Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-06-17
A Fox Caugh, in HIS Own Trap.


Mr.. James Fox was the junior partner in
the firm Of Pumley & Fox, the principal
solicitors in the somewha, dead alive old
cathedral town Of Scarborough. He was a
smart, well set up young man, two or three
and thirty, with carefully trimmed black
vhiskers, silken manner. and an unlimited
flow Of more or less entertaining small talk
Hence II came 10 pass that he was an .x-
ceedingl, popular man among the ladies Of
Scarborough, both old and Young, and, had
4 his views lain in the direction of r,atrimon,
he would have had small difficulty in Undue
ing an, damsel or widow 10 share his lot
, But the handsome solicitor Was ambitious ::
bis share IN the business did not a, present
bring him IN more than moderate income.
and he had long ago determined that when
be married be mus, consider not on,
beauty, but more solid Advantage
Heiresses, however, were not plentiful IN
Scarborough, and So, although NJ Fox's
attentions frequently flutiered a bosom. he
Vas careful no; to comm, himself too far
and not even the local gossips could fairly
say Of him tha, he had knowingly raised
false hopes. There vas. indeed. one young
lady who had made deep impression upon
the solicitors heart, but she vas the daugh-
ter Of county msgna,e With whom poor
Mr.. Fox vas not even on visiting terms
He had met her a, the annual hunt ball. che
had danced twice with him. for Mr.. Fox vas
an excellent ~altzer; but her mother had
doubtless warned her against him, for when
next the, met. some SIX weeks afterwards.
Miss Lsquerton passed the unfortunate man
without 30 much s. bow Mis-. Lacquer
Ton. however, was lovely and rich, and Mr
Fox was not q man TO be easily discouraged.
He knew ,ha, If be could only afford to cut
the Office and blossom into landed pro-
prietor. he sould have Just a. good chance
With her ss an, body else go be waited pa
,ien,ly in the hope. Of one dav discovering
the road which leads TO fortune and success
The Arm Of Plumley & Fox va. highly
respectable and old-fa.hloned concern which
avoided litigation, and kept almos, entirely
20 family business PIumley vas fairly
good lawyer, but Fo1's legal knowledge was
Of the mos, limited character. and be was
much too lazy TO take the trouble TO increase
II. So II came TO be understood between
them that shile Plumlcv did the office
work. Fox hep, the clients in good hamor
BY calling on them spropos Of nothing, and
amusing them with his Jokes and stories.
I This business ~ss 'echncslly termed keep
ing the connection together" aud it suited
Mr.. Fox very well indeed. II was while he
was thus keeping the connection together
that Mr.. FoI made the acquaintance Of a
certain rich old widow lsc,. named Mrs.
Johnson. and so well did he play his cards
that before long Plumley & Fox became
I Nr.. Johnsons family solicitors, land
agents, and confidential advisers. The firm
made pretty good thing ou; of Mrs. John
/ son. In accordance with the usual arrange
ments, Piumiey transacted the business and
/ Fox became 8 constant visitor al her house.
and worked his way into her good graces BY
( his wonderful power, Of amusing converse
ton. There was yet another accomplish
ment which stood our solicitor in very good
stead. and this was an sccurs,e knowledge
Of chemistry and medicine. which he had
picked up boy IN tie Office Of his uncle
/ the chemist. The horrible smells young
( Fox had created in his experiments and the
ugly stain. he had mad. on his hand. deter
mined him TO for.ske medicine for law, bu,
he never entirel, forgo, hi. early expert
ences. lie could talk auently about every
known drug and disease, and about great
.
/ be diagnosed Mrs. Johnson's symptoms al
least ss accurately as Mac Bolus. the Scotch
doctor. and would even have prescribed for
her bad not the stal~art Scot angrily threat
ened 10 kick him If he did so. But he re-
tanned very prominen, place in the old
lsdy's affections, and II began 10 Be whis-
pered that be bad an excellent chance of
succeeding 10 her considerable property.
was matter which had long furnished
speculation Of unfailing interest to the town
of Scarborough, and filed 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 o!
being mentioned in her aunts will. a hand
some, well bred girl, she was left al her own
parents death to make her own way in the
world, lnheritlng nothing but the battle o!
life and the dislike of Mrs. Johnson, who
had not seen the child since i, quilted its
baby clothes. This strange antpathy was
traceable, az some people said. 10 times gone
by, when Mr. Roberts. Li1xie's rather. then
renowned for his manly beauty, had been
au a,.iduous visitor at the house of Mrs
Johnson. parents. She being the eldest
daughter, and taking all his attention fol-
herself, had felt il keenly as a personal in
suit when her sister dared to "snaich him
away" and even later on, after having made
a much more brilliant match herself, she
never could forgive this early defeat. Death
even had not buried the grudge, which not
unnaturslly passed from mother to child.
How far this saving may have been true
or not, one thing is certain poor Lizzie had
not the ghost OF chance of ever seeing q
single penny from her aunts money-box
her claims we're clearly quite out Of the
question. There remained, then, only Mis-,
Nelly Brown. Mrs. Johnsons lady compan-
ion, and Mr.. James Fox.
Mr.. James Fox knew from his partner
who had cautioned him il friendly way
that Mrs. Johnson was not going tc
divide her fortune, bu, would leave the
whole of it to her "truest friend" though
she has evidently not yet made her mind W
q. to who deserved that title. More thar
once had Mr.. Plumley been suddenly sum
moned to draw up a new will; so slight ar
annoyance ss q cold cup of tea having
caused her to destroy the one in Mis-
Neily's favor. Then two days neglect OF
the part of Mr.. Fox and a constant supply
of hot tea at the hands of Miss Nelly agair
reinstated this lady in Mrs. Johnson's goot
grsces. Mr.. Fox, therefore, had good caus'
for anxiety as to what would be the exac
state Of affairs when the old lady was fnall,
called upon to join the majority.
with such an old woman" be said II
himself, who is ready to make a new vii
any day and to burn it the next, there is nj
dependence; ones future hangs upon
whim remedy must be found. The safes
thing would of course be to make love Il
Miss Nelly; she is rather 'thirtyish,' an,
not altogether attractive; still, If she wer
to get al the money, she would be anything
but undesirable"
So Mr. James Fox set to work at once t.
make himself agreeable to Miss Brown, ye