The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1878-10-19
AMarriage of Inconvenience.

slIl lpleUOuSj Jne lOTIneI ne Hetptu W s"lnuleJ
and the latter he swindled. To which class
Zimri belonged we leave the reader to judge
after hearing our story.
Mr.. Bezel did thriving business as a
jeweler, till bad times came, and bills came
in faster than he was able to pay. He hoped
to pull through, if people would only wait
little; but bad times are precisely those
when people won't wait.
In an evil hour he bethought himself of
Wiley Griskett, and went to him for counsel.
Instead of advising frank disclosure of
the debtors circumstances, as an honest law
yer would have done, Mr. Griskett set to
work in his own peculiar way.
"What's the value of your stock and as
sets?" he inquired.
"Thirty thousand dollars" Mr.. Bezel an
swered.
"And your debts amount to"
Twenty-Five thousand"
Make your notes for forty thousand"
Bezel opened his eyes.
"That's good deal more than owe" he
answered "besides, the creditors won't ac-
cept notes"
al don't say you should make them to
your creditors"
"To whom them"
"Shamboy & Co."
"But don't know them."
"No more do l." returned Griskett, with
y;,,l- 10 "a tno,,
away. AS attorney for Messrs. Shamboy &
Co., highly respectable firm in a distant
city" here another wink-"I take out an
attachment as against an absconding debtor,
cut ahead of everybody, gobble up the whole
property, and privately remit you the pro-
ceeds, retaining, of course, a reasonable fee.
1t will give you breathing time" the
tempter whispered; "and once on your legs
again, you will be able to pay all your hon
est debts"
Many man has been led to steal by the
same delusive hope of one day making res
titutionj but none the less was he thief;
and none the less was Zimri Bezel swnd-
Ter in consenting to follow the advice of
Wiley Griskett.
What race there was among the lawyers
the day Bezel's place was found closed and
the proprietor missing. Writs came out as
fast as busy pens could draft them but that
Of Shamboy & Co., thanks to their attorneys
vigilance, was in the sheriff's hands an hour
before the rest 1t swept everything, of
course, to the great disgust ofthose 20 whom
there was nothing left but to grumble.
But grumbling was of little use against
the notes for forty thousand dollars, bearing
Zimri Bezel's undsputed signature, produced
on behalf of Shamboy & Co., by Wiley Girls
kett.
Mr., Griskett pushed matters as rapidly as
legal forms would permit Bezel's effects
were sold for about the sum atwhich he had
valued them. Griskett receipted for the
amount in his clients names, and pocketed
it with an inward chuckle while outwardly
bemoaning the large balance still left due to
Shamboy & Co.
Within a month came the news of Zimri
Bezel's suicide. Day after day he had visit
ed the post-oflice of the country village in
which he had taken refuge, to inquire for
letters. None came-none, at least, from
Wiley Griskett-and one day, on receiving
his usual answer, the poor dupe put pistol
to his head and blew his brains out.
Zimri Bezels widow was an eccentric little
body, and honest to the core. She felt keen
ly her husbands flight and failure, and
would have felt them still more had she
known what had passed between him and
Wiley Griskett.
One morning she walked over to the Office
of old lawyer Marfetch.
"Mr, Marfetch," began the widow, "you
hold, believe, most of the claims against
my late husband"
The lawyer bowed stiffly. 1t was a sore
subject lie had never quite gotten over
being so far outgeneraled by Wiley Girls
kett.
"Can trust you to keep secret2" the
lady continued.
a curious question to ask lawyer" re-
piled Mr.. Marletch-"you may speak with
out hesitation"
"Could you manage to get all the claims
underyour co trol?" asked the little woman.
"There would be no difficulty in that,
think" was the answer, "seeng there's so
little prospect of any of them being paid"
"I propose to pay them!' said the widow,
bridling up. "You see, have reason to
know that am down in certain persons
will for good round sum. When come
into it, intend to pay my poor husbands
debts, and propose to give my notes pay
able on demand"
Which wouldn't be worth the paper
they were written on" the lawyer interrupt
ed.
"why?"
"Void for want of consideration"
The widow looked puzzled.
A ~ l. 81,