The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-10-15
SELECT STORY.


law" was tackled on my Office door OF
Louisiana avenue. Within. a few dusty
books, an empty desk and a dilapidated
armchair proclaimed my legal status
/ had waited patiently for criminal and
perplexed debtors to rush in and seek
my advice, but they did not rush well,
and hope deferred had nearly made my
heart sick.
On the morning of Dec. q, 1872,
sat disconsolately in my Office, with my
overcoat buttoned up to my chin, said
overeoat answering in lieu of fire, and
took prospective glance at my affairs.
Ny finances stood two TO five-that is a
five cent nickel to two.cent copper. j
smiled at my anIicipated happiness and
took an inventory of my wardrobe.
Like their owner, my coat and pants
had evidently seen better days; for, al
though rusty and threadbare; they show
ed traces of their original color and
texture. / commenced to ruminate on
my condition and achieve plans for the
future. But all that / could bring to
aid were the words of Horace Greeley:
"Go West" To go West was to my fan
cy literal burial of all my splendid
possibilities" knew possessed (what
young man is there that does not think
the same?l genius that would astonish
the world if it could only find an outlet
or an inlet.
just as II arrived at this point in my
reflections the door of my Office swung
softly on its hinges and man closely
muffled in winter apparel stood by my
side.
"Are you lawyer, sir?" he said, with
questioning glance of his steel-gray
eyes:
"That is my business" / returned,
coolly, Strengthening myself to the full
height of my five feet six.
lie smiled at my manner, slipped a
FIVE dollar bill in my hand and said,
blandly:
"I have come for advice"
This was coming to the point. /
thawed instantly and asked my client to
be seated.
He was middle-aged man, tall and
sinewy, with black hair sparsely mixed
with gray. His dress and manner pro-
claimed him a man Of wealth. l no
ticed this as slowly seated himself.
"Suppose." said he, 'you had an only
daughter and she was obstinately deter
mined on marrying a man that you de-
spised--a man whom you knew to be
villain, but had no means Of proving
it?"
ais your daughter of age?" asked.
IT did not say she was my daughter,
young man; you jump at conclusions; no
able lawyer accepts anything without
proof"
felt that I had suddenly changed
places with him-that he was the attor-
ney and was the client; but, taking no
notice Of his words, l repeated the ques-
ton with variation.
"Is she of age?"
EYES," was the reply; "she is of age
and as obstinate as mule"
"Disinherit her." suggested.
"Oh," said he, with shrug of his
shoulder, az have tried everything. l
have told her she should not have pen
ny of my money; have kept her on
bread and water; hired governesses to
watch her-in fact, have left no stone
unturned."
"There remain only two methods: in
carcerate her in an insane asylum, or
put detectives on his track and convict
him of some ignoble action" said.
"Your last suggestion is the best. But
even if ! should convict him of murder
she would imagine that it was conspir-
acy on my part and marry him at the
gallows."
He remained in deep thought for sew
eral minutes, and then said:
"Young man,-I don't think your busi-
ness is very lucrative. How would you
like to change it for something more
proftable?"
Change or starvation was evidently a
necessity for me, so Of course I had no
objections to offer. In fact, any escape
from my present condition seemed like
God-send to me. impaired my will
ingness to make any reasonable change.
We soon agreed upon terms which
seemed to me more than liberal, and to
gether concocted some plan to bring the
young lady to submission.
had some compunction of conscience,
for two against one, and that one of the
weaker sex, seemed hardly fair, but the
novelty and the romance, and the solid
cash connected with it, reconciled me to
the situation
Just as the sun from the west was
gliding the Capitol dome with the last
beams of departing day the train from
Baltimore came putting in. 1t was
Christmas Eve, and the busy crowd,
were hurrying to their homes.
Two days before David Moss, attorney
and solicitor, seedy and threadbare, had
left Washington for Baltimore. Thil
evening the train brought back David
Moss, elegantly attired, "Gentleman.'
1t is astonishing how ones dress lncreas
es their self-respect. No doubt Poloni
ons thought of this when he said to hi
son:
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
What change it had made in my
feelingsl A few days ago so despondent
now buoyed up by hope and my increas
ed good looks. / felt as happy as king
My mirror had told me the same fiatter
ing tale which it tells many belle
NV ambrosial locks were curel in style
my blonde mustache was waxed to per
fection, my blue eyes sparkled, and m,
manly form was immersed in an elegan
suit Of broadcloth. Besides all this,
had cultivated becoming pallor, fo
was to enact the role OF an invalid. 4
carriage was waiting. | was assisted in
to it by the obsequious footman,sant
sank IanruidIv on the cushions I wa