Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-02-27
Lawyer GreenWood's Tenants
BY BERTHA BERTON.
I" Come in, .,

BY BERTHA BERTON.
Come in"
1t was In response to faint rap at
the door OF lawyers office, and the
words, uttered In a gruff tone, might
have come from the depths. 30 far away
did they sound. Howev, =, the lady
who had raped at the door heard the
Invitation, and accepting H., in hesita-
ting manner, that seemed Ia beg pardon
lor the audaciiy Of presnming 10 gain
sdmittance, she pushed open the
uoor' which Was slightly ajar, and Tn.
tered.
1t was q spacious room, with lofty
tinted ceilings, and with wallis lined
with shelves Of legal lore. Above the
shelves hung pictures of jurists and
statesmen, who seemed to ne looking
calmly down upon the spread OF solid
literature.
Busts Of chief Justices and Judges re-
po~ed in diRnified silence within their
respective inches a desk, with all the
modern convenience, stood near one
window in the center of the room an
open bookcase held pondsrous toner.
that were In convenient proximity to
the desk /; and Office chairs scattered
about the loom awaited coming clients.
huge coach-dog beneath tho desk
had spread his ample form in res,ful
attitude, with apparent happiness that
doggish brains need not dAbbio in leg a
lore, and he WIS the only occupant,
Standing within the rooID, the lady a
Keen eye bad taken In all that / have
described, and then from the ado; pipp
room, where through the open door sew
eral persons might be seen, came again
the same gruff tohe, Take II seat, land
the slight and plainly clad lady obeyed
the command, for she was weary from
climbing the long flight of stairs
From the earnest tones and the ium.
BILE of legal technicalities which reach.
ed Der ears, she judged that legal
advice was being given, not freely,
pc haps, but for consideration, and 10
beguile the time, she scanned the calf.
bound hooks ON the shelves; then she
tui med her eyes alphabetically toward
the spotted canine with vague wonder
whether in such place his seeming
happiness was real or feigned.
AT iast, after an almost ibterminable
time, w . tntB that were clients. pre-
sumAtly, passed through the reception.
room GU their way To the outside world,
and fer moment silence Yeigned then
ohc- MoIe iron the inner room the
glntf voice called, "Come in" and
whe;l,r t,rself or tho sleeping canine
vas add iessed seemed 70 uncertain that
the lady gave herself the benefit of a
Guubt and sat stil
Hut from his comfortable chair at the
desk the lawyer sway ed enCnch to fix
his eagle eyes upon the wCman's face.
and repeating the req ueht more bland Y,
rhc advanced 10 the inner room and
began 10 explain her errapd
The piercing gray eyes that lad
fastened upon her face never moved,
aud with increasing suavity he said
" Sit down, madam" and with thanks
she settled INTO chair beside the desk.
she had called, she said, to inquire
regarding some rooms that were adyer-
tstd IN the morning paper.
'Tho-e rooms are higher priced than
you are likely TO want, madam" tho
young lawyer answered, al his keen
eyes swept The slight figure from the
jaunty bat With long, curling ostrich
plume u the No. kid boot that was
hal: concealed by the plated rufie OF
her black cashmere dress.
at may be, the lady responded, in
. low and well-ruodulated voice, "sti,i
l would like 70 Inquire" and concilia-
ted somewhat by her pl. asant and self.
Iosses sod air he proceeded W give the
de,ired information.
Up one flight, front aud rear room,
both large, the first well lighted and
loolstng Gu Main street, the rear room
lookup into The weli-an outlook, or
injooK rather, which seemed suggestive
OF suicide by drowning IL one tired at
Las: OF the samenes- of prospect.
The well in this case, however, was
one OF those internal arrangements of
window sash for lighting and ventila
ting after doubtful ,nshionIthe interior
Of ininenss blocks, and which 20 from
top IN bottom OF such structures.
What Is your husin-ss, IL adam"
have no business" she said, look
Ing up TO meet the cold stare Of the gray
eyes
/" No business" he repeated; &" income
then"
"Well, little. perhaps; enough
to pay the rent" she replied quietly.
"You will find, madam, that twenty.
FIVE dollars o month will make quite q
hole in n small income" and the law.
yer's face glowed with the profound wIs-
" Yes fear 1t may" the lady an.
swered, though In her deep blue eyes
was an unfathomable look.
" should have mentioned that nv
niece will occupy the rooms with me-"
she went on.
a. Niece? what does she dor"
d" She writes"
" Writes, what for?'
" For a paper" the lady answered
composedly.
" A reporter"
" No, "A writer OF sketches"
!" Make good pay?" interestedly
gauging the niece's capacity for acquir-
ihg wealth.
mot as much rs she would like,
perhaps" the lady said adVisedly.
Well, ma2am, my advice is 20 look
for cheaper rooms and he seemed to
consider the business finished, but 1t
was not.
The lady half opened tho slegan' lit.
tie clasped afiair which she carried In
her hand as If TO hand out fee for
advice rendered, then she closed It with
"a spitsful snap that indicated a change
of purpose.
II you do not object 70 showing The
rooms | would like 70 res them, and II
may be that we can make a bargain.
Have you given your lowest figures?"
she questioned with feminine persist
ency
" Yes, l should really have thirty
dolla's. They are In excellent order,
aud ooupider tho location, madam,
right III the heart OF the city !" and
rising froui his com Portable chair with
evident illingness, ho called Tom,
the office-boy. Then he drew on hi,
heavy ulster, and DOMINIC his fur cap
God fnr II IN ad yloyt.a he urpt,s rpti IN ar