Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-05-15
MAS OLD BEAU.
How q Rogue was Fooled.

u
The recent revelations concerning
deed forgeries at a criminal trial al
Chicago, remind me of an incident that
occurred few years ago, in the vicin-
ity of st. Louis, which seems to me to
be worth relating.
Clara and Mary Merwin, sisters and
orphans, were in the sitting-room of
their pleasant home Of 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 dollars but they had
learned quite recently that the property
was encountered to such an extent that
they were likely to be deprived of it
all. This discovery, as may be sup
posed, filled them with sadness and
anxity, and they were seated in silence,
unable to read: to converse, to work, or
to do anything but brood over their
great misfortune.
While they were thus occupied with
sombre thoughts, a buggy drove up in
front of the house, a man alighted, and
the buggy drove away.
The man must have been on the
shady side of fifty, to judge from his
grey hairs, although his face was fresh
and unwrinkled. He was dressed with
remarkable neatness, and his manners
indicated briskness as we'll as precision.
In one hand be carried a small valise,
and IN the other an umbrella, and he
stepped quickly to the door and rang
the bell. In few minutes he was ush-
cred into the presence of the young
ladies. ,
"I'm obliged to introduce myself"
he said, smiling and bowling in courtly
manner. "Abner Pierce. Here is my
card-professional card. You will per-
ceive | am lawyer in St. Louis, and
presumably a respectable man. Don't
be afraid; Pm not here to hurt you but
to help YOU | have the honor to call
myself d friend of the famil y-that is
to say. although it is many years since
l have seen any member of said fam
lily. always had the highest possible
regard for yonr now sainted mother, and
nothing would please me better than
to be Of some service to her children"
1--WE are happy to meet you,!' MUIR
INJURED Clara.
"Thank you, [ happened to hear
no matter how-that you are in trouble
and have come up here IN the be-
lief that [ can assist you. am actu-
ally an honest man, although lawyer,
and mean we'll, although I may ex-
press myself clumsily."
81 am free to admit" said Clara,
= that we need assistance, and that we
have not known to whom to look
for it,
every well. 1t is a good thing, no
doubt, that Ihave 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 letters of administration upon their
fathers estate, when man of whom
they had never before heard put in an
appearance, and presented mortgage.
with bonds 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 be-
coming Impatient, and some had re-
fused to supply them any further with
out pay.
'This is bad case," said Mr.. Pierce.
You need money-that is the first
thing to attend to. You must let me
act as your banker until [ get you out
of this scrape, and that won't be long, I
II
More than one hundred dollars"
answered Clara.
The Old gentleman counted out two
hundred dollars from a well-filled pock-
et-boolE 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 way that
she could not help taking it. He then
accepted the young lady's invitation to
make their house his home during his
stay, and went in to dinner with them.
is there any place where I can
smoke" he asked, when they had re-
turned to the sitting-room.
You can smoke here" said the i'm
pulsive Mary. ''Pa always smoked
here, and We are used to it"
So he took meerchaum and some
tobacco from his valise, and was soon
putting away with an air of great con-
tent.
81 can think better when I smoke"
he said. "Did you have any legal ad-
wee IN the matter of that mortgage Miss
MerWin? ?"
Eyes sir, replied Clara. sour lawyer
said 1t was plain case against us, al
though 1t was strange that we had never
heard of the mortgage before"
~ cry strange. What is the name of
the man who holds it?"
Alexander Campbell"
ium. A good name, but bad