Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-04-06
A LAWYERS STORY.

"Can sit with you?"
Certainly sir"
"Nice weather"
splendid, indeed"
Crops growing tinely?"
"Yes, couldn't do better"
! was sitting in passenger coach on
a Wisconsin railroad one day years ago
when 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 part of my seat.
Now | am regarded as a social man.
like a joke good bit; and | think d
sour, morose man, who uses his tongue
only when Obliged to, is bound to die
of some terrible disease and go to some
place of red-hot punishment.
On entering railroad car | always
look about for laxative man, and then
get as close to him MS possible, and
drain him dry, if the journey is long
enough.
And | wa to state one thing more.
Left All Orphan before / could realize
the event which had made me one, /
got kicked here and cutfed there, and
''grew up between folks" as they say.
| ought to have had, at the time of
which l write, pretty thorough knowl-
edge of human nature, and have been
enabled to read in mans face if he in
tended me evil. l did not pride my
self on being over keen or extra sharp,
but the knocking around among stran-
gers oughtto give one good experience.
Well, the stranger and 1 fell into an
easy strain Of conversation as we rode
on together, and in ten minutes be-
gan to enjoy his company. He was a
well-made fellow, finely dressed, and he
wore fine watch and a simon pure
diamond ring. l never 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.
had travelled in the South, so had
he, had heard the loud roar of the
p Pacific; he knew all about it. ] had
been up in balloon, down in a mine;
been blown up, smashed up, and re-
paired again; my new friend had expe-
rienced all these things; and was wait
ing for something to turn up of more
startling nature. We agreed on poll
tics, and l had never met such rail-
road companion.
Did you ever meet d 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 such a man. 1t
was not long before he commenced
asking me questions. He did not seem
to be trying to quiz or draw me out,
but he asked me questions ia such a
sly, roundabout way, that before
knew it was giving him my history.
| was inst at tina. time on the point of
being admitted to the bar of Wisconsin
as student of Law & Law, of Brier-
vile.
The firm were old lawyers, with lu-
crative practice, and it had been talked
over that in about month I was to be-
come the Go" of the firm. A year
before an old farmer named Preston,
down about four miles from Grafton,
had died, and his matters had been put
into the hands of Law g. Law for set
Element. Preston had died rich. He
mad money IN the bank, railroad stocks
and mortgages, ETC., and everything
was settled up to the satisfaction of the
relict and the fatherless.
About year before his death, being
short for money and not wishing to sell
anything at a sacrifice, Preston had
given mortgage on his farm for So, 600
While the papers read zone year FROM
date" there was a verbal agreement
that it should be lifted off any day when
Preston desired. A month after, when
having the money, he desired to clear
OF the paper, the old money-bags hold
ing it refused to disgorge, wishing to
secure his interest for year.
l was on my way TO ascertain the date
OF expiration. A fire among our office
papers had destroyed the memoranda,
and must go down and get the date
from old Script, who lived south Of
Grafton about five miles. The stranger
mad pumped all this out of me in ten
minutes; and yet never once suspected
mat he was receiving information.
Il am not positive / added, "but |
am pretty sure the time is the 18th
which would be Tuesday"
Ind then your folks will send down
the money and discharge the mortgage,
Of course?" he inquired.
ooh, yes. | should most likely bring
it down." | replied, and it never occur
ed to me how imprudent l was.
He turned the conversation into other
Channels, and did not once attempt to
pump me further. We got to Grafton
at halfpast 10, and to my surprise he
announced that he was to stop in the
town on business for few days. had
not asked his name or vocation, while
he knew everything about me.
We went to the hotel, had dinner,
and then | secured lively team and
drove out, getting through with the
business so that was back to take the
nali-past : express east. Ny friend was
on the porch of the hotel as | drove