The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-05-05
SELECT STORY.
LEGAL INTEGRITY.

asked one Of the listeners.
at can, answered darlington, en-
phatically. "Itiza lawyers firm rock of
foundation, aud the only sure point of
departure to the respect and confidence
of his fellows"
"IIaye you always followed that rule,
Judge"
Il was never tempted from it but
once" he replied. Il will tell you the
story, if you would like 10 hear il"
OF course they would like to; and hav-
ing laid aside his pipe, the old man com =
menced:
Gone day was waited upon by a
man who gave his name as Laban Sar-
furt He was of middle age, well dress
ed, and at frst sight appeared to be a
gentleman; but the illusion was di~pell-
ed when approaching business. He was
hard and unfeeiing, and naturally a viii
lain. Success in speculation had saved
him from being thief or highway
man. / heard of him as heavy dealer
in The up.river lands. He asked me if
was willing to undertake a job which
would call me to Shireton. told him
was open to anything legitimate which
would pay"
"Mr. darlington" said he, tapping me
with coarse familiarity upon the arm.
Il want to secure yonr services 1on
must not be engaged on the other side. ="
II told him if he would explain to me
the case ! might be better able to give
him an answer He bit an enormous
quid Of tobacco from a black plug, and
having got it into shape between his
Jaws lie went on with his story:
The case was one of eiectment. An
elder.5 man, named Philip Acton, had
died. leaving a valuable estate. There
was nearly a thousand acres of land,
win opportunities for developing i'm
mense water power. and ere many years
!ha1 land would be worth more than a
million dollars. At present upon the
estate, aud claiming 1t as son of the
deceased. was a man calling himself
VIM Acton
But" said Sarfurt. che is not legiti
mate child. His mother was Betsy Tot
wood, at one time girl in Actions EN-
ploy. Acton, know, was never mar
ried. He brought the hoy up and edu-
Gated him, and now the fellow thinks he
will step into his protectors shoes. |
can prove that am the only living re-
lative of Philip Acton. He was my
uncle-my mothers brother-and, to a
lawyer as smart a. you, there can be no
difficulty in proving my title. ] can
bring the witnesses to your hand"
"He told me he would give me five
hundred dollars if I would undertake
his case, and an additional thousand if
/ gained. That was big fee-far more
than ! had then made in all my plead
ing. 1t was tempting. And yet ] saw
that it was not perfectly clear-not en-
tirely honest.
"The probability waa that this Will
liam Acton was Philips child: and it
was not impossible that Philip had mar
ried Betsy Totwood 1t struck me that
Laban Sarfurt was a villain, and that he
fancied he had young Acton so far in his
power that he could eject him from the
title But what had particularly to do
with that? If | accepted a client. must
serve him. | had no business but to
serve his interest.
81 finally told Mr.. Sarfurt that |
would think the matter over. ] should
probably have business in Shireton
during the session of the conrt and |
woul1 call on him there and examine
more fully. ] conld not take his retain
er, until had further light"
"But," said he, twill you promise not
to take up for the other side?"
~ told him 7 would do nothing With
out further consultation with him.
Because" he added. ''if you are for
me ! am sure to win. Acton can't find a
lawyer that can hold n candle to You. |
know them all"
No matter whether I believed him or
mott din not feel hattered.
1.-TWO weeks later / received a letter
from Sarfurt, promising me five thous-
and dollars if | won.
"The FIVE thousand dollars was a
strong argument Was not law really a
game of chance, in which the strongest
hand and longest purse must win? l
told myself yes. Yes-and sat down
and wrote reply, saying that | would
take the case. But | did not mail it at
once. That night I put it under my
pillow, and slept over it; and on the fol-
lowing morning | threw it into the fire.
] would not make up my mind until |
had seen other parties-until had been
on the grounds And wrote to Laban
Sarfurt to wait.
1.-TWO weeks later / harnessed my
horse to the wagon, and with my wife
and child, started for Shireton. ] had
been married two years, and our little
babe, a girl, was year old, our pride
our pet and our darling. Shireton was
distant about thirty miles We had been
having rainy weather, for a week or so
and it had now cleared off bright and
beautiful. We stopped and took dinner
at wayside inn, four miles beyond
which was a stream which must be ford
ed. The innkeeper told me that The
stream was somewhat swollen from the
late rains, but that if my horse wa
trusty there could be no danger.
Arrived at the stream-the Wampa
tuck river-I found the water indeed
risen, and the current strong, but saw
that others had recently gone over, anC
l resolved to venture. l knew my hors,
and had faith in him. Ny wife was anx
ious, but she trusted my judgment
third Of the way across the water wa
over the hub of the wheels. A liul
more and it would reach the body of til