o respectable man.
Don't be afraid; am not here to hurt
you, but to help you. 1ihaye the honor
to call myself \ friend Of your family
that is to say, although ii Is many years
since i have seen any, member OF said
family. / always had tue highest posi-
BILE regard for your now sainted mother,
and nothing would please me better
than bo Of some service to her chill.
dren.n aH' 1t8 g' q ia' 2apTil.
ave arc happy to meet you, /" mur-
INJURED Clara. it-.f Pas ai5 l'si =.
"Thank you. happened to hear.
no matter how-tlat you are in trouble,
aud have come up here in thebelief that
can assist you. i hope you will feel
TINT you eau trust me. / arn ACTUALLY IN
honest man, although q lawyer, and /
mean well; although / may express my
self clumsily.p iaf blii e.
al am free to admit" said Clam,
"that we need assistance and advice, and
that We hive not known to whom to look
for il. Il.
every we'll, It's q good thing, no
doubt, that / liaye come. Now, sit down
md tell me oil about II. ~
Clara Merwin, who was the elder OF
the orphans, and the. leader in every.
thing, told how she and her. sister had
taken out letters Of administration upon
their fathers estate, whom q man OF
whom they had never before heard put
in m appearance, and pressed q mort
gage, with bond included, executed by
the late Mr.. Merwin, upon all his real
estate, for the sum OF forty 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 inpatient and some had
refused 70 supply them any further
without pay. -. 2 J
tThat Is a bad case, said Mr. Pierce.
"You need money.-that Ia the first
thing To be attended to. You must let
me act as your banker until l get you
out Of this scrape, apd that won't be
long, Ihope. How much do you oweip
ssMore than one hundred dollars,
answered Clara. i-ly'
The old gentleman counted out two
hundred dollars iromawell.tilled pocket
book, and handed II to her,
"For your mothers sake" he said,
when she refused to receive 1t, and he
forced Il upon hor in such a way that
she could not help taking 1t. He then
accepted the young ladies' invitation 70
make their house his home during his
stay, and went into dinner with them.
IFS there any place where l can
smokei" hc asked, when they had re-
turned to the sitting.room:
"You can smoke herr" said the I'M
pulsiye Mary. "P,i always smoked here,
and we are used toit"
so he took q tneerachauin and some
tobacco from his yalise, and was soon
putting away withan air Of great content
nI can think better when I smoke,
he said. nDid you have any legal ad'
vice in the mattar Of that mortgage, Miss
WYes. air, replied olara. g ourlaw.
yer said that II was q plain case against
us, although Il waa strange that We had
never heard Of the mortgage betore."
1very strange, What Is the name oi
the man who holds III lttl5
"Aiexander CAMPBELL
ItTI.....lf A ,tard ANNA Inf n had man.