Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-09-17

A man was sitting on the piazza Of
a summer hotel in Maine when anoth-
er man came up the steps and, after
eying him sharply, advanced toward
him and said:
'Mr. Pierson, believe"
You have the advantage of me,
sir"
"T have seen you several times and
have been introduced to you. Are you
not Richard Pierson of Chicago?"
IF you will excuse me, sir. prefer
not to tell you who / am until learn
something about yourself. Doubtless
you are perfectly honest and sincere in
taking me for an acquaintance, but
you must admit that such methods are
so often taken with a sinister motive
that it behooves US to be on our guard
on the advances of a stranger"
You are perfectly right. am Mark
Anderson and have often been in Chi
cago. There l have met Mr.. Richard
Pierson. If you are not he you resem-
BILE him sufficiently to be his twin
brother" ....-s-s.,
At confess" replied the other, soften
L
this man Person 1 wish that I could
say that am he, for I understand he
has a fortune. When were you in
Chicago, sir"
Anderson told him that he had left
Chicago but a few weeks ago. adding:
IF you are not Richard Pierson of
Chicago will you now kindly tell me
who you areT
Lowering is my name-Alexander
Lowering"
Mr.. Anderson, while he carefully re-
Trained from appearing TO court Mr..
Lowering, lost no opportunity OF put
ting himself in his way. Lowering at
first appeared to be trying to avoid
the man, but gradually gave way and
suffered himself to become intimate
with his new acquaintance. Finally
Anderson mentioned a certain young
widow-a Mrs. MARYLAND. Lowering
pricked up his ears.
1.-The man you resemble" said An
derson. twas at one time attentive to
her"
Lowering WINGED.
One morning the two men were in
the writing room of the hotel. Low
ering was writing a letter. He had
finished and addressed it and was be-
ginning another when he was called
away. leaving the addressed letter on
the table at which he had written it.
When he returned Anderson said to
him:
do you know that your handwrit-
ing is very like that of the man mis-
took you for?'
How do you know that's? asked
Lowering
~ could not help seeing the address
on the letter you left on the table
when you went out"
Are you familiar with this man
whats hts name?"
"Pierson"
"Pierson's handwriting"
eyes"
How did you become SOP
'Well. the fact is that Pierson was
a sutton for the hand Of a woman I
know"
And she showed you his letters?'
"She did once"
'Did she consider that honorable"
well. the truth is I had heard
NhAA6c dOOut E-lGTSOHs anu, tue AAoJ OC-
ing my friend. / thought it my duty
to tell her. She showed me a letter to
convince me that I was mistaken, but
l convinced her at last"
Lowering did not seem to take enough
interest in the matter to follow it fur
ther.
81 wonder" said Anderson. 'if your
should draw check for $4,000 on
certain bank In New York where An
derson knew Pierson kept an average
balance Of $4,000 he used for mar
gins on stock operations The rascals
were to go to New York together to
perpetrate the swindle. One thing Low
ering insisted on. to which Anderson
Mountaineering claimed that since
he would do the forging he alone would
be guilty. Anderson could throw the
whole burden on him. Lowering also
changed his mind about the method OF
drawing the money. Resembling Pier
son 80 closely. he would need no iden-
tification at the bank. He could pre-
sent the check with certainty that 1t
would be paid without question. He
therefore required Anderson to write !