The Caldwell tribune., 1905-11-18
THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE.

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N WAS a harum-scarum youth, and
for the first dozen years Of my
manhood l had no settled aim. l
started out as a clerk in a country
store, then / became a chool-teacher,
next a clerk in a drugstore, where I
learned many chemical mysteries;
finally became law student; and it
was my knowledge Of chemistry-a
ecience of which I am passionately
fond.-that gave me a start as law
srudent.
My shingle had been hung out for
four or FIVE months, and yet had not
had a single brief to prepare. What
little money l had possessed after my
studies were completed was rapidly
melting away and l could not ignore
tue fact that If no fees should come
IN my way for a couple Of months I
should have to go on the street or on
the prairie for living. 1t would be
no disgrace, to be sure But when one
has spent his little all in preparing
himself for a professional life, and
when he has set his heart and hopes
On such life, 1t Is sad to have to
abandon it.
= l was seated in my office one fore
noon, indulging in certain gloomy
thoughts on this subject, when the
door opened and q middle-aged man in
humble garb came in, and i recognized
him at the first glance as an industri-
Gus and honest machinist named
Campbell, former neighbor of my
fathers, who was dead. He was fur
Fied and nervous, and l saw at once
that there was something wrong.
"Good-morning, Mr.. Campbell" said
I. How did you happen to find the
Office of poor young lawyer like me?"
by accident" he said. II am In
trouble, and If don't get out Of 1t l
am ruined. All the savings of my life
will be gone unless l can find some
lawyer smart enough to defeat the ras-
Cality Of certain man, and was go
ing along, intending to call on the first
lawyer l should see, and 1t happened
to be you. AS l knew your father
well, and used to know you when you
were boy, thought could not do
better than to put my case in your
hands; I'd at least be sure of fair
treatment. l thought"
a you would be sure of that at the
hands of any lawyer to whom you
should intrust your case," said I.
"Now let me hear what it Is and I'll
see what can be DONE"
well It's this. I've worked hard
all my life at my trade and accnmu-
lated some money-about six Thousand
dollars, in fact. l have several chill
dren / would like to provide for, and
It has been my steady aim to increase
my money all l could. A year ago a
friend Of mine, who Is in the same
business l am in, told me he could
take a partner in the spring, and that
II should go in with him we should
make a great deal Of money. l looked
into the matter and found that he was
not mistaken about it. l saw that
could, in few years. Increase my six
thousand to twenty thousand and I
told him l would be ready to join him
when the time came. Meantime my
money was lying in the bank, where
ought to have left it, drawing 5h
per cent interest.
Shortly after l had made this ar
raDgement with my friend about the
partnership, man l knew we'll and
had great confidence in came. to ME
and asked me to lend him my money
till should want 1t. l told him I
should want it at the end of the year,
and he said he could readily return 1t
by that time, and he would give me 3
per cent. So / let him have 1t, and
now It is due, and can't get it back"
HAS he any property?" l asked.
"Yes-any amount of it; but I've un-
derstood he's slippery fellow, but ]
had not known that before"
"But you took his note, surely T'
said /.
troubles me. called on him yester,
day and told him so, and he said he
had no recollection Of borrowing any
money from me; If had his note, he
would pay it: If hadn't. he wouldn't 1"
''And you can't find the note?"
"No."
"What did you do with itT'
81 put 1t in this pocket-book, where
keep all my important papers; but
when came to look for 1t among
ether notes, receipts, and the like, 1
e0uidn't hnd It"