Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-11-03
THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE.

/ was q nar1m- -5cdrum yOutu, an,,
for a dozen years of my manhood had
no settled aim. [ started out as a
clerk in a country store, where l
lean nel my chemical mysteries: final
Iv. l became law student; and 1t
was my knowledge of chemistry
science of which / am passionately
fond-that gave me start as law
student.
NV shingle had been hung out in
vain for four or five months, and l
had not single brief to prepare.
What little money l had possessed
after my studies were completed was
rapidly melting away, and l could
not ignore the fact if no fees should
come in my way for couple OF
months / should have to go on the
street, or on the prairie, and labor
for living. 1t would be 70 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 q
life, it is sad to have to abandon It,
Twas seated in my Office one after
noon, indulgiDg in certain gloomy
thoughts on the subject, when the
door opened and q middle-aged man
in humble garb came in, and | recog
nized him at the first glance, as ar
honest and industrious machinist
| named William Campbell, former
neighbor of my fathers, who was
now dead. He was fuTried and ner
vous, and 1 saw, at once, there was
something wrong.
"Good morning, Mr.. Campbell
said l. "How did you happen to find
the Office of poor young lawyer like
me?"
"By accident he said. Il am in
trouble, and if l don't get out of it
am ruined. All the savings OF my
life will be gone, unless L can find
some lawyer smart enough to defeat
the rascality of certain man, and
was going along, intending to call on
the first lawyer should see, and il
happened to be you. AS knew your
father well, and used to know you
when you was a boy, l thought
could not do better than to put the
case in your hands; I'd at least be
sure of fair treatment, ] thought"
You would be sure of that in the
hands of any lawyer, TO whom you
would trust your case" said l. ''Now,
let me hear what it is, and l will see
what can be done"
"Well, it is this: I've worked quite
hard all my life at my trade, and nc
cumulated some money-aOout six
thousand dollars, in fact. have
seven children l should like to pro
vide for, and it has been my steady
aim to increase my money all l could
A year ago friend of mine who is in
the same business I am in, told me il
he could take partner in the spring,
and if l should go in with him, we
could make lot of money. l looked
into the matter, and found he was moi
mistaken about it. l saw l could, in
few years, increase my six thou
sand to twenty thousand, and / told
him I would be ready to join him
in the business when the time came
Meantime, my money was laying il
the bank, where ! ought to have lef,
it. drawing five and a half per cent
interest.
"Shortly after I made this arrange
ment with my friend about the part
nership, man knew we'll, and ha6
great confidence in, came to me anc
asked me to lend him the money til
I should want it at the end of the
year, and he said he could readily re
turn it by that time, and he woult
give me eight per cent. So l let hin
have it, and now it is due, and cam
get it back
"Has he any property"
"Yes-the amount of it; but l have
since understood he's slippery fel
low, but had not known that be
fore"
'But you took his note, surely
said L .,
"Yes, but can't find it; that''
what troubles me. / called on hin
Yesterday and told him 80, and h
said he had no recollection of bor
rowing any money from me; il l hat
the note he would pay it; il l hadn'
he certainly would not"
.And you can't find the note'"
"No."
"What did you do with it,"
81 put it in this pocket-book, where
I keep all my important papers; bu
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