Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-06-28
the deceased was q man calling him
self William Acton"


girl in Actions employ. Acton, /
know was never married. He
brought the boy up and educated
him, and now the fellow thinks he
will step into his protectors shoes.
/ can provo that | am the only liv-
ing relative of Philip Acton. He
was my uncle-my mothers brother
and, to lawyer as smart as you,
there can bc no difficulty in prov
ing my title. can bring the wit
ness to your hand"
"Ho told me he would give mo
five hundred dollars if | would un-
dertake his case, and an additional
thousand if ! gained. That was a
big feo-far more than | had then
made in all my pleading. 1t was
tempting. And yet l saw that it
was not perfectly clear-not entire
ly honest. The probability was this
VIM. Acton was Philips child; and
1T was not impossible that Philip
had married Betsey Totwood. 1t
struck me that Labon Sarfurt was
a villain, and that he fancied that
he had young Acton 50 far in his
power that he could eject him from
the title. But what had l particu-
larly to do with that! i'll accept
ell client must serve him. had
no business but to serve his inter
est. | finally told Mr.. Sarfurt that |
would think the matter over,
should probably have business in
Shircton during the session of the
court, and l would call on him there,
and examine more fully. l could
not take his retainer until had
further light.
"But," said he, will you promise
not to take up on the other side Z"
81 told him / would do nothing
without further consultation with
him."
because" he added, "if you are
for me i am sure TO win. Acton
cant find lawyer that can hold a
candle to you. l know them ALL"
"No matter whether l believed
him or Dot--l did not feel battered.
1.-TWO weeks later l received a
letter from Sarfurt, promising mo
81, 900 if l won.
"The five thousand dollars was q
strong argument. Was not law
really a game of chance, i'm which
Inc strongest hand and longest
purse must win Yes; and sat
lown and wrote a reply saying that
would take the case. But | did
lot mail il at once. That night I
'ut it under my pillow and slept
'vcr it and in the morning l threw
t into tho fire. / would not make
ip my mind until l had seen other
Darties-until | had been on the
grounds. Aud l wrote to Labon
'arfurt to wait"
1.-TWO weeks later harnesscd NV
'orse to the wagon, and with my
wife and child started 10 Shireton.
had been married two years, and
M little babe, girl, was a year
Id, our pride, our pet and our dar.
ing. Shireton was a distance about
y miles We had been having
eavy weather for a week or SO.
nd il had now cleared off bright
nj beautiful, We stopped and took
Inner at wayside inn, four miles
'eyond which, was stream which
must be fordcd. Tho iunheeper
old me that the stream was some
That swollen from the late rains,
nut that il my horse was trusty
here could be no danger"
arrived ut the stream-the
Vampatucll river-I found the wa
er indeed risen, and the current
trong, but l saw that others had
ecently gone over and l resolved
o venture. knew my horse, and
ad faith in him. My wife was
nxious, but she trusted to my
Judgement. A third of tho way
cross tho water was over the hub
4 tho wheels. A little more and
would reach tho body Of tho
Sagop. began to be alarmed. l
cared | had left tho truo track
PRESENTLY my horse stumbled and
taggercd, having evidently stcpp.sd
'pon a moving stone. The ,sacoo
waycd and tipped, and tho aood
'ourcd IN upon VI. My wife slip
'cd and In moment moro we were
n the wator. With one hand I