Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-10-28
The Idle Lawyer.

right for Insulting an unprotected girl,
whose hurried steps and timid manner
betrayed her uneasineSs at being alone
on the street at such an hour.
Having done his duty IN the premises.
and waiting to see the beSpattered cox
comb pick himself up gracefully and
sink away abashed and cowed, Ned Ar
mour turned to see what had become o.
his protege.
She stood trembling, asthought fright
had arrested her steps. Her pale face,
ON which the light of a neighboring
lamp chanced to fall, was of surprising
beauty; and Ned being a knight as gall
liant as brave. begged permission to see
her safe home.
In a sweet, gentle voice, with q
slightly foreign tinge, she accepted the
offer, and the two walked on together
for the most part silently.
"Will you not come in, sir?" said the
girl stopping at the door of a plain-look-
ing house.
MY father, am sure, will wish to
thank you for the kind service you have
rendered. He is an invalid, and it was
an errand to procure him some neees-
saries that took me cut tonight.
Ned accepted the invitation, and that
was the beginning of his acquaintance
with NJ. Bertrand and his charming
daughter Marie,
Ned Armour was the junior of a law
firm of which his uncle, Mr.. Banting,
was the head. He had little love for
the profession, but had entered it to
please his uncle, to whom he owed
every thing. his rearing included. 1t is
safe to say that after the adventure
lust related he spent two evenings III
the society of Marie and her father to
one passed with Coke and Blackstone.
NJ. Bertrand was an old soldier of the
first empire, who, with the fall of his
chief, had lost all; and driven into exile
with his infant child, he had wandered
from country to country in the hope to
mend his fortune. Now, his daughter
and himself had no other dependence
than the earnings Of the former, who
turned to the best account her prof.
cheney in music By giving private les
SONS.
Ned would gladly have assisted his
friends from his own purse, had he
known how to do SO without giving Of
fense to the proud old soldier.
''I've been thinking of q wife for
you," said Ned's uncle one morning,
as the two sat together in the seniors
private office"
$50 have l." replied Ned.
''Aheml returned the uncle.
"I'ye picked one ont for you,n he
continued.
"I've picked cne out for myself"
said Ned, "thatis, provided can obtain
her consent"
''The deuce you have!" exclaimed
the head of the firm, who had always
regarded the question rs cne within his
own exclusive jurisdictson.
There is no knowing to what a pitch
the discussion would have reached but
for the entrance of two gentlemen,
who came to consult Mr.. Banting,
A Frenchman, stranger, it seems,
had died suddenly While on a visit to
the city some years before, leaving Il
large sum of money. One of the two
gentlemen present had been appointed
trustee of the fund, and the other
claimed to be next of kin to the deceas-
ed, whose cousin he asserted him to
be.
''The deceased spoke of having a
BROTHER" said the trustee, SIN search
of whom he was travelling"
Eyes, his brother Antoine" said the
other, "who abSconded from this coun-
try years ago, and Of whose deailI l
have ample proofs"
The papers were subm tied to Mr..
Banting, who promised to examine
them and give his opinion next day, at
which time, if everything was regular,
the money was to be turned over to the
claimant.
It wasn't often that Ned paid much
attention to the business of the Office;
but the mention of certain names dur
ing the coiloquy caused him to prick
mp his ears while seemingly busy with
the morning paper; and, five minutes
later he was running at full speed to
the house of his friends the BertranGs
At the appointed hour next morning
the same two gentlemen came to hear
Mr.. BaDting's decision. Ned, as be-
fore. had the morning paper before him
but kept sharp ear turned.
tThese papers appear to be all right,n
observed Mr.. Banting. Il have scru-
timed them carefully and find nothing
wanting"
Then it only remains to pay over
the money, suppose" said the heir
rubbing his hands.
Nothing more" replied Mr.. Bant-
ing.
The trustee produced his accounts,
the sum on hand, which had
been largely enhanced by accrung
interest, and was beginning to draw a
check for the amount. when Ned
Armour threw aside his paper and
strobe forward.
'Don't be too fastr' he exclaimed.
1t was the first time Ned had ever
interfered in a business consultation,
and his uncle looked up surprised.
why, what do you know about it?''
asked the latter.
''I've a witness in my private room |
think you'd better examine before
proceeding further" answered Ned.
"Wait moment and III bring him."
Ned stepped out and returned iIn-
escorting an infirm old man,
whose eyes flashed rs it fell ON the
covering countenance OF the wOuld-be
heir.
"Tell these gentlemen who you are,"
said Ned, ''though one of them doesn't
seem to need the information.
Il am Antoine Bertrand" replied
the old man, proudly, ''the brother and
heir Of him on whose fortune this base
wretch seeks to lay his lawless grasp.
1t was this william, when the star of my
chief went down at Water
loo, who, through perjury and falsehood,
drove me into exile, and received as the
reward of his perfdy, my entire wealth.
The proofs he now presents are as false
IS those he manufactured then, but l
have documents here which will leave
no doubt as to my right"
The false heir did not remain to see
the packet of papers which
the old man presented. Suffice it to
say, they were found in all respects
correct Marie Bertrand was now
match for the wealthiest man in the
land, and when Ned told his uncle that
1t was she when he had picked out for
a wife the old gentleman didn't object;
neither did Marie nor her father; and
Ned Armour lived for many years the
happiest of husbands.
The higher form of life often comes
L. e.