Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-09-09

/ dCOOAhtlhSO WIN bA4OoO NllbuOub ICoOlNOhY
we we're (or L should rather say we had
been) always to be found by half past
nine, each seated in the rigidest of arm
chairs, wearing the blackest of frock
coats and the stiffest of shirt collars, at
tentively perusing pOnderous law books,
and making copious notes with the as
sistance of a gigantic pewter instand,
polished to positively dazzling bright
ness. But this halcyon state of affairs
was too good to last. We had screwed
up our virtuous resolves to too extreme
tension, and they had gradually sunk
down again. Who was the first to give
way is a mooted point. My own idea is
that all would have gone well had not
Armitage insidiously suggested our al
lowing ourselves just one cigarette after
breakfast; while he will have it that the
thin end of the wedge was introduced
by my surreptitiously reading an occa-
sional French novel under cover of
"Cook on Littleton. However this
may be, we had speedily fallen away
from our original high standard.
Not having been troubled with that
frantic rush of clients which we had
originally expected, we had become
much less particular in our habits. The
larg' law boo were left unopened, the
hour of breakfast had become gradu-
ally later, and short pipes and tweed
| jackets had become the order of the
day until luncheon, and sometimes, 1
fear, even until dinner time. In our
earlier days we had made it point of
honor that one or other of us should al
ways remain in chambers, so as to be
ready for anything that might turn up,
but now we made nothing of putting up
the delusive notice: "Return in five
minutes, and departing together for the
rest of the day. In order, however, to
keep up the pleasant fiction that we
still expected to have clients some day
we had made bet. Each of us had
backed himself for G5 to get the first
brief, with the proviso that Gf ever the
bet should be decided) the winner to
stand dinner to the loser, in order to
commemorate the event. Imagine our
emotion, therefore, when on the morn
ing of my story, soon after ten, a heavy
step was heard to ascend the staircase
and pause at our door and when Blobbs
(who had been, according to his usual
habit, settling little difficulty with
Cocksures boy upon the helandipg) rushed
in, and in hoarse whisper said, frantic
with excitement
GA gentleman for Mr.. Browne And
he've got bundle O papers"
must say that Armitage's behavior
did him credit. My landing the first
prize must naturally have been disap-
pointment to him but in the most mag
unanimous way be exclaimed
"Good for you, old man Go in and
win. IL hook it into the next room
aud leave the coast clear for YOU"
And he bolted accordingly into his
bedroom. / would have given much to
have been able to assume more digni
fed attire, and to straigbten things gen
orally, before the entrance of my client,
but it was out of the question. L had
only just time to pitch the end of my
cigar in the fire, open Que of the big law
books upside down, as I afterward dis
covered), and to compose my features
into the most professional expression
compatible with a flannel jacket and
carpet slippers, when the visitor en-
tered. He was short, puffy little man,
middle aged, and of good naturedly
unintellectual cast of countenance. He
wore a shabby white hat and greasy
black gloves, and his trousers We're
shorter and his umbrella fatter than is
genera ly considered desirable in those
articles but, Notwithstanding, there
was an air of snug responsibility about
him, and the bundle of papers, tied
with red tape, which he carried, had al
eminently business-like appearance.
He began:
81 must apologize for disturbin g you
at this early hour, Mr.. Browne" Che wa
evidently not high-cass practitioner)
"but tho fact is, [ have come to beg
your assistance in very urgent case.
tried to look as if very urgent cases
were matters of the most ordinary oc
currence in my professional experience
"Ah, l said, "quite so. Take seat
Mr.. -"
Ward, sir; Gibbons & Ward, OF
High street, Bloomsbury. You have
heard the name, daresay. Gibbons is
dead-has been dead some years, il
fact but we keep up the old name, you
know"
didn't know in the least. I haG
never to my knowledge heard of Glib
bons & Ward, but it would not do to ad
NIT the fact. Not to know Gibbons &
} Ward would clearly be to argue mysel
} unknown. took my cue accordingly
: "Oh, yes Gibbons & Ward, q mos
eminent frm9 [ am delighted to have
the pleasure of making your acquain
tence, Mr.. Ward"
You are very kind, sir. Well, sir
as l was saying, or rather as [ was abou
: to say, have become connected with
case, very peculiar case-indeed, ;
most peculiar case ; and hearing of yor
} from my old friend Mr.. Wiggins,
} thought that, though I'm stranger t,
: you myself, might venture to call ant
ask you to assist me in it."
"Dear me-" L thought, whoeve
would have thought of old Wiggins I'm,
+ hair dresser) sending me O client" AM
l on the principle that one good turn de
3 serves another, mentally resolved t,
t go and have my hair cut the very mex
; day. 1 replied
T " I shall be very happy, Mr.. Ward
1 Have you the particulars in writing 2"
. "Well, not exactly" said Mr.. Ward
] depositing his bundle of papers in hi
| hat. 81 have few rough memoranda
$ but I'll tell you in half dozen word
l the state Of the case. The party L rep
f resent is q Mrs. Podgers, and L thin
3 you'll agree with me that she has bee
; very badly used. The fact is, she wa
i the daughter of an old fellow name,
D Glubb, in the oil and color trade,
a man reputed to be worth mint O
@ money. When she married Podgers
1 who was pork butcher in small wa
!. of business, Podgers naturally wante