The free South. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, 1863-04-11
Jhs Sturv. Tsllsr.
Written for The Free South.l
MY WIFE,S CLIENT.
BY FREDERICK MILNEs EDGE.
CHAPTER I.

=
seeing what terrible lot of blanks there
are in fortunes wheel, and so few prizes.
I, like others, "wentit blind, and drew
well! no disparagement to other bene-
dicts,-the biggest kind of prize. Mrs.
Luke Blivius, maintain, is the best law
yer by long odds in the glorious Sucker
State.
ia Why don't women become lawyers?
I should like to sec the man who possesses
the tithe of their adaptability for the pro-
fession; passive tact, active .fnesse, pene-
tration, perseverance, and decision, are
natural to them; and, as regards plead
ing, show me the male capable of holding
an argument with them! When things in
general are managed as they ought to be,
Mrs, Luke Bhyius viii be chief justice OF
the supreme court of the United States.
Law wasn't of much account in Smoker
town when Mrs. B. installed herself as
the guardian angel of my household,
Sol Gregsly, my lean, lank. six-foot-t -three
clerk, had an easy time of it like his emf
ployer, and both OF us would have had
hard work to make both ends smeet but
for a mania on the part of the Snickerto-
mans for speculating in corner lots.
Times have changed wonderfully since
then: corner lots don't very often get.mto
the market, and Sol (he's my partner fowS
and myself have more cases than we can
attend to comfortably. It's oil due to Mrs.
Bhvirs, but like a dear, good wife as she
is, she wants her husband to have the
credit of it.>-,She says she is only the
sleeping partner Ia the concern.
Let noe see! it's just about twelve years
ago that Sim Barker came running to our
house in atowering passion. Mrs. B. and
myselfwere sitting at breakfast, and Sol
1ssr-rCrssrfISu q froiii ms
ing walk, which he sententiously called
his smatectinal Hearing Bakers
voice outside calling in excited tones for
Lawyer Bivious, left the room and en-
auired, with all the GOODNESS beitting the
profession, the meaning of the disturb
ance. - sasaasf
"Why, Lawyer" +" answered Sim, "that
darned thief Thad Harlan's been and
cheated me out of my hundred dollars,
and want you to make him give them
ND. You see, went to his shanty last
night, and"
Sim Barker ratified out his complaint in
a much shorter time than can recite, and
in so loud and excited tone that several
of the neighbors ran to their street doors:
I thought it best, therefore, to ask my un-
expected client into the house, and min
>ste afterwards we were continuing the
consexsation in my Office. Sim Barker, l
must telf YOU, was the most unpromislng
client any attorney could desire; cannot
saw he was q man of no character-that
would be hattering him-for his reputa-
ton in Snickertown and the surrounding
country had long stamped him as the
idlest rascal in the vicinity. Nobody ever
=, ode out how he managed to live, and es-
pecialiy how he found it cheaper to be ev-
erlastingly intoxicated than to remain So So
ber: he was, in fine, a loafng scamp natu-
rally, improved for the worse by long
course of training The only thing to be
said in his favor was that he had never, as
yet, been caught openly transgressing
the law. no.:
Arrived in the little apartment which
served me as an Office, and which by the
bye adioined the room where had just
left nv wife at breakfast, I told Barker to
continue his complaint. His story was q
hard one for lawyer to believe, and l
made up my mind he was attempting to
play the confidence game on me, perhaps
with the intention of enlisting my services
AGAINST the man whom he spitefully ac-
cused of robbing him. AS to believing
his statement, that was clearly out OF the
question. He told me in the same rapid,
excited manner, that he had asked Thad
Harlan, the liquor dealer, to take charge
of hundred dollars for him the previous
night, and that on applying for his money
an honr ago, Harlan had professed entire
ignorance of the affair and ordered him
out of the store as an imposter. l en-
ouired whether he had not demanded
receipt on giving up the money, and my
disbelief of his story became conclusive
when he informed me that not merely had
no such acknowledgement been obtained,
but that no witnesses were in the bar-room
| when he delivered up the sum stated.