Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-12
CHAPTER XIV.
A SPIDERS PARLoR.

mother waiting.
CHAPTER XIV.
SPIDERS PARLoR.
After further consideration, Mrs. Harlay
thought that she was able to fight her own
battle without the assistance of any lawyer,
and l cannot say that she was wrong, in
the present stage of the game. She thought
that it would be time enough to invoke the
assistance of that astute firm, Messrs.
Durnford & East, when all friendship real
or only apparent with Messrs. Manning &
Granger had ceased. At present that firm
seemed disposed to be studiously civil and
ready to offer every professional endear-
ment at their commanded course, without
prejudice. twas not for her to be agrees
lively hostile after she had once shown them
how far she was disposed to go in case
of resistance to her just claims, and after
they had shown willingness to treat
and a consciousness of the extent of her
power. OF course she had abandoned all
thoughts of marrying her recalcltrant,
uuondam lover, but she knew that, so far
as her pecuniary claims were concerned,
she was in stronger position now that
she had indicated the manner In which
she meant to enforce them. Accord
ingly, she dressed herself quietly next
morning, and sought the elegant seclu-
sion of Messrs. Manning & Changers
offices. When | say seclusion, mean
that either society or retirement were pos
sib!e IN those spacious rooms. There were
rooms where the idle acquaintance of the
hour, or sojourning clients from the coun-
try, or in fact, any one who had few
spare minutes and taste for society might
be gratifed without feeling that there was
any unpleasant call upon their pockets,
such as usually follow enjoyment with the
certainty of cause and effect. Doubtless
sooner or later the long armed spider of
the law got them in its tenacious clutches
and sucked them more or less dry !;
but in the mean time they were suf-
fered to buzz themselves into a state of
tranquil security. On the other hand, there
were chambers so mysterious and i'm
penetrable to the vulgar that grave and
reverend Mr.. Granger might be employed
in roasting aud boiling the supertiuous
babies of San Francisco in one room, while
CAV and brilliant Mr.. Manning might eat
them with pepper and salt in another, and
no one be a little the wiser. Into such a
room was Mrs. Harlay ushered. | do not
mean that she discovered Mr.. Granger en-
gagged in any such unprofessional operation;
nothing more succulent was visible than
an impenetrable, steadfast wall of
law-books, whose symmetrical rows
seemed never married by imperti-
nent research. There was tier upon
tier of stern looking law-calf - those
e'biblia a biblia books which are not
books" which no lawyers library should
be without. Dry bones of dead, forgotten
lore, for the most part, they stood in
CHASTITY array, creating certain desecated
legal atmosphere which Mr.. Granger had
so long absorbed that he grew to think he
had assimilated their contents. He was
wont to indicate to the wondering layman
with grand wave of his hand all that
learning which he had made his own, and in
truth his brains were equally hide bound
and chippy. Mr. Granger was not one of
those brilliant and often erratic meteorsw
are knownas "the giants OF the profession,
but he was better, for he was careful and
Woodworking, and as cold-blooded as an
oyster. Like the oyster, too, he was al
ways to be found in the same place, and
could keep his mouth shut. Court bust
ness and the cultivation Of the affections of
his clients he left to Mr.. Manning, with
whom we have now no concern. Mr.
Granger knew and cared to know nothing
but his profession, and he was ready to die
rather than admit anything not of record.
He motioned Mrs. Harlay to chair and
looked at her card, saying: "Ah! Mis-
tress Harlay, l perceive. VIII you allow
T.,
you please? All, here they are-hum-
hum And now, Mistress HARRY, viii
you be good enough TO inform me how |
can serve you? p
Certainly, sir" she replied, taking out
the letter she had received and handing it
to him. perhaps you viii be good
enough to explain what that impertinent
letter means q
Mr.. Granger settled his spectacles afresh
upon his venerable nose, where 1t nestled
behind one of the shining bumps of that
irregularly- formed ridge, took the letter
up, looked at it carefully on both sides,
gave it a dramatic FLIP with bis fingers,
and having thus gone through the proper
preliminary forms, read it through as if it
was entirely new to him, which it was not,
for it had been written by himself, al
though contrary to his wishes and advice.
"Ah, l see, he continued. Il believe
my client, Mr.. Charkup, naturally enough,
feels deeply annoyed by what l am con-
strained to call your indecent conduct at
his house on the occasion of his daughters
reception.
''He will be more deeply annoyed, I
guess, before get through with him"
obaryfx- +brau IN Nrc HarIav
"Pray, madam, calm yourself. This is
not the place for the exhibition of excited
feeling. 1t would not do any good, and if
YOU have no other business, l believe,
looking at his watch, g 1 am due elsewhere
by appointment.
"One moment, sir, if you please. You
speak of compensation In that letter. May
l ask the nature and conditions, if there
are any 2"
81 would be glad to learn your ideas on
the subject first, madam. As to mine, ]
confess / have none, for do not see that
there is anything to be compensated for
unless, perhaps, the outrage on my clients
feelings"
"You will be wiser in a few minutes.
wish you to inform Mr.. Charkup that l
have made arrangements for Immediately
commencing an action against him for
breach of promise of marriage"
"My dear madam, if you will allow me
to cali you so, actions at law are easier
begun than ended. Where do you propose
to get your proofs Such things are usu-
ally supposed to be useful on such occa-
sions, and if | am correctly informed you
have nothing but mere chaff and gossip to
s,,,rort a claim which Init for the sake of
politeness, might be called ridiculous. !"
a. am glad, she replied, to find that