The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-09-12
Select Storp.
AN OLD LAWYERS STORY.

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A great many years ago, while was n
comparatively young man, and still un-
married, | resided in certain city of
Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the reputation
Of being the clcyerest lawyer ever known
there. 1t is not for me to say the praise
was merited, but certainly found myself
able to discoyerloop holes Of escape for those
whom | defended, which surprised even
my fellow-lawyers, | possessed by nature
those qualities which would have made an
excellent detective, and was thorough
student Of the law. There was no mystery
about it, but among the more ignorant
classes | had gained reputation for more
than human knowledge. Perhaps it was
not polite for them to say that the devil
helped, but they did
However, began to tell you about Ma
dame Matteau.
She was an old lady who owned little
house in the suburbs of the city She
herself was of American birth, but her
husband had been a Frenchman, and so
the title Madame had been bestowed upon
her. She was now widow, and her
daughter Gabrielle, and her son Henri,
were her only living relatives. Her in
come was but slender, and she eked it out
by taking few boarders, generally steady
old people who had known her for many
years. These respected and liked her I;
but the city generally had prejudice
against her. There had been two sudden
deaths in her house. Each time the vic
tim was stranger who came at night, aud
was found dead in his bed in the morning.
Each time the jury was divided-some
believing that strangulation had been the
cause Of death, some that the, man had
died in fit.
1t was terrible thing that two such
deaths should have occurred beneath her
roof Madames friends pitied her The
rest of the little world limited that these
were strangers, and their trunks, with no
one knew what amount of money and
other valuable property, remained in Ma
danes possession, No one said she was
murdercss, but every one said it was
" very strange" in an odd tone, and no one
since that second death had visited Ma
dame Matteau.
myself-perhaps because | had ad-
mired her great deal, aud her daughter
much more-had always insisted that it
was merely a coincidence, and that in a
world in which apoplexy and heart dis
ease were SO common, it was no such mar
vel that two men should have met sudden
deaths in the same house. But my faith
in this theory was shaken when one morn
ing it was published over the city that an
other transient boarder had been found
dead in Madame Matteau's house, and
that she was arrested on suspicion Of hav-
ing murdered him, his watch and chain
having been found in her possession.
Before l had recovered from the shock
Of this terrible piece Of news, message
came to me from Madame Matteau. She
desired to see me. OF course | went to
her at once.
She had been taken to prison, and |
found her in little room with barred
window, and an insufficient fire upon the
hearth. The logs had burnt in two upon
the andirons, and the white ashes were
scattered over the hearth. Almost in them
sat Madame Matteau, in her widows dress
Of sombre black.
She was chilly with grief and excite
ment, and had drawn her chair close to
the fire.
She shook violently from head to foot,
and her face was deadly pale as she turned
it toward me and held out her hand
80 thank Heaven, you have come p
she said al know you can save me. Is
il not horrible? How could kill man?
Why should |? Why do people come to
my house to die To die horribly, with
black faces and startling eyes, as If some
one had choked them? Ugh and he was
pretty young man the night before Oh,
good Heaven, how horribleip
sat down beside her. | took her
hand.
Madame Matteau," | said, 'bc calm
collect yourself, As your lawyer / must
know all. Tell me from first to last, what
happened-what was said, what was done.
If you---p
paused; her black eyes had flashed
upon me. could not ask her whether
she had any confession to make. saw
that she had not Unless she was the best
actress who ever lived, Madame Matteau
was innocent Of any crime
If you have any suspicious added,
tell them all to me"
There is no one to suspect" sobbed
the poor woman.
Ia the house was GabriIle, my daugh-