The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-12-03

had fshed up evidence that the
late Mrs. JohDstone had By right:
only life-interest in her first hus
bands property; and having there
upon discovered the person who, pn
der such circumstances. would be the
claimant, he had put himself into com
munieation with him. Said claimant
proved indeed to be in the legal pro.
fession, which was disappointment
for the grubber; but as there was really
something in the evidence he had Iii
upon, his time was not entirely thrown
away.
] This vas the startling information
which was conveyed to Mr.. Johnstone
in the hard, sharp words of lawyer'G
letter, and which he now communi.
Gated in his distress to Miss Plump
tree and Annie. They cheered him
with sanguine speeches aud when he
had gathered his wits together he
started for London to seek an inter
view with his solicitor.
The acute gentleman informed him
that there really seemed to be some
thing in the claim which was set up,
but that it would take a deal Of leg
islation to prove it, and so far as he
could see, it vas odds on the man in
possession eventually winning the day.
But still, if an advantageous eompro-
mise we're to be suggested, it might
be as we'll to take it into considera-
tion.
So Mr.. Johnstone took to walking
for hours about the garden Of joss
House Villa with his eyes bent on
his toes, and bis hands closed behind
his back, lost IN thought, and mutter-
ing at intervals, advantageous com
PROMISE
He was accustomed to spread 4 silk
pocket handkerchief over his head af-
ter dinner, and take forty winks-at
the rate Of wink to two minutes [; but
his slumbers now were strangely dis
turbed He would turn aud mutter,
and his mutterings, to the excitement
of Annie's curiosity, invariably form
ed some part Of the words "Advau-
tageous compromise y
II. THE ADVANTAGEOUS COAIPRO-
MISE.
Miss Plumptree and Annie John
stone sat in the same queer summer
house overlooking the dragon in the
chickweed, employed in the same de-
scription of needlework, the advance
of the year being shown by basket
Of apricots which stood in the place
of the strawberries. MIR. Johnstone
sat near them in silent abstraction. -
Vt intervals, indeed, he would tilt his
chair forward to bring his hand in
range of the mellow fruit, of which he
was deyouring .choleraic quantity /;
but he seemed to so dc mechanically,
as,if he did not quite know what he was
about and, indeed, while his palate
was engaged with the apricots, his
mind was absorbed in contemplation
of his position. |Iu
"That fine, that remarkably fine
woman" he said to himself, as his
eyes rested admiringly on Miss
Plumptree, "will not mary me until
that girl is off my hands, which is less
likely to happen than ever, now it is
doubtful if can give her, or even
leave her a penny. And yet, if these
fellows manage to take away my mon
eY--and there is no knowing what
lawyers may not do in that way-it
will be an extra reason why [ should
marry woman with a nice compe-
tence to make sup. l wonder how
George the Fourth would have;acted
under similar circumstances But
bah how could he ePossibly have been
placed in them ? When a king has
his property taken from him, he does
not go to law; he fights, or rather,
other people fight, which i is better
still, and settle the matter that way"
His meditations were interrupted
by servant bearing card, who told
him that a gentleman wished to see
him.
"Whero have you shown him ?"
"Into the music hall" replied the
girl.
Too much furried to say word to
either of the ladies, Mr. Johnstone
hastened to the grand music hall, an
apartment fifteen by thirteen, where
he found the young man.
"The-ah the claimant, | be-
lieve ?" said Mr.. Johnstone, glancing
from his visitor to the card he held in
his hand.
"Yes,'' replied the other. "The
course which L have taken in calling
upon you.personally, may seem some
what strange, especially for lawyer,
but there has been some mention of
the possibility of a compromise and
to tell the simple truth, you have
been in possession so long, and the IL
formation which enables me to con
test your rights has come from so dis
reputable quarter, that 1 am rath>
er ashamed of my position, and would
prefer settling the matter amicably
to commencing long course of liti
cation.
"a very unprofessional view of the
case, 1 own, but l beg you to believe
that | should have no seruples if l
were acting for client. 1t is a DEL
icate matter, however, TO make the
first approaches towards a eomprO-
mise in writing, because, if your op-
ponent is unwilling to entertain it,
he may take it as an acknowledg
ment of weakness, and become con-
frmed in the strength of his case or,
he may find a weapon in some SEN
tence of your letter which may be
turned against you. So I have de-
termined to sink the lawyer. 1 am
only a very young one, and call upon
you personally to talk the matter
over quietly, and see if you are in
clined to meet me halfway. OF
course, you will commit yourself to
nothing without consulting your
solicitor"
81 am no great friend to litigation
myself" said Mr.. Johnstone "and
if you can show ME that your claim
is really good one, am ready to
listen to what you have to propose"
The young man then commenced
trauslating the'case from jargon into
English and when his auditor SEEM
ed to have a pretty clear idea Of it in
all its bearings, he told him that he
had sooner the first sketch of a COM
promise should come from him.
"Are you married. cried Mr.. John
stone, his eyes Frightening with a
sudden idea.
"No,"
"Then, by George p slaPpiug his
thigh, "wby not marry my niece ?'
you do me great honor, 1 am
sure" stammered the young man