Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-11-02
THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE.

| WAS "a harum- scarunl yonth. anu
for n dozen years Of my manhood had
no settled aim. started out as a
clerk in country store, where l
lear mel ny chemical mysteries; final
~, | became y law student; and it
was my knowledge Of chemistry-a
science Of which | am passionately
fond-that gave me n start rs law
student.
My shingle had been hung out in
vain for four or five months, and l
had not single brief to prepare.
What little money / had possessed
after my studies were completed was
rapidly melting away, and l could
not ignore the fact II 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 TO disgrace,
to be- sure, but when one has spent
his little all in preparing himself for
a professional life, and when he has
net his heart and hopes on such Il
life, il il sad 10 have to abandon it.
I was seated in my Office one after
noon, indulgipg in certain gloomy
thoughts ON the subject, when the
door opened and middle aged man
in humble garb came in. and recOg-
nized him at the first glance, as an
honest and Industrious machinist,
named William Campbell, former
neighbor Of my fathers, who was
now dead. He was Hurried and ner
vous, and saw, at once, there was
something wrong.
"iood morning, Mr.. Campbell"
said ]. How did you happen to find
the Office OF poor young lawyer like
met"
"By accident he said Il am in
trouble, and il l don't get out Of it l
am ruined. All the savings OF my
life will DO gone, unless 1 can find
some lawyer smart enough to defeat
the rascality of a certain man, and l
was going along, intending to call on
the first lawyer should see, and it
happened to be you. As knew your
father well, and used 10 know you
when you was boy, l thought l
cOuiu not 10 DetteI tudu " pun Tue
case in your hands; Id at least be
sure OF fair treatment, thought"
"You would be sure Of that in the
hands OF any lawyer, 10 whom you
would trust your case, said l. Now,
let me hear what II Is, and l will see
what can be DONE"
"Well. it is this: I've worked quite
hard all my lie ut my trade, and nc
cumulated some inoney-aoout six
thousand dollars, IN TACT. 1 have
seven children i should Ike TO pro
vide for. and 1t has been my steady
aim to increase my money all ! could.
A year ago friend OF mine who is in
the same business l am in, told me II
he could take a part ner in the spring,
and il i should 60 IN with him, we
could make a lot OF money, Hooked
into the matter, and found no was not
mistaken about it. l saw l could, IN
q few years, increase my SIX thou
sand 70 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
il. drawing five and half per cent.
interest
shortly after made this arrange
ment with my friepd about the part
nsrship. man knew well. and had
great confidence IN, came to me and
asked me TO lend him the money TIL
should want 1t at the end OF the
year. and he said he could readily re
turn It by that time, and he would
give mo eight per cent. 80 l let him
have II, and now it 10 due, and can't
get il back"
"Has hc any property
"Yes-the amount OF it; but have
since understood he's slippery TEL
low, but l had not known that be-
fora"
"Bnt You took his note. surely"
said 1
Yes. but i cant find 1T; that's
what troubles me. called on him
yesterday and told him SO, and he
said he had no recollection OF Dor.
rowing any money from me; II l had
the note he would pay II; II 1 hadn't
ne certainty wouid not
And you cant hnd the note'
NO.
Wnat did you DO win IL!
u put u IN this Pocket-book, where
Keep oil my important papers: but
wnen came 10 look ior IL among
some otner notes ana the ike, l
Couldn't ma II.
ne produced q large. Iid-tasnioned;
leather Pocke'-6ook' M no spoke ana
! looked through IT. ana examined
ict OF receipts ana notes 'hat were
pAek s .og . ~ one VI .s POCKETS,
.n :a,, . .aI' wv .o ot Tue papers