The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-05-27
A stoTy Of Deed Forie,esry, FtJ i,,s1

fOrger1eB, ut criminal trial In OhicngO,
have reminded me of en- incident that
occurred n few years ngo, in the vicinity
OF st. Louis, which seems to me worth
relating. e
Clara and Mary Merwin, sisters and
orphans, were in the sitting-room of
their pleasant home on the edge of a
village near the Missouri. Their mother
had been dead several years; their
father had lately died, leaving them an
estate, rs they supposed, OF the value of
some $4,000. But they had learned
quite recently that the property was en-
numbered to such m extent thnt they
were likely to be deprived of it ALL This
discovery, as may be supposed, filled
them with sadness and anxiety, and they
were seated in silence, unable to rend,
to converse, to work, to do anything but
brood over their great misfortune.
While they were thus occupied with
sombre thoughts, Il buggy drove up in
front Of the house, and a man alightcd,
and the buggy drove away. This man
must have been little on the slndy
side of fifty, to judge from his gray
1 hairs, although, his fucc WIS fresh and
unwrinkled. He wns dressed with rc-
mnrknblc neatncss, and his manner indi-
Gated briskncss as well as precision. In
one hand he carried small valise, and
in the other an umbrella, and he stepped
quickly to the door and rang the bell.
In few minutes he was l,shered into
the presence of the young ladies.
"Im obliged 10 introduce myself" he
said, smiling and bowing in county
manner-"Abner Pierce. Here is my
card-professional card. You will per-
ceive that am II lawyer in st. Louis,
and presumably respectable man,
Don't be nfrnid: nm not here to hurt
you, but to help You. 1 have the honor
to call myself friend of your family /;
that is to say, although it is many years
since l have seen any member Of snid
family, always Ind the highest possible
| regard for your now sninted mother, and
nothing could plense me better than to
be of some service to her children"
eve are happy to meet you" muir
INJURED Clara.
THANK you. L happened to hear
no matter how-that you were III trou-
BILE, and have come up here in the belief
that ! can assist you. 1 hope you will
feel that you can trust me. lam actually
I'M honest man, although n lawyer, and l
mean well, although l may express N.Y.
self clumsily."
II am free to admit" said Clara, .sthat
we need assistance and advice, and that
We have not known to whom to look for
it,"
Very well. 1t is Il good thing, no
doubt, TINT have come. Now, sit down
and tell me all about it,"
Clara Merwin, who wns the elder of
the orphans, and tho leader in every
thing, told how she and her sister had
taken out letters of administration upon
their fathers estate, when man of
whom they had never before heard put
In IN appearance, and presented mort
gage, with bond included, executed by
the late Mr.. Merwin, upon all his real
estate, for the sum of $40, 900. Not con-
tent with prohibiting them from attempt
ing to sell anything, he had tied up their
money in bank, leaving them absolutely
pcnniless. They had used their credit,
but tradesmen were becoming impatient,
anu some had refused to supply them
any further without pay.
That is bad case" snid Mr. Pierce
''Iou need money, that is the first thing
to be attended to. You must let me act
as your banker until I get you out OF
this scrape, and that won't be long, l
hope. How much do you owc?"
More than 81 ,000, answered Clara.
The old gentleman counted out $500
from well-hllcd pocket-book, and
handed it to her.
L." your ulOLner s sake, he SAID
when she refused to receive it, and lie
forced it upon her in such 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 in to dinner with thom
''1s there any place where / can
smoke:" he asked, when they hnd re-
turned to the sitting room.
You can smoke here" said the i'm
pulsiyc Mary. ''Pn always smoked here,
and we 0re used to it,
So he took meerschaum and some TO-
bncco from his yalise, and was soon puff.
ing away with an air Of great content
mcnt
II can think better when smoke" he
said. Did You have any legal advice in
the matter of that mortgage, Miss Mer-
VIM"
"Ies, sir" replied Clara. Our law
yer snid that it was IL plain case aenins,
us, although it WAS strange that we had
never heard of the mortgage before"
Every strange. What is the name OF
the man who holds it,"
alexander Campbell"
'Hum. 4 good name, but bad mnn.
| am afrnid. When and where can sec
him?"
"He will be here this afternoon" AN.
swered Clara Gle proposes, if we will
make him deed of the real estate, to
, give up the bond and mortgage, lenvine
our money in bank and the rest of the
personal property"
every liberal. Introduce me to him,