St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-01-07
A YOUNG LAWYERS ADVENTURE
"Can / sit with you?"
Certainly, sir"
"Nice weather.

''Splendid, indeed"
"Crops growing tinely?"
Eyes, couldn't do BETTER
was sitting in passenger coach, on
a Wisconsin railroad, one day, years
ago, when a good looking, pleasant
spoken man came along, stopped at my
seat, and the above conversation took
place, the latter part of it after had
given him g part of my seat.
Now I am regarded as a social man.
I like joke, good bit; and l think a
sour, morose man, who uses his tongue
only when obliged to, is bound to die of
some terrible disease, and 60 to some
place of red-hot punishment.
On entering a railroad car I always
look about for talkative man, and then
get as close to him as possible, and
drain him dry, if the journey is long
enough.
And / want to state one thing more.
Left an orphan before could realize the
event which had made me one. l got
kicked here and cuffed there, and SCREW
up between folks" as they say. |
ought to have had, at the time of which
I write, pretty thorough knowledge of
human nature, and have been enabled
to read in mans face if he intended
me evil. did not pride myself on be-
ing over keen or extra sharp, but the
knocking around among strangers ought
to give one good experience.
Well, the stranger and fell into an
easy train of conversation as we rode on
together, and in ten minutes began to
enjoy his company. He was we'll
made fellow, finely dressed, and he wore
fine watch and simon pure diamond
ring. Inever saw man who could talk
so easily and so pleasantly. 1t seemed
that he had but to open his mouth and
the words fell right out.
I had travelled in the South, so had he.
I had heard the loud roar of the Pacific;
he knew all about it. I had been up in
a balloon, down in a mine; been blown
up, smashed up, and repaired again; my
new friend had experienced all these
things; and was waiting for something
to turn up of more startling nature.
We agreed on politics, and I had never
met such railroad companion.
Did YOU ever meet a man who, though
stranger to you ten minutes before,
could wrest from YOU secrets which you d
sworn to yourself not to reveal? Well,
he was Just such a man. 1t was not
long before he commenced asking me
questions. He did not seem to be try
ING to quiz or draw me out, but he asked
me questions in such sly, roundabout
way, that before / knew it was giving
him my history.
/ was just at that time on the point Of
being admitted to the bar of Wisconsin
as a student of Law & Law, OF Brier.
vile.
The firm were old lawyers, with s
lucrative practice, and it had beer
talked over that in about month was
to become the Go" of the firm. A
wear before, an old farmer named Pres
ton. down about four miles from Graf
ton. had died, and his matters had beer
nut into the hands of Law & Law fol
Settlement. Preston had died rich. HI
had money in the bank, railroad stocks
mortgages, ETC., and everything wa
settled up to the satisfaction of the re
lict and the fatherless.
About year before his death, being
short for money and not wishing to sci
ANYTHING at sacrifice, Preston hae
given mortgage on his farm To-
$4,000. While the papers read "ont
wear from date" there was verba
agreement that it should be lifted OF
any day when Preston desired. 4
month after, when, having the money
he desired to clear off the paper, the ole
money-bags holding it refused to dis
gorge, wishing to secure his interest to-
I was on my way to ascertain the dat
Of expiration. A fire among our othc'