The Portland daily press., 1885-07-17
London Truth.
A FOX CAUGHT IN HIS OWN
TRAP.

Mr.. James Fox was the junior partner in
the firm of Plumley & Fox, the principal So
licitors in the somewhat dead-aliye old cathe-
dral town of Scarborough. Hewas a smart,
well-set-up young man. Of two or three and
thirty, with carefully trimmed black whis-
kers, a silken manner, and an unlimited flow
of more or less entertaining small talk
Hence it came to pass that he was an ex-
ceedingly popular man among the ladies of
Scarborough, both old and young, and had
his views lain in the direction of matrimony
he would have had small difficulty in induc-
ing 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 more than m0der-
ate 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.. FoX's at
tentions frequently fluttered a virgin BOSOM
he was careful not to commit himself too
far, and not even the local gossips could fair
ly 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 solicit
or's heart but she was the daughter of
county magnate with whom poor Mr.. Fox
was not even 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 imother had doubtless
warned her against him, for when next they
met some weeks afterward, Miss Laquerton
passed the unfortunate man without SO mnch
as a bow
Miss -Laqueton, however, was lovely and
rich, and Mr.. Fox was not man to be easily
discouraged He knew that if he could only
afford to cut the Office and blossom into
landed proprietor, he would have just as
good a chance with her as anybody else; so
he waited patiently, in the hopes Of one day
discovering the road which leads Ito 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. Plumley was a
fairly good slawyer but Fox's legal lnowl
edge 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 be-
tween 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.
This business was technically termed
keeping 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 acquain-
lance of certain rich old widow lady named
Mrs. johnson, and so well did he play his
cards that before long Plumley & Fox be-
came Mrs. Johnson's family solicitors, land
agents, and confidential advisors.
The firm made 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
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 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
forsake medicine for the law, but he never
entirely forgot his early experiences.
He could talk huently about every known
drug and disease, and about great many
which had not yet been discovered. He dag
nosed Mrs. Johnson's symptoms at least as
accurately 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 a
VeryIprominent place in the old lady's affec-
tons, and it began to be whispered about
that he had an excellent chance of succeed
ing to her very considerable property.
The disposal of Mrs. JohnsOn's money was
a matter which had long furnished specula>
ton Of unfailihg interest to the town of
Scarborough, and filled many 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 way in the world inherit
ing nothing but the battle of life and the dis
like OF Mrs. johnson, who had not seen the
child since its quilted its 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 beauty, had been an assiduous
visitor at the house of Mrs. Johnson's pa
rents. She, being the elder daughter, and
taking all his attentions for herself, had felt
it keenly as 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 de-
feat. Death even had not buried the grudge,
which not unnaturally passed from mother
to child.
How far this saying may have been true
nor OF, one thing was certain; poor Lizzie
Roberts had not the ghost of chance of