Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-08-28
CHARLIE'S LUCK.

CHARLIE'S LUCK.
"Any news from the case this morn
ing. Hutchinson"
This question was asked by Mr.. John
Holbrook, senior partner of the firm OF
Holbrook and Hutchinson, solicitors
and land agents, one certain morning,
in the latter end Of September, as he
entered his office in the principal street
of the old cathedral town of Dullmin-
ster.
His partner, Tom Hutchinson, with
out looking up from the papers he was
reading, answered in the negative.
| 'Well." continued the senior men,
Der of the firm. "we must exhaust every
effort to find the missing deed. There
is letter by this mornings post from
Mr.. Arnold, authorizing us to increase
| the reward to n thousand pounds"
THAT ought to bring it to light. if it
Is in existence, said Tom Hutchinson.
And he threw down his papers, and
wheeled his Office chair TO face Mr..
Charles Wilson, aged twenty-five, with
legal aspirations, who was reading"
in the office of this celebrated firm.
Wilson" he said, write out an
other advertisement in the Arnold case,
and take it round to the Gazette of
! fee"
Eyes, sir" answered the young man.
And he took n sheet of paper and
began TO write.
After awhile he read the following,
and the firm agreed that it was tho
proper fling
tVrn Sor IctrnpSi Cr rpt.s Avn Dr1t.pc
Information wanted of q certain parch-
ment deed, given by Andrew Sharp to Arch
lbald Arnold. conveying TO said Archibald
Arnold certain plot OF valuable building
land, containing about five acre. more or
less, situated In the City of London, SAID
deed having been given in the year 1916.
This deed was lost or stolen some fifteen
years ago, ana anyone furnishing informa-
ton which will lead TO its recovery will re-
ceive reward OF One thousand pounds, by
applying To HOLBROOK AND HUTCHINSON,
Solicitors, &c, Dullminster, Chalkshire."
You'd better take it round at once, I"
said the head of the firm.
And the young man left the Office to
perform the errand.
Messrs. Holbrook and Hutchinson s
articled clerk was poor young man
poor-but he had stout heart and
great ambition, and although he found
it serious matter to make both ends
meet, Inc was studying very hard TO
perfect himself for his profession, after
which suspicious event, he felt that all
would be plain sailing.
He had rosy day-dreams sometimes
of the future, after fame and wealth
| should have fallen TO his share, and the
central figure of these dreams was
pretty Madgc Bevan, who was nearly
as poor as himself, and whom he had
loved ever since he was boy at school.
IF l could find the missing deed, !"
he thought. rs he hurried TO the news
paper Office AL would be well. A
thousanu pUdnus would give me Il good
start in lie. aud / could make dear
Madge happy. and lit the burden of
support of her mother from her
| il shoulders. | shall be admitted to
ctice on my own account next term,
it will be pretty uphill work at
{, unless ] have y reserve capital.
| -the-way," he muttered aloud, 81
omised Madgo 20 take tea with them
is evening"
| Charlie Wilson had expended great
deal of thought on the most important
4 IdCbOI III Lilt ElCuI AhHt Va hihOAd We
Sharp, the missing deed TO the inn
mensely valuable lot of building land,
and for the past month he had spent
his idle moments visiting marine stores,
in the faint hope of somewhere running
across the parchment.
| In the course OF his search he had
overhauled tons of old paper, but so
far he could discover not the slightest
trace of the missing document, and
hundreds of others who had been
tempted by the large reward offered
for its discovery. were equally unsuc-
| cessful.
To-day ne thought more about the
| deed than he did of Coke and Black
stone, and was SO restless and pre-oc-
| cupied that when the clock struck three
| he laid aside his books and left the Of.
| flee.
Mrs. Bevan and her pretty daughter
| lived in an old farmhouse in the sub
srbs of Dullminster.
Madge was employed as copyist in
! private firm, and usually finished her
days work at four o'clock.
! Until that hour. Charlie paced slow.
| ly up and down the pavement in front
of the tall building where she worked.
They walked homo together, and
Charlie OF course spoke of the missing
deed.
They amused themselves with dis
cussing what they would do with the
reward, supposing they should chance
to find the important document, and
were talking in this ridiculous strain
when they reached Madge's home.
"Tea is ready" says Mrs. Bevan
greeting Charlie kindly, "and I've
opened jar of my homemade straw
berry jam just for your benefit. -
81 know it's excellent" said Char
lie; and he seated himself besid,
Madge.
| While Mrs. Bevan poured out tine
tea he removed the cover of the jam
pot. Suddenly no turned pale, hi
lower jaw dropped, and he sat gazing
fixedly like one spellbound.
care YOU i'll, Charliep" cried Madge
springing to her feet.
"You haven't come upon one of thos
nasty beetlesp' exclaimed Mrs. Bevan
suspending the teapot in mid air.
mo, noI' gasped Charlie, after
time. '.It's nothing. l shall be al
right directly. lists the thousan,
poundsr'
He seized the piece of parchment