The Wilmingtonian., 1886-11-06
Tho Mysterious Mote.

In drug store, where learned my chemi-
cal mysteries +; flually, became a law stu
dent and it was my knowledge of chemistry
"a science of which am passionately fond
that gave me start as law student
My shinge had been hung out in vain four
or five months, and I had not single brief
to prepare. What little money had pos
sessed after my studies were completed was
rapidly melting away, and could not ignore
the fact If no fees should come in my way
for couple of months l should have to go
on the street, or on the prairie, and labor for
living. 1t would be no disgrace. to be sure,
but when one has spent his little all in pre-
pairing himself for professional life, and
when he has set his heart and hopes on such
life, it is sad to have to abandon it.
was seated in my office one afternoon, in
dulging in certain gloomy thoughts on the
subject, when the door opened, and mid
dle.aged man in humble garb came in, and
recognized him at the first glance, as an
honest and industrious machnist, named
William Campbell, former neghbor of my
fathers, who was now dead. He was fur
ried and nervous, aud saw, at once, there
was something wrong.
"Good morning. Mr.. Campbell" said I,
Show did you happen to find the Office Of a
poor young lawyer like mep"
''By accident" said he. II am in trouble
and if don't get out of it am ruined. All
the savings of my life will be gone, unless
can find some lawyer smart enough to defeat
the rascality of certain man. and was go
ing along, intending to call on the first law
yer should see, and it happened to be you.
AS knew your father well, and knew you
when you was boy, thought could not
do better than to put the case in your hands;
I'd at least be sure of fair treatment, l
thought"
"You w0nld be sure of that at the hands
of any lawyer, to whom you should iutrust
ayour case," said l. "Now, let me hear
what it is, and will see what eau be done. :"
"Well, it is this I've worked quite hard
all my life at my trade, and accumulated
some money-about thousand dollars, in
fact. have seven childrep should like to
provide for, and it has been my steady aim
to increase my money all could. A year
ago, friend of niue, who is in the same
business am in, told me he would take a
partner in the spring. and II 1 should go in
with him, we could make lots of money
looked in the matter. found he was not mis-
taken about it. l saw | could in few years,
increase my six Thousand to twenty thousand
and told him would be ready to join him
in the business when the time came. Mean
time, my money was lying in the bank, where
ought to have left it, drawing five and a
half per cent interest.
'Shortly after made this arrangement
with my friend about the partnership,a man
! knew well, and had great confidence in,
came to me and asked me to lend him the
money till should want it at the end of the
year, and he said he could readily return it
by that time, and he would give me eight
per cent. So let him have it, and now it
is due and can't get it back"
HAS he any property ?"
"Yes-the amount of it but have since
understood he's slippery fellow, but have
not known that before"
''Yes, but l can't find it: that's what
troubles me. 1 called on him yesterday and
told HIM so, and he said he had no recolec.
tion of borrowing any money from me if
had the note he would pay it, If hadn't he
certainly would NOT"
"And you can't find the noteP"
"No."
"What did you do with III
II put it this pocket-book, where l kept
all my important papers, but when l came
to look for it among some other notes, and
the like, couldn't find it,"
He produced a large old-fashioned, leather
pocketbook, as he spoke, and l looked
through it, and examined lot of receipt,
and notes that were packed together in ont
of its pockets, thinking that two of the
papers might be sticking together.
'There is no promissory note for thai
amount here," said. "Bnt what is this
blank sheet of paper doing here ?" and
took up a slip of white paper, that I fount
among the documents.
81 don't know"
"Who is the man that gave you the
note?"
alexander Bolton, the druggist"
knew Alexander Bolton, we'll. He wa
wealthy and penurous, aud had the name o
being very tricky. / was satisfied that Mr.
Campbell was telling the truth. l was a
well convinced that Alexander Bolton wa
not Ihan who would be likely to forge
having borrowed such a large sum as 81,
thousand dollars, aud jumped to the con
clusion that lie had played some cunning
trick, to wrong the confidng mechanic ou
of the fruits of many years of labor. Blu
what was the trick? That was the question
that puzzled me.
Have you had this pocket-book in Sc
cure place ever since he gave you the note?'
/ asked.
''Yes under lock and key, where no on
could touch it but myself"
''Are you sure that it has been ever sine
impossible for any Que to find it to purloil
the note?'
81 am perfectly sure of that. The lock o
my desk in which have kept it is one
made myself. There is but one key il