Year: 1876

The City Bank of Erie, Pa, being
closed for the day the young cashier
thereof retired as usual to his daintily
furnished lodgings In the upper part of
the building, there to entertain himself
for a while over books or papers and
then don the apparel suitable for a hotel
supper table and evening calls. Several
private letters we're upon his table await


ing perusal, and one of these attracted
his particular attention by its unfamiliar
and feminine handwriting. The con-
tents commanded his reading more than
once, for they were an appeal from a
stranger to his courtesy and from a
woman to his generosity. The writer,
in as few words as possible. spoke of
herself as having arrived in Erie only a
few days before in the hope OF pro-
curing q loan from the bank upon GER
tain securities which constituted her
widows dover. She had visited the
bank in expectation of an interview with
the president, but found her courage un-
equal to the attempt, for, without speak
ing, she had gone out agai1, though not
until she had noticed the kindly counte-
nance of a gentleman who was subse-
quently named to her as the cashier


For reasons which she could scarely e1-
plain to herself that couhtenance had en-
couraged her to address its possessor In
the present uHwonted manner and to
beg his kind Office in her behalf with
the bank. She knew nothing about
business, had no masculine relative or
friend to call upon for aid or advice, and
was a stranger in strange city on az
errand absolutely beyond her power.
Despair made her bold to impose upon
the chivalry of Mr.. Edward ]. Warren,
who, at such number on such street,
might find the writer of this poor ap-
peal.


Mary Kinnaird was the name signed
to this somewhat vague missive, and
Warren pondered the latter with sensa-
tions of mingled surprise and curiosity.
He remembered noticinga yelled woman
of graceful figure, who had abruptly
turned back from walking into the bank
during the day, and doubted not that
she vas the author of the note. He was
vain with the not unnatural self-conceit
of a comely youth whose position and
manners had secured him high feminine
favor in local society, and the promise
of romance in the appeal of his new cor
respondent was very temptn In
short, he decided to see the lady forth
with. Repairing, after supper at his
hotel, to tasteful mere toy of a cottage IN
theenvirons, as directed, he found there
the young widow of the note and her
securities. The latter, small in amount
but good of their kind, he thought might
be negotiated; the former, intelligent,
graceful, and unaffected, he was delight


ed to find ready to receive and trust him
as friend. j-t%


Thus romantically began an acquaint


ance which ran on without further nota,
BILE incident for several weeks. Mrs.
Kinnaird rented the little cottage until
the business calling her to the city
should be finally settled, and In that
time surprised the cashier by two calls
upon him in his rooms over the bank.
On one of these extraordinary occasions
her excuse was that she had an insatia


BILE womanly curiosity to see what bank
vaults were like, and MIR. Warren polite


" escorted her down stairs and
explained the mysteries OF locks and
iron doors. =.


As she had previously preserved to
ward him certain modest reserve in al
their interviews, he was yet more
amazed when, on the very next evening
she again presented herself at his lodg
ings and, after much frivolity of diE
course, asked him to send for bottle O.
wine. In his growing fatuity he as
sensed, and had scarcely drained his frs
glass when his strangely changed com
panion struck an odd vein of converse
ton. Did he remember that about 81,
months ago lad had entered the banl
and requested him to change fifty dol
lar bil9 Yes, he recalled the matte
perfectly. The bill was a counterfeit
and he fastened after the lad and causes
his arrest9 Yes, of course, but VIII.
this questioning Bewildered by tn


woman's strange looks, as well as words
the young man would fain have demand
ed explanation, but his speech suddenl,
became thick and a dreadful stupo
crept over his senses. "That boy woul


not tell where he got the bill, and o.
your evidence, Edward Warren, he wa
convicted and sentenced to solitary con
6nerent for seven yeors. He Is no


hso,heg. end I an here to avenge him !