The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-05-18

the chUckllng self-gratulauon OF the
other lover.
"Safe enough there, think, any
way. Not much breach of promise to
be got out of that"
Little Mr.. Lewis, the dead mans law
yer for the last thirty years, and-oddly
enough, considering the character of
this his principal and most lucrative
client-a living protest against the
scandalous prejudice which maintains
that no attorney can possibly be an hon
est man, opines, on the other hand,
that Mr.. George has been fool and
sad one. But he does not impart his
opinion to anyone. Nor has it been
formed on the score of any engage
ment, with or without witnesses, to
Miss Julia Collette or anyone else. Mr..
Lewis opinion is based upon what he
learns from Bessie, next morning, as to
Georges intention of absenting himself
from the funeral. But Mr.. Lewis is a
discreet man, much bound by rules of
professional confidence, and by no means
imbued with sufficient personal interest
in Mr.. George Norton to subject him,
in this instance, to the smallest tempta-
ton to any breach of it.
Very good, my dear young lady"
he replies. Mr.. George is of course
the best Judge of his own interests, or
rather should say of his own-ahem!
obligations
And then Mr.. Lewis pauses a mo-
ment, taking himself somewhat to task
for having said too much. After which
| he pauSeS moment or two longer,
strugglingsomewhatfeebly witha strong
desire to say more. Our pretty Bes-
sic has made her way into the old blue
bag which serves the little attorney for
heart, as she is rather in the habit of
making her way into articles of that
kind; and professional confidence has
to content itself with compromise.
"You will attend, Miss Bessie, of
course?n
There would not be anything out
of the way in my doing so, would
THEREOF
80 dear, no! Certainly not. Quite
the correct thing, miss, | assure you"
And then the little attorney sets his
head on one side, and hens, and clears
his throat, and looks at Bessie as though
he would very much like to say some
thing more, if professional confidence
could only be induced to allow for his
so doing.
Bessie relieves his difficulty by her
self consulting him. She is not with
out some liking for the little man, who
has been very civil to her, and whose
age and official relation give him a sort
of semi-paternal position occupied by
no one else.
81 was thinking, Mr.. Lewis-you
know | am not quite milliOnaire-and
I'm really afraid l can't afford to buy
mourning"
"No, no. Certainly not. Ha, ha, ha!
l mean--ahem! Not at all, not at all!'
You see, this old black dress is my
only one. Would that be mourning
enough?"
''Mourning-humph- mourning ? No,
l should say certainly not. Not mourn
ing at all. Ha, habitat is to say
ahem! l really beg your pardon. Quite
enough, my dear young lady, quite
enough. | assure you"
q have put a Grape bow on my bon
net. That is mourning, you know"
Eyes; that is mourning, certainly.
But still-ahem! Quite right, my dear
Miss Bessie; you couldn't do better, |
assure you. Ha, ha! | mean-ahem-
good-day, Miss Bessie, good-day.'
And so the little man hustles himself,
as it were, out of the house, before the
struggle with professional confidence
shall have led to worse results. Out
side in the darkened hall he stops for a
moment, smites his little thigh jovially,
and breaks out again into a chuckling ha,
ha, ha! then suddenly recOllects where
he is, checks himself severely, and
walks away down the street with Il
countenance preternaturally solemn.
Finally the important day comes
round, and it is clear that, despite the
determination of his favorite nephew,
old Ralph Netherston will have we'll
attended funeral. Little Mr.. Lewis has
written-in compliance, as his epistles
stated, with the express injunction of
the deceased-to each separate member
of the family, requesting his or her in
dividual attendance on the mournfully
festive occasion. And, with the strik-
ing exceptions of the favorite nephew
| and of Dick, the only son, every men,
Der of the family did put in an appear
ance. George Norton's absence is, of
course, deliberate; as is also the flaunt-
ing defiance of the striped trousers and
bright blue tie in which he lounges on
the platform, cigarin mouth, telling off
uncles and aunts and cousins to the
third and fourth remove, as they alight
in little black t1ocks, like provident
rocks at an autumn sowing. Poor Dick
has had no invitation. 1t is a good
many years now since that headstrong
youth, undutifully resisting the pater-
nal command to break off instantly an
unauthorized engagement with pen
niless member of his own family, was
turned by his justly indignant parent
"neck and CROP out of the paternal
mansion, within the walls of which he
was forbidden ever to show his unduti-
full face again. Since that time moth
ing had been heard of him; or so, at
least, it was believed by Bessie, who, u
day or two after the old mans death,
was not little surprised by being told
by Mr.. Lewis, with an infinity of mods
and winks and chuckles, that he
himself had not long since had letter
from the exile. Why Bessie should
start so at the news, or flush up with
| such a delicious little rose-tint to the