Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-04-12

waiter looked In, saying:
"A gentleman to see you, sir"
"Show the gentleman in"
But he did not require showing
in, for he had followed close OH the
walters heels. He came hastily
forward and shook me warmly by
the hand. He was an elderly gen.
tleman, whose long white beard and
white locks gave him very veneer
able appearance. An elder of the
Kirk of Scotland at least, said to
myself. He was traveled-stained,
and obviously very agitated.
Mr.. Turner, ann glad to have
been able to meet YOU" he said.
"Yes?" | replied interrogatively
for had no idea who he was.
my names Macgregor-M Mac.
gregor of Stirling. Your principals
know me WELL"
Il assure you am glad to see
you," ] replied, now shaking his
hand in turn; ''your name is 4
familiar one in our house; but OBJ
serving his emotion, 81 hope there;
nothing wrong?'
Il hope not, my young friend,
he replied; "at least, nothing but
what can be amended, | hope.
May | ask you if you have sent of
the notes you got from my son to-
day.
mo, | shall wait till | reach
Edinburgh" | said.
Thank Heaven" he fervently
calculated, and then burst into q
loud fit of sobbing, the tears run
ming down his cheeks and over his
venerable beard.
"Mr. Turner" he said in broken
voice, and at intervals between his
sobs, ''you see before you an old
man who has lived for over seventy
years blameless life, respected by
everybody, and yet my gray hairs
are to be brought down in sorrow
to the grave. My son, my son!
Thank God his mothers deadw
/ had some difficulty in prevail
ing upon the old gentleman to try
to restrain his agitation, and at last
managed to get from him his sad
story.
1t seemed that for some months
past large number of forged notes,
purporting to be genuine drafts on
the British Linen Company's Bank,
had been in circulation, and people
were somewhat chary about receiv-
ing any without the most careful
examination. When ! heard this
my hand moved instinctively to my
breast pocket.
WAT moment, Mr.. Turner"
said the old gentleman. my son,
who was as steady and promising a
young man as you would find in all
the Lothians and Sterlingshire too,
has lately given way to drink and
horse-racing and gambling. have
been suspecting for some time that
his money matters were not in the
best of order, and | don't like the
look of his associates, especially at
Tryst times"
Here recalled the individual |
had myself seen i'll the shop, but
had not noticed any communica-
ton between him and young Mac
gregor.
TO make long story short, re-
sumed the worthy old man, my
foreman appraised me as soon as |
got home that my son had duly paid
you, but not with the notes he knew
| had left for that purpose. / left
him Bank of England notes. If he
has paid you in that money no harm
is done, but"
mo, he has not" said, becom-
ing almost as agitated as my old
friend himself.
"Oh, don't say they are British
Linen"
By this time | had my pocket
book out, and handed him one of
the roll of notes his precious son
had given me.
Macgregor examined it carefully.
ut seems all right, | am thank
full to say" he remarked; then hold
ing it between him and the light
on the table: Its forgery; the
water-mark's wrong"
One by one we examined the roll.
The water-mark in all was identical,
and consequently all were as bad
as the first