Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-09-09
CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.
LOVE STORY GUST TOO LOVELY" FOR
ANYTHING

| lduleS Vi OlumDOrOuSn, DOCn OlQ anu youhS,
and had his views lain in the direction OF
matrimony he would have had small diff
ficulty in inducing any bashful damsel or
frisky widow to share his lot. But the
| handsome solicitor was ambitious; his share
in the business did not at present bring him
in more than a moderate income, and he
had long ago determined that when he mar
ricd he must consider not only beauty, but
more solid advantages.
| Heiresses, however, were not plentiful In
Scarborough, and SO, although Mr.. Fox's
attentions frequently futtered a virgin
bosom, he was careful not to commit him
self too far, and not even the local gossips
could fairly say of him that he had COM
promised reputation or knowingly raised
false hopes. There was, indeed, one young
lady who had made deep impression
upon the solicitors heart, but she was the
daughter of a county magnate with whom
Mr.. Fox was not on speaking terms. He
had met her at the annual hunt ball, she
had danced twice with him, for Mr.. Fox was
an excellent waltzer; but her mother had
doubtless warned her against him, for when
next they met, some six weeks afterward,
Miss Laquerton passed the unfortunate man
without so much as bow. Miss Laquer-
ton, however, was lovely and rich, and Mr..
Fox was not man easily discouraged. He
knew that if he could afford to cut the Of
flee and blossom into landed proprietor,
he would have jnst as good chance with
her as anybody else; so he waited patiently
in the hopes Of one day discovering the road
which leads to fortune and success.
| The firm of Plumley & Fox was highly
respectable and old fashioned concern, which
avoided litigation, and kept almost entirely
to family business. PIumley was a fairly
good lawyer, but Fox's legal knowledge was
of the most limited character, and he was
much too lazy to take the trouble to increase
it. So it came to be understood between
them that while Plumley did the Office
work, Fox kept the clients in good humor
by calling on them aplopos of nothing, and
amusing them with his jokes and stories.-
This business was technically termed
Creeping the connection together" and it
| suited Mr.. Fox very well indeed. 1t was
while he was thus keeping the connection
| together that Mr.. Fox made the acquaint-
ance of a certain rich old lady named Mrs.
johnson, and so we'll did he play his cards
that before long Plumley s. Fox became
Mrs. Johnson's family solicitors, land
agents and confidential advisers. The firm
made pretty good thing out of Mrs. John
son. In accordance with the usual arrange
ments, Plumley transacted the business,
and Fox became a constant visitor at her
house, and worked his way into her good
grace by his wonderful powers of amusing
conversation. There was yet another ac-
complishment which stood our solicitor in
| very good stead, and this was an accurate
knowledge Of chemistry and medicine,
which he had picked up as boy in the
shop of his uncle, the chemist. The horri-
BILE SINE lis young Fox had created in his ex-
70 nd ho u1x1 foin hah hoI a.
on his hands determined to forsake medi-
cine for the law, but he never entirely for
got his early experiences. He could talk
fuently about every known drug and dis
| ease, and about great many which had
not yet been discovered. He diagnosed
Mrs. Johnson's symptoms at least as accur-
| ately as MacBolus, the Scotch doctor, and
would even have prescribed for her had not
| the stalwart Scot angrily threatened to kick
him if he did so. But he maintained very
prominent place in the old lady's affections,
and it began to be whispered about that he
had an excellent chance Ofsucceeding to her
very considerable property.
The disposal of Mrs. Johnson's money
was matter which had long furnished
speculation of unfailing interest to the town
Of Scarborough, and filed many a yawn-
ing gap in conversation at afternoon teas.
Mrs. johnson had but one relative in the
world, Miss Lizzie Roberts, the daughter of
her late sister. This young lady, however,
it was agreed, had not the slightest chance
of being mentioned in her aunt's will
Handsome, well-bred girl, she was left at
her parents death to make her own way in
the world, inheriting nothing but the bat
tie of life and the dislike of Mrs. Johnson.
who had not seen the child since it Quilted
it's baby clothes This strange antipathy
was traceable, as some people said, to times
long gone by, when Mr.. Roberts, Lizzie's
father, then renowned for his manly beau
ty, had been an assiduous visitor at the
house of Mrs. Johnson's parents. She be-
ing the elder daughter, and taking all his
attentions for herself, had felt it keenly as
a personal insult when her sister dared s'to
snatch him away" and even later on, after
having made much more brilliant match
herself, she never could forgive this early
defeat. Death even had not buried the
grudge, which not unnaturally passed from
mother to child.
How far this saying may have been true
or not, one thing was certain; poor Lizzie
Roberts had not the ghost of chance of
ever seeing penny from her aunt's money
box; her claims were clearly out of the ques-
tion. There remained, then, only Miss
Nelly DTOWu3 nlIS. JOuusOu b lduy COInpaQ-
ion, and Mr.. James Fox.
Mr.. James Fox knew from his partner,
who had cautioned him in friendly way,
that Mrs. johnson was not going to divide
her fortune, but wonld leave all of it to her
''truest friend" though she had not yet
made up her mind as to who deserved that
title. More than once had Mr.. Plumley
been suddenly summoned to draw up new
will; SO slight an annoyance as cold cup of
tea having caused her to destroy the one in
Miss Nelly's favor. Then two days neglect
on the part of Mr.. Fox, and constant sup
ply of hot tea at the hands of Miss Nelly
again, reinstated this lady in Mrs. Johnson's
good graces. Mr.. Fox, therefore, had good
cause for anxiety as to what would be the
exact state of affairs when the old lady was
finally called upon to join the majority.
"With such an old woman" he said to
himself, "who was ready to make new
will any day and burn it the next there is
no dependence, ones future hangs upon a
whim; remedy must be found. The safest
thing would, Of course, be to make love to
Miss Nelly; she is rather thirtyish and alto
gether not very attractive; still, if she were
to get all the money, she would be anything
but undesirable.
So Mr.. James Fox set to work at once to
AAie'HAS h5AloCAh AOOobiO W 4IAico oAOWu3 yOe
without going too far; for he had by no
means forgotten Miss Laquerton, but he
felt it was better to have two strings to his
bow, and therefore he determined to do his
best to keep Miss Nelly in good humor.-
This lady, however, was not SO easily salts
fed as the solicitor expected, for now he had
once begun to pay her attentions, she want
ed decided offer of marriage, and not be-
ing able to get it, she took refuge in a |
stratagem. This consisted in suddenly max
ing the discovery that Mrs. Johnson's health |
was in absolute want of some German wa
ters; in fact, she decided that twas quite
dangerous for her to spend the spring in
England, with all the changes of heat and
cold. The old lady was therefore soon per-
suaded to yield to such tender solicitude |
and away the couple. went, leaving Mr..
James Fox in a rather awkward dilemma.
What was he to do? If he wrote cool let
ters to Miss Nelly, she would be offended,
and all his chances would be lost in the
event of her inheriting Mrs. Johnson's pro-
perty; on the other hand, if he played the