Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-03-24
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
MAS OLD BEAU

deed forgeries remind me of an incl
dent that occurred few years ago. in
the vicinity Of st. Louis, which seems
to me to be worth relating.
Clara and Mary Merwin, sisters and
orphans. were in the sitting-room or
their pleasant home on the edge Of a
village near the Missouri. Their moth
er had been dead several years; their
father had lately died, leaving them
an estate, as they supposed Of the value
of forty thousand dollars. But they
had learned quite recently that the
property was encountered to such an
extent that they were likely to be de-
prived of II all. This discovery, as
may be supposed, filed them with sad
ness and anxiety, and they were seated
in silence, unable to read, to converse,
to work, to do anything but brood over
their great misfortune.
While they were thus occupied with
sombre thoughts, a buggy drove up in
front of the house, and a man alighted,
and the buggy drove away.
ne man must nave DetH llttle VII
the shady side of so, to Judge from his
gray hair, although his face was
fresh and unwrinkled. He was dressed
with remarkable neatness, and his
manner indicated briskness as well as
precision. In one hand he carried a
small yalise, and in the other an UNI.
brella, and he stepped quickly to the
door and rang the bell. In a few min
utes he was ushered into the presence
Of the young ladies.
Il am obliged to introduce myself"
lac said. bowling in a courtly manner
! 'Abner Pierce. You will perceive that
I l am lawyer in st. Louis, and pre-
,sumably a respectable man. Don't be
afraid; am not here to hurt you, but
to help you. have the honor to call
myself friend Of your family; that
is to say, although 1t is a number Of
years since | have seen any member
of said family, always had the high
est possible regard for your now saint
ed mother, and nothing could please me
better than to be Of some service to
her children"
I'VE are happy to meet you," MUIR
INJURED Clara.
| Thank you'll happened to hear-no
matter how-that you were In trouble,
and have come up here in the belief
that can assist you. l hope you will
feel that you can trust me. l am
actually an honest man, although l
may express myself clumsily."
4 II am free to admit" said Clara,
that we need assistance and advice,
and that we have not known to whom
to look for It,"
Very well. It is good thing, no
doubt, that | have come. Now, sit
down and tell me all about It,"
Clara Merwin, who was the elder OF
the orphans, and the leader in every
thing, told how she and her sister had
taken out letters OF administration up
on their fathers estate, when man OF
whom they had never before heard put
In an appearance, and presented O
mortgage, with a bond included, exc
cuted by the late Mr.. Merwin, upon his
real estate, for the sum of $4,000. Not
oontented with prohibiting them from
selling anything, he had tied up their
money In the bank, leaving them alb
solutely penniless. They had used
their credit, but tradesmen were be-
coming impatient, and some had re-
fused to supply them any fursher with
out pay.
THAT Is bad case" said Mr. Pierce.
You need money-that is the first
thing to be attended to. You must let
NE act as your banker until ! get you
out Of this scrape and that won't be
long, hope. How much do you owe"
More than $780," answered Clara.
The old gentleman counted out 5000
from well-filled pocketbook and
handed It to her.
For your mothers sake" he said.
when she refused to receive II. and he
forced It upon her in such way that
she could not help taking 1t. He then
accepted the young ladies' invitation to
make their house his home during his
stay, and went to dinner with them.
rs there any place where / can
smoke he asked, when they had re-
turned to the sitting-room.
"You can smoke here" said the i'm
pulsive Mary. "Pa always smoked
here; and we are used to it,"
So he took a meerschaum and some
tobacco from his yalse, and was soon
putting away with an air of great con-
tentment.
II can think better when I smoke"
he said. Did you have any legal adj
vice in the matter of that mortgage,
Miss Merwin?"
Eyes, sir" replied Clara. "Our law
yer said that 1t was plain case
against us, although it was strange
that we had not heard OF the mortgage
before"
Very strange What is the name OF
the man who holds it,"
| Alexander Campbell"