The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-11-21
MAPS OLD BEAU.

MA ObD DGA
Clara and Mary Merwin, sisters and
orphans, were in the drawing room of
their pleasant home on the edge of a
beautiful 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 dol
lars, but they had learned quite recently
that the property was encumbered to
such an extent that they were very
likely to be deprived of it all. This
discovery, as may be supposed, filed
them with sadness and anxiety, and they
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
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 gray hairs,
although his face was indeed fresh and
unwrinkled. He was dressed with re-
markable neatness, and his manner indi-
Gated briskness 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 ushered 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 that am lawyer in st. Louis,
and presumably a respectable man
Don't be afraid; I'm not here to hurt
you, but to help you. have the honor
to call myself friend of the family
that is to say, although it is many years
since l have seen any member OF your
family, have always had the highest re-
gard for your now sainted mother, and
nothing would please me better than to
: be of some service to her children"
''We are happy to meet you" MUIR
INJURED Clara.
'HThank you. I happened to hear-no
matter how-that you are in trouble, and
have come up here in the belief that I
can assist you. I hope that you will feel
that you can trust me. I am actually an
honest man, although lawyer, and 1
mean well, though I express myself
clumsily."
81 am free to admit" said Clara, "that
we need assistance and advice, and that
we have not known to whom to look
for it,
Every we'll It is a good thing, no
doubt, that have come. Now sit down
and tell me all about it."
Clara Merwin, who, as the elder of the
orphans was leader in everything, told
how she and her sister had taken out let
ters of administration upon her fathers
estate, when man of whom they had
never before heard put in an appearance,
and presented mortgage, with bond in
cluded, executed by the late Mr.. Merwin,
upon all his real estate, for the sum of
$40 900. Not content with prohibiting
them from attempting to sell everything,
he had tied up their money in bank,
leaving them absolutely penniless. They
had used their credit, but tradesmen
were becoming impatient, and some had
refused to supply them any further with
out pay.
''That's bad case" said Mr. Pierce.
ssYou 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, hope.
How much do you owe?"
stMore than one hundred dollars" an
swered Clara.
The old gentleman counted out two
hundred dollars from wen-flled pocket
book, and handed it to her.
s'For your mothers sake" he said,
when she refused to receive it, and he
forced it on her in such way that she
could not help taking it. He then ac-
cepted the young lady's invitation to
make their house his home during his
stay, and he went into dinner with them.
3sIs there any place where / can
smoker" he asked, when they returned to
the sitting-room.
stYou can smoke here, " said the impul-
sive Mary. "Pa always smoked here,
and we are used to it."
So he took a meerschaum and some to-
bacco from his valise, and was soon puff
ing away with an air of great content.
81 can think better when I smoke, -
he said. 'tDid you ever have any legal
advice in the matter of that mortgage,
Miss Merwin?"
eyes, sir" replied Clara. s'Our law
yer said it was plain case against us,
although it was strange that we never
heard of the mortgage before"
every strange. What is the name of
the man who holds it?''
Alexander Campbell"
ssHum. A good name, but a bad man,
/ am afraid. When and where can see
this MANI"
He will be here this afternoon" an
swered Clara. He proposes, if we will
make him deed of the real estate, to
give up the bond and mortgage, leaving
personal property"
every liberal. Introduce me to him
when he comes, as an old friend of the
family, and not as lawyer
Mr.. Alexander Campbell called in the
course of the afternoon, and was made
acquainted with Abner Pierce, at whom
he looked suspiciously; but his eyes fell