Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-02-07
FORTUNE FOUND IN A: JAM POT
How IA Law Clerk Gained a Reward
and "A wife al the Same Time.
Romantic Stories Of the Legal Profession.

Romantic Stories Of the Legal Profession.
1t often happens that the issue of
great suits at law, particu larly in
England depends upon single
document which it is very difficult to
produce. That was the weak point
in the case which Messrs. Sharpe q
Floyde were managing for Mr..
Morpeth. A certain deed was almost
absolutely essential TO success, and it
was not to be found for love o. mon
ey. An advertisement had been IN
serted in all the leading papers for
months, offering a reward of 93OO,
for the valuable parchment, but not a
word had come in response. The
lawyers felt confident that it could
not be existence; an offerof $500 must
have brought it 10 light they argued,
if any body had it possession. But
Morpeth insisted upon believing that
it could be found. SO he instructed
Messrs. Sharpe & Floyd to increase
the sum to $500 and go on advertis-
ing and Accord ngb y Tom Holiday,
a clerk in the Office, was dispatched
to the advertising agency with
orders to contract for the necessary
space in all the dailies for a fort
night.
Tom had a sweetheart, naturally
enough, and they were going to be
married as soon as they could con
trive to buy furniture for couple of
rooms. 1t was his habit of a Satar-
day to take a stroll with her, and ac-
company her home to tea; and as it
was on a Saturday that he made his
trip to the advertising agency, of
course he told her all about it, and
they amused themselves by discussing
what they would do with the reward,
supposing they should chance to find
the missing deed. They were talking
in this ridiculous strain when they
reached the girls home. The table
was spread and among the dainties of
the occasion was a pot of home
made raspberry jam, brought out
especially in honor Of his visit, Tom
was informed.
lie had hardly taken the first
mouthful, however, when he turned
suddenly pale, his lower jaw dropped,
and he sat gazing fixedly at the jam
pot like one spellbound The girl
fancied he must be i'll; the mother
wondered if he had come upon
black beetle. Its nothing Tom
managed to gasp. after time; Il
shall be all right directly. lists
the $500. -
When he had recovered from his
bewilderment he began to compare
the names of the parties to the mis-
sing deed, as mentioned in the adver
tisement, with the piece of parchment
which had covered that iam-pot, and
that lay upside down upon the table
before him. There they were, the
very same. He had certainly found
the missing deed, or at least a frag-
ment of it. And now, if we can
trace the rest" he exclaimed, "our
fortunes made" The mother threw
open her cupboard, and there were
two dozen jam-pots, lacking one,
each with a piece of the parchment
tied over for cover. 1t was an
anxious moment. The pots were
quickly uncovered, the circular bits
fitted together, and at last the thing
took dihnlte and symmetrical shape,
and not a line was wanting. A few
of the land whereases" and ''provid-
ed alsos' were a trifle sticky, but not
the smallest part had been destroyed.
Tom did not stop to finish his din
ner. He put the precious jam-pot
covers into his pocket and ran at the
top of his speed to Messrs. Sharpe &
Floyd They agreed with him at
once that he had secured the long
lost deed and then they recalled the
fact that they once had offices in
the quarter where the mother of
Toms sweetheart lived, and that on
coming away they had swept a good
many useless papers into a corner
and left them there, and this deed
must somehow have been
among them thought they
had never been able before
to surmise how it could have slipped
from their custody. They FASTENED
10 Mr. Morpeth with the good news,
and he drew a check on the spot for
$500, payable to Toms order, and
Nh Morpeth won his suit, and Tom
married the girl of his heart as soon
as the wedding gown could be made
all because a nice-fngered lady had
cut covers out of parchment for her
s,,v, ., ,t,~ a, r.,,,l, y, l,,,,,,,r $780,