Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-07-24
THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE.
An Attorneys Story.

y
"and tor the first dozen years of my
manhood | had no settled aim. l start
ed out as clerk in country store, then
/ became school teacher, next clerk
In drug store, where | learned many
chemical mysteries; finally I became a
law student; and it was my knowledge
of chemistry-a science of which | am
passionately fond, that gave me start
as law student"
Let me hear the story" said /.
Certainly. My shingle had been
hung out for four or five months, and [
had not single brief to prepare. What
little money had possessed after my
studies were completed was rapidly
melting away, and [ could not ignore
the fact that if no fees should come in
my way for a couple of months should
have to go out on the street, or on the
prairie, and labor for living. 1t would
be no disgrace to be sure. But when
one has spent his little all in preparing
himself for professional life, and when
he has set his heart and hopes on such
life, 1t is sad to have to abandon it.
| was seated In my Office one fore
noon, indulging in certain gloomy
thoughts on this subject when the door
opened and middle aged man in hum
bic garb came in, and | recognized him
at the first glance as an honest and iu-
dustrious machinist named William
Campbell, a former neighbor of my
fathers, who was now dead. He was
Hurried and nervous. and / saw at once
that there was something wrong.
Good morning, Mr.. Campbell" said
|. "How did you happen to find the
office of poor young lawyer, like
me"
'By accident" ne said Il am in
trouble, and if | don't get out of it [ am
ruined. All the savings of my life will
be gone unless | Can find some lawyer
smart enough to defeat the rascality of
certain man, and | was going along,
intending to call on the first lawyer l
should see, and it happened to be you.
As | know your father well, and used
to know you when you were a boy, |
thought | could not do better than to
put my case in your hands; I'd at least
be sure of fair treatment, thought"
you would be sure of that at the
hands of any lawyer to whom you
should intrust your case" said l.
Nov let me hear what it is, and I'll
see what can be DONE"
"Well, it's this; I've worked quite
hard all my life at my trade, and &C
cumulated some money-about six
thousand dollars in fact. [ have sew
eral children [ would like to provide
for, and it has been my steady aim to
increase my money all | could. A
FRI IF ,bn g h.,
same business I am IN, told me he
would take a partner in the String, and
that if | should go in with him he could
make a great deal of money. | looked
into the matter and found that he was
not mistaken about it. saw that !
could, In few years, increase my six
thousand dollars to twenty thousand,
and | told him [ would be ready to join
him In the business when the time came.
Meantime, my money was laying In the
bank, where [ ought to have left it,
drawing five and a half per cent. inter
est
Shortly after | had made this ar
rangement with my friend about the
partnership, a man l knew well, and
had great confidence In came to
me and asked me to lend him my
money till | should want it. told him
| should want it at the end of the year
and he said he could readily return il
by that time, and be would give me
eight per cent. So L let him have it
and now it is due, and | can't get il
back"
HAS he any property ?" asked.
"9es-apy amount of it; but I've I'm.
derstood he's slippery fellow, but
had not known that before"
''But you took his note, surely" said
Eyes, but can't findi it; that's what
troubles me. / called on him yesterday
and told him so, and he said he had nc
recollection of borrowing any money
from me; if had his note, he would
pay it; if hadn't he wouldn't"
And you can't find the note?"
"No."
"What did you do with it?"
81 put it in this pocketbo0k, where
keep all my important papers; but
when | came to look for it among some
other notes, receipts and the like,
couldn't find it."
He produced large old-fashioned
leather pocketbook as he spoke, and
looked through it and examined LOT
OF receipts and notes that were packed
together in one of its pockets, thinking
that two of the papers might DE stick
ing together.
There is no promissory note for that
amount here" said. "But what is this
blank sheet of paper doing here p
And [ took up slip of white paper
that found among the documents.
Il don't know"
"Who is the man that gave you the
note?'
alexander Bronton, the druggist"
knew Alexander Bronton very well
He was wealthy and penurious, and
had the name of being very tricky.
was satisfied that Mr.. Campbell was
telling the truth. l was as well con
vlnced that Alexander Bronton was not
a man who would be likely to forget
having borrowed such large sum as
six thousand dollars, and / jumped tt
the conclusion that he had played
some cunning trick to wrong the con
fding mechanic out of the fruits o
many years of labor. But what was
the trick? This was the question tha
puzzled me.
shave you had this pocketbook in g
secure place ever since he gave you the
note?" / asked.