Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-03-28
GeIefteo AlistcIIanD.
EARNING A FEE.
A DEAcoN's PLOT.

A reasonably good man was Deacon
Pilsey, as times went, but, if he had a
weakness, it was for making things in
general go about as he wanted them to
go. Not an overbearing man by any
means, and certainly not violent one,
but with wonderfully cute and quite sub
tic ways of his own, by which he brought
matters about without letting other folks
know how the thing was done. When a
man is accustomed to have his own way,
he makes up his mind pretty easily; but
there was one point.of all others upon
which Deacon Pilsey had been set and
fixed for years, and the care Of which lay
heavy onNhis mind, for the time had come
when, in his judgment, something deep
required to be planned and all his skill
exercised in carrying it out. To mind
like his, that had taken perfect measure
of every other in the village, and for
miles around it, there could be little
difficulty in selecting his tools and assis-
tants, and lie had no need of counscllors
That was how he came to be talking so
con6dentially with Joe Gaines, as the
two stood by the yard gate.
"Why, deacon said Joe, 81 always
thought you liked Bob Humphrey. He's
tip-top fellow, and a good match for
any girl know of"
$50 he is, so be is" said the deacon.
Cant say word agin him. Knew
him from boy Can't forbid him the
house, or any Of that sort of nonsense !;
but then he can't have Irene Wyer"
=" l don't see how you'll help it, dea-
con. You're only her guardian, and
she's about Of age"
=" Not for year yet, that's how the
will reads-and she's in my house, you
know. guess | can fix some things,
specially if you'll turn in and help me.
You're lawyer, Joe Gaines, but you're
a young one yet. and I'll give you the
latest fee you ever dreamed of, if you'll
only hitch teams with me, and sec that
Bob Humphrey don't get the upper
hand"
"Well if that's what you're after, so
its all right and square, I'd as lief earn
fee one way as another. What's your
programme p
"Well, you know there's nigh on to
thirty thousand dollars coming to Irene
Wyer, in her own right, and I've took
the best kind of keer of it. It's bin a
mighty sight of trouble, and all along
I've thought Of my son Scott"
Scott Pilsey?' Interrupted joe
"Why he's in California"
He won't be long. He's coming
home inside Of six months, and | want
to keep Irene safe for him. They used
to be wonderful thick, and he writ to her
regular for ever 80 long after he went
away, and so she did to him"
DO they correspond now?" asked
Joe.
"No, not now. There's the rub
That's one reason I'm looking so sharp
after Bob. Now, I want you to just take
hold and try and keep Bob off till Scott
gets back. 'Twont be long, and Irene
amt such bad company nohow."
~ don't know" said Joe. :" There's
Maggie and her mother. L couldn't be
particularly attentive to Irene without
their knowing it. And Bob Humphrey
will be around most Of the time. and it
won't be long before have the whole
village talking the matter up
Never mind that, Joe. It'll be all
right when Scott gets home. I'll give
you the biggest kind of fee"
Well, deacon, coolly replied the
young lawyer, 4" it's pretty tough case,
but I'll take it on one condition"
What's that?"
Why, 50 long as it's only fun, and
all that I'll 60 ahead; but if it seems as
if | was doing any harm. anything real
bad, you know, I'm to be at liberty to
back out"
"WeIl, don't mind, SO long as you
let me know in time
And 50 the deacon and the lawyer