Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-07-16
An OLD LAWYERS STORY.

Of being the cleyerest lawyer ever known
there 1t is not for me to say the praise
was meriaed but | certainly found my
self able It'd discover Io0p-holes of escape
for those whom ! defended which sur
prised even my fcllow-laWyers | pos
scssed by nature those qualities which
would have made me an excellent detect
i've and | was thorough student Of the
law. There was no mystery about it, but
among tie more ignorant classes / had
gained Il 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
Madame Natteau.
She was IN old lady who owned little
house in the suburbs of the city She
herself was Of American birth, but her
husband had been Frenchman, and so
the title Madame had been bestowed
upon her She was now a widow, and
her daughter Gabrielle and son Henri
were her only living relatives. Her in
come was but slender and she eked it
out by taking a few boardcrs, generally
steady old people who had known her
for MANY years These respected and
liked her, but the city generally had a
prejudice against her. There had been
two sudden deaths in her house. Each
time the victim was stranger who came
- llSil1 S'il'! vas louio oed', III us pea
divided some believing that strangula-
t .ioi !l"o oeeli Tue cause o. aeath' some
'ii4 - ~ ~ IL W! ~ ! -.
:, VII = tSlilole llliHS Iilag TWO S4cll
eeaeiS silolll llite occurred 9eheatll III mef
looi -h"'iSslllt iIieHI9 l.itle9 1ei, ne
Iest ~ INC llltie "oIl - hiht . that Ihese
were strangers am thaI tlelF trunks
"lth ~ oie INV Witt amount u money
7.'' o,lel 4'itl''le properly remained III
nha'i"'lle ! 'ossesSi i''. No Que S''lu Si!t
was iiuIoeIe99' out every one sttld II
was very strange I'D an odd tone, ana
~ one SIiloe .li'lt Se1olle' oeatL ilid WISH
go Madame Y. ia1ttaa.
ny l'elHal's because l had 40
ihlIed lei Ie1' 9cai' ana !itf qauShtef
ihueh illote-haa Always INSISTED that IL
vas mercy = convenience, ana mat IN a
Noild ~ "hleh dpoPleAy ana heaft diS-
saSe Nei5 ~ common ~ was no such
maTyel maj Two men should nave met
sudden oeataa ~ the same mouse. but
my lalth I'D isis theofy was shaken when
one nofhih7 y was punished over the
sl1y lnd' aaoaIef transient Doardef haa
oeeh io1ha lleaa ID dadane Matteau 5
,'ii.A tli's si'S "d9 stllo9Icu VI Sds-
plcioh ol haE-h2 murdered nm, MS
watch ant shan having been found III
her possession.
Before lad recovered from the shock
III this terrible piece OF news a message
came ~ me from Madame Matteau She
desired So see me. 81 course | went to
her It once
She nat been taken to prison, and |
found her N little room with q barred
WlfdoW and iii insufficient fire upon the
hearth lie legs had burnt III two upon
the andlroas, and the white ashes We're
scattered over the hearth. Almost in
them sat Madame Nattcau in her widow 5
dress OF somhcr black.
one Nt.~ ea.il5 WITH Grlet and excite
ment ana aast drawn her chair close to
the ire.
she shooS violently from head to foot
anu hti laae WaS deadly pale as she
turned II toward me and held out hcI
hand
Oh thank Heaven, YOU have Conner
She said know YOU can save me. Is
it not h0rrible9 How could kill a man:
Why should II Why do people come tc
my house 10 die? To die horribly, with
black faces and startling eyes, as If some
one had choked thcmg ITCH. and he
was Il pretty young man the night before
Oh, good Heaven. how horrible !"
| sat down beside her. | took hel
hand.
Madame Iattcau," | said, . be calm
Il - =