Year: 1875

orphans, were In the sitting-room of their
pleasant home on the edge of village
near the Missouri. Their mother had
been dead several years their father
had lately died, leaving them. an estate as
they supposed, of the value of some forty
thousand dollars. But they had learn ed
quite recently that the property was en-
numbered that they were literally to be
deprived of it 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 misfortune.


While they were thus occupied with
sombre thoughts, buggy drove up in
front of the house, and man alightedI
and the buggy drove away.


The man must have been little on
the shady side of fifty, to judge from his
gray hairs, although his face was fresh
and unwrinkled. He was dressed with
remarkable neatness, and his manner in
dicated briskness as well as precision.
In one hand he carried small valise,
and in the other an umbrella, and he
stepped quickly to the door and rang the
bell In few minutes he was ushered
into the presence of the young ladies.


Pm obliged to introduce myself" he
said, smiling and bowling in courtly
manner" Abner Pierce. Here is my
card professional card. You will per
eeive that am LAWYER in st. Louis,
and presumably respectable man
Don't be afraid; I'm not here to hurt
you, but to help you. have the honor
to call myself friend of the family
that is to say, although it is many years
since l have seen any member of said
family, L always had the highest regard
possible for your now sainted mother
and nothing could please me better than
to be of some service to her family.


We are happy to meet you, mur-
INJURED Clara.


Thank you. I happened to hear-nC
matter how-that you were in trouble
and have come up here IN the belle
that L can assist you. 1 hope you will
feel that you can trust me. 1 am actu
ally an honest nam, although lawyer
and mean well, although l may express
myself clumsily."


al am free to admit" said Clara, "tha
we need assistance and advice, and tha
we have not known to whom to look fol
it.


Very well, Il is a good thing, Nc
doubt, that l have come. Now, SCI
down and tell me all about it.


Clara Merwin, who was the elder o.
the orphans and leader IN everything
told how she and her sister had taker
out letters of administration upon theil
fathers estate, when a man of whom they
never before had heard, put in an ap
pearance and presented mortgage with
bond included, executed by the late Mr..
Merwin, upon all his real estate, for the
sum of forty thousand dollars. Not con
tent with prohibiting them from attempt
ing to sell anything, he had tied up their
money in bank, leaving them absolutely
penniIess. They had used their credit
but tradesmen we're becoming inpatient
and some had refused to supply them
any farther without pay.


"That is a hard case" said Mr.. Pierce.
You need money, that is the first thing
to be attended to. You must let me act
as your banker until l get you out Of
this scrape, and that won't be long, l
hope. How much do you owe 2"


More than one thousand dollars" an
swered Clara.


The old gentleman counted out two
hundred dollars from a well-fIied pocket
book. and handed it to her.


For your mothers sake" he said
when she refused to receive it, and be
forced it upon her in such a way that
she could not help taking it. He then &C
cepted the young ladies' invitation tc
make their house his home during his
stay, and went into dinner with them.


Is there any place where 1 car
smoke ," You eau smoke here" said
the imPassive Mary. "Pa always smok
ed here, and We are used to II.


So he took a meershaum and soze to
bacco from his valise, aud pas soon puff