Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-10-19
THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE.

N~oo-o--~ooo~o-~~
Y7WAS a harum-scarum youth, and
for the first dozen years of my
manhood l had no settled aim. l
started out as n clerk in a country
store. then | became schoOl-teacher,
next clerk in drug store, where
learned many chemical mysteries;
finally became a law student; and It
was NY knowledge of chemistry-a
science Of which | am passionately
fond that gave me start as law
student
My shingle had been hung out for
four OF five months, and yet | had not
laG q single brief to prepare. What
little money | had possessed after my
studies We're completed was rapidly
melting away, and | could not ignore
tue fact that if no fees should come
IN my way for a couple of months
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 professional life, and
when he has set his heart and hopes
abandon 1t.
was seated in my Office one fore
noon. indulging in certain gloomy
thoughts on this subject, when the
door opened and a middleaged man In
humble garb came in. and | 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
ried 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
am ruined. All the savings Of my life
will be gone unless | 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 | should see and 1T happened
to be you AS | knew your father
well. and used to know you when you
were a boy. | thought | could not do
better than to put my case In your
hands: I'd at least be sure Of fair
treatment / thought"
"You would he sure Of that at the
hands of any lawyer to whom you
should intrust your case" said |,
"Now let me hear what 1t is and I'll
see what can be done"
well. its this. I've worked hard
all my lifn at my trade and accumu-
lated some money-about six thousand
dollars. in fact | have several chill
dren | would like to provide for, and
1t has been my steady aim to increa So
my money all could. A year ago
friend of mine. who is In the same
business | am in, told me he could
take a partner In the spring. and that
If should 90 I'm with him we should
make great deal Of money. | looked
into the matter and found that he was
not mistaken about it. | saw that
could, In Il few years. increase my six
thousand to twenty thousand and /
told him would lie ready to Join him
when the time came. Meantime my
money was lying in the bank. where
! ought To have left it. drawing "a
per cent interest.
shortly after | had made this ar
rangement with my friend about the
partnership. a man | knew well aud
had great confidence In came to ME
and asked me to lend him my money
TN should want 1t. | told him |
should want ii at the end Of the year,
aud lie said he could readily return 1t
by that time. and he would give me !
per cent. So / let him have 1t. and
now II Is due. and cant get il back
Has he any property?' | asked
"Yes-any amount of it; but I've I'M
derstood he's n slippery fellow, but
had not known that before"
"But you took his note, surely?"
said /.
YES, but can't find IT; that's what
day and told him SO, and he said he
has, no recollection OF borrowing any
money from me: IL had his note. he
would pay 1t: If | hadn't. he wouldn't"
And you can't find the note:"
"No."
What did you do with it?'
81 put II in this pocket book. where
] keep all my important papers; but
when | came TO look for 1t among
other notes, receipts, and the like.
couldn't nnd It"