Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-06-19
4 F0x CAUGHT IN Hrs OWN TRAP

firm Of Plumley q Fox, the principal solicit
ors in the somewhat dead alive old cathedra
town Of Scarborough. He was a smart we'll
set-up young man of two or three and thirty
with carefully trimmed black whiskers, a silk
on manner, and an unlimited flow OF more OF
less entertaining small talk.
Hence II came to pass that he was an ex
ceedingly popular man among the ladies oil
Scarborough, both old and young, and, had
his views lain in the direction of matrimony,
he would have had small difficulty in induo
ing any bashful damsel or frisky widow "a
share his lot. But the handsome solicitor
was ambitious his share in the business did
not at present bring him in more than 9
moderate income, and he had long ago de.
termined that when he married, he must con.
slider not only beauty, but more solid ad
vantages.
Heiresses, however, were not plentiful in
Scarborough, and 30, although Mr. Fox's at
tentions frequently huttered virgin bosom,
he was careful not to commit himself too far,
and not even the local gossips could fairly
say Of him that he had compromised repu.
tation or knowingly raised false hopes.
There WAS indeed, one young lady who
bad made deep impression upon the solici-
tors heart, but she was the daughter OF Q
county magnate with whom poor Mr.. Fox
was not even on visiting terms. He had met
her at the annual hunt ball. she bad danced
twice with him, for Mr.. Fox was an excellent
waltZer; but her mother had doubtless warn.
ed her against him, for when next they met,
some weeks afierwArd, Miss Laquerton pass
ed the unfortunate man without 80 much as
bow.
Mics Laquerton, however, was lovely and
rich, aud MIR. Fox was NOT q man to be easily
discouraged. He knew that il he could only
Afford la ont iha nfItaa and hInaanp, int a
landed proprietor, he would have Just as
good a chance with her as any body else SO
he waited patiently, in the hopes Of one day
discovering tue road which leads to fortune
and success.
The tirm of Plumley & Fox was highly
respectable and old fashioned concern, which
avoided litigation, and kept almost entirely
TO family business. Plumley was a fairly
good lawyer, but Fo1's legal knowledge was OF
the most limited character and he was much
too lazy to take the trouble to increase it.
So 1t came TO be understood between them
that while Plumley 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 stories.
Thisbusinsss was technically termed keep
ing the connection together" and it suited
Mr.. Fox very we'll indeed. 1t was while he
was thus keeping the connection together
that Mr.. Fox made the acquaintance OF a GER
tain rich old widow, named Mrs. johnson,
and SO we'll did he play his cards that before
long, Plumley d Fox became Mrs. johnson q
family solicitors, land d.agents, and confden
tial advisers
The firm made a pretty good thing out OF
Mrs johnson. In accordance with the usual
arrangement, Plumley transacted the bust
ness, and Fox became a constant visitor at
har hnuaa and kaA ,ulo - 4
graces by his wonderful power OF amusing
conversation
There was yet another accomplishment
which stood our solicitor in very good stead
and this was an accurate knowledge of chem
istry and medicine, which he had picked up
as a 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 for
sake medicine for the law, but he never en-
tirely forgot his early experiences.
He could talk Auenily about every known
drug and disease, and about a great many
which had not yet been discovered. He di-
agnosed Mrs Johnson's symptoms at least as
accurately AZ MaeBolus, the Scotch doctor,
and would have prescribed for her, had not
the stsiWart Scot angrily threatened TO kick
him II he did 30. But he maintained q very
prominent place in the old lady's affections,
and it began to be whispered about that he
had an excellent chance OF succeeding to her
very considerable property.
The disposal OF Mrs. Johnson's money was
a matter which had long furnished spe cula-
ton OF unfailing interest to the town OF
Scarborough, and filled many yawning gap
in conversation at afternoon teas. Miss
johnson had but one relative In the world,
Miss Lizzie Roberts, the daughter OF her late
atala lad 49, "a
agreed, had not the slightest chance of being
mentioned in her aunts will. handsome,
we'll bred girl, she was left at her parents
death to make her own way in the world, in
heriting nothing but the battle 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 traoeable, as
some people said, to times long by, when Mr.
Roberts, Lizzie's father, then renowned for
his manly beauty, had been an assiduous Wis
itOr at the house Of Mrs. JohnsOn's parents.
She being the elder daughter, and taking all
his attentions for herself, had felt it keenly
az a personal insult when her sister dared to
Snatch him away" and even later on, after
having made a much more brilliant match,
she never could forgive this early defeat.
Death even had not buried the grudge, which
not unnaturally passed from mother 10 child.
How far this saying may have been true or
not, one thing was certain poor Lizzie Rob
erts had not the ghost OF a chance of ever
seeing single penny from her aunt's money
box her claims we're clearly quite out of the
question. There remained, then, only Miss
Nelly Brown, Mrs. Johnson's lady compAn-
ion, and Mr.. James Fox.
MIR. James Fox knew from his partner,
who had cautioned him in a friendly way,
that Mrs Johnson was not going to divide
h.. 80. k,,k -, IA
TO her "truest friend" though she had evi-
IDENTIFY not yet made her mind up as to who
deserved that title. More than once had Mr.
Plumley been suddenly summoned to draw
up a new will 30 slight an annoyance as a
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 a
constant supply 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 whom the old Ia.
dy was finally called upon to join the major
ity.
"With such an old woman. he said to him
self, "who is ready to make new will any
day, aud to burn it the next, there is no de-
pendenoe ones future hangs upon a whim
a remedy must be found. The safest thing
would, of course, be to make love TO Miss
Nelly she ia rather thirtyish and altogether
not very attractive STILL il she were to get
all the money, she would be anything but un-
Desirable
SO Mr.. James Fox set TO work at once to
make himself agreeable 10 Miss Brown, yet
without going too far for he had by no
means forgotten Miss Laquerton, but he felt
II was better 10 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 80 easily sat
ished as the solicitor expected, for now he
had once begun to pay her attentions, she
wanted a decided offer of marriage, and not
being able TO get it, she took refuge in a
stratagem. This consisted in suddenly max,
ing the discovery that Mrs. Johnsons health
WAS in absolute want of some German wa
ters in fact she decided that il was quite
dangerous for her 10 spend the spring in
England with all the changes of heat and
cold.
The old lady was, therefore, soon persuaded
10 yield 10 such tender solieitude, and away