Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-04
Gales aud Sketfhes.
A FOX CAUGHT IN HIS OWN TRAP.

in the firm OF Plumley q FOX, the pr1ncl-
pal solicitors in the somewhat dead-aiive
old cathedral town of Scarborough. He
was a smart, we'll set up young man of
two or three and thirty. with carefully
trimmed black whiskers. silken manner,
and an unlimited flow Of more or less
entertaining small talk.
Hence it came to pass that he was an
exceedingly popular man among the la
dies of Scarborough. both old and young.
and had his views lain ia the direction of
matrimony. he would have had small diff
Guilty 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 married he must consider not only
beauty but more solid advantages.
Heiresses. however. were not plentiful
in Scarborough. and so, although Mr..
Foxs attentions frequently futtered vir-
gin bosom. he was careful not to commit
himself too far and not even the local Cos
sips could fairly say of him that he had
compromised 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 poor Mr..
Fox was not on visiting terms. He had
met her at the annual hunt ball, she had
danced twice with him. for Mr.. Fox was
an excellent Walter; but her mother had
doubtless warned her against him, for
when next they met some weeks after
ward, Miss Laquerton passed the unfor-
tunate man without so much as bow.
Miss Laquerton, however, was lovely
and rich, and Mr.. Fox was not man to
be easily discouraged. He knew that if
he only could afford to cut the Office and
blossom into a landed proprietor, he
would have Just as good chance with
her as anybody else; so he waited patient
", iu the hopes of one day discovering the
road which leads to fortune and success.
The firm of Plumley & Fox was high
" respectable and old-fashioned concern,
which avoided litigation, and kept almost
entirely to family business. Plumley was
fairly good lawyer, bat Fox's legal
knowledge was of the most limited char
acter, and he was much too lazy to take
the trouble to increase it. So it came to
be understood between them that while
Pumlev did the office work. Fox kept the
clients in good humor by calling on them
apropos of nothing. and amusing them
with his Jokes and tories.
This business was technically termed
excepting the connection together" and
suited Fox very we'll indeed. 1t was
while he was thus excepting the connec-
ton together" that Mr.. Fox made the ac-
quantance of a certain rich old widow
lady, named Mrs. johnson and 80 well
did he play his cards that before long.
Plumley & Fox became Mrs. Johnson's
family solicitors, land agents. and conf
dental advisers.
The firm made pretty good thing out
OF Mrs. johnson. In accordance with the
usual arrangement. PlumIey transacted
the business, and Fox became a constant
visitor at her house, and worked his way
into her good graces by his wonderful
powers of amusing conversation.
There was yet another accomplishment
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 horrible smells
young Fox had created in his experiments
and the ugly stains he had made on his
hands determined him to forsake medicine
for the law, but he never entirely forgot
his early experiences.
He could talk fuently about every
known drug and disease, and about a
great many which had not yet been dis
covered. He diagnosed Mrs Johnson's
symptoms at least as accurately as Mac
Boius, the Scotch doctor, and would even
have prescribed for her, had not the stall
wart Scot angrilv threatened to kick him
if he did so. But he maintained very
prominent place in the old lady's affec-
| tons, and it began to be whispered about
that he had an excellent chance of sue
ceeding to her very considerable prop
ertv.
| The disposal of Mrs. JOhnson's money
was matter which had long furnished
speculation of untailing interest to the
town of Scarborough, and filled many a
yawning 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. A handsome, well bred girl,
she was left at her parents death to make
her own way in the world, inheritlno
nothing but the battle of life and the dis
like of Mrs. johnson, who had not seen
the child since it quilted its baby clothes
This strange antipathy was traceable, las
some people said. to times long gone by
when Mr.. Roberts, Lizzie's father, Their
renowned for his manly beauty, had beer
an assiduous visitor at the house of Mrs
Johnson's parents. She being the elder
daughter. and taking all his attentions fol
herself, had felt it keenly as a personal
insult when her sister dared to 'ssnatch
him away" and even later on, after hav
ing made much more brilliant match
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 saving may have been tru,
or not, one thing was certain poor Lizzi,
Roberts had not the ghost of chance O
ever seeing single penny from her aunt
money-box her claims were clearly quite
out of the question. There remained
then, only Miss Nelly Brown, Mrs John
sons lady companion, and Mr.. Jane
Fox.
Mr.. James Fox knew from his partner
who had cautioned him in friendly way
that Mrs. johnson was not going to dvid,
her fortune hut would laavo II RI ..bo