The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-03-26
THE |. 0. U.

I started life as apprentice to a
chemist where learned many chemi-
cal mysteries; finally became a law
student; and it was my knowledge OF
chemistry-a science OF which l am
passionately fond-that gave me a
start as a lawyer. l was seated in
my office one forenoon, INDUCING in
certain gloomy thoughts, when the
door opened and a middle-aged man
in humble garb came in, and recog-
nized him at the first glance as an IN
dustrious and honest machinist
named William Campbell, q former
neighbor OF my late fathers. He
was Hurried and nervous, and 1 saw
at once that there was something
wrong.
Good morning, Mr.. Campbell"
said l. "How did you happen to find
the office of a young lawyer like me?"
BY accident" he said II am in
trouble, and if l don't get out OF it, I
am ruined. All the savings of my life
will be gone unless find some lawyer
smart enough to defeat the
rascality OF a certain man, and
was intending to call on the
first. lawyer [ could see, and it
happened to be you. My money was
lying in the bank drawing interest;
but a well-to-do man knew to be
worth twenty times the amount, and
in whom l had great confidence, came
to me and asked me to lend him my
money for a few months. 1 told him
I should want it at the end of the
year, and he said he would readily re-
turn 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?' I asked.
'Yes-any amount OF it; but I've
understood he's a slippery fellow. I
wish | had known that BEFORE"
But you took his note, surely?"
said I.
Eyes, but can't find it; that's what
troubles me. called on him yester-
day, and he said he had no recollec-
ton of borrowing any money from
me;if had his note he would pay me;
if l hadn't he Wouldn't
And you can't find the note??'
NO."
what did you do with it?''
Il put in this pocket-book, where
keep all my important papers; but
when I came to look for it among
other notes, receipts, and the like, /
couldn't find it,"
He produced a large, old-fashioned
leathern pocket-book as he spoke, and
looked through it and examined a
lot of receipts and notes that were
packed together in, one OF it's pockets,
thinking that two of the papers might
be sticking together.
''There is no note," I said. "But
What is that blank sheet of paper
doing here?" And I took up Slip of
white paper that l found among the
documents,
~ don't know"
"Who is the man that gave you the
note?'
"Alexander Bronton, the druggist"
I know Alexander Bronton we'll. He
was wealthy and penurious, and had
the name OF being tricky. 1 was salts
fled that Mr.. Campbell was telling the
truth. l was convinced that Bronton
was not a man who would be likely to
forget having borrowed FL, 900, and I
junyed to the conclusion that he had
played some cunning trick to wrong
the contiding mechanic out OF the fruits
of many years OF labor. But what
was the trick? =.
/ unused q few minutes as again
casually overhauled the papers, and
then said
Mr.. Campbell, Idon't mean to say
that Bronton is dishonest, but might
he not have handed you this blank
piece of paper and slipped the note in
his pocket-book with the money you
lent .him?'
mo, that is out of the question. lex
ahmed the note again after | reached
home, before put my pocket-book
away, to see that no mistake had
been made; found it all right, plain as
day In every letter and figure, and I
remember it as we'll as thong Oh it had
been yesterday; even remember no.
t1clng how clear and bright the ink
was; it had a kind of reddish tinge."
l was in the act of handing the
pocket-bOok back to him as he said
this, but a thought suddenly struck
me, and opened it again. ',T.
"Mr. Campbell" said car]essIv