Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-01-27
From London Truth
4 FOX CAUGAT In HIS OWN TRAP.
BY ALGERNON.

Mr.. James Fox was the junior part
ner in the firm of Plumley & Fox, the
principal solicitors in the somewhat
dead alive old cathedral town of
Scarborough. He was smart, we'll
setup young man, of two or three and
thirty, with carefully trimmed black
whiskers, q silken manner, and an I'M
limited flow of more or less entertain
ing small talk. Hence it came to pass
that he was an exceedingly popular
man among the ladies of Slumborough,
both old and young, and, had his
views lain in the direction of matri-
mony, he would have had small diff
Guilty in inducing any damsel or 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 moderate income,
and he had long ago determined that
when he married he must consider not
only beauty but more solid advan-
tages.
Heiresses, however. werenot plentiful
IN Scarborough, and SO, although
Mr.. Fox's attentions frequently fut-
tered a bosom, he was careful not to
commit himself too far, aud not even
the local gossips could fairly say of
him that he had knowingly raised
false hopes. There was indeed, one
young lady who had made a deep I'M
preston upon the solicitors heart,
but she was the daughter of a county
magnate with whom poor Mr.. Fox
was not even on visiting terms. He
had net 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 six weeks afterward, Miss
Laquerton passed the unfortunate
man without so much as q bow. Miss
Laquerton, however, was lovely and
rich, and Mr.. Fox was not a. man to
be easily discouraged. He knew that
If he could only afford to cut the Office
and blossom into alanded proprietor,
he would have just as good a chance
with her as anybody else, SO he watched
patiently in the hopes of one day dis
covering the road which leads to
fortune and success.
The firm Of Plumley & Fox was a
highly respectable and old-fashiOned
concern, which avoided litigation and
kept almost entirely to family bust
ness. Plumley was a fairly good law
yer, but Fox's legal knowledge was of
the most limited character, and he
was much too lazy to take the trouble
to increase it. So it came to be un-
derstood between them that while
Plumley did the office work Fox kept
the clients in good humor by calling
on them apropos of nothing and
r Il l. ,ol~
rles. This business was technically
termed excepting the connection to-
gether," and it suited Mr.. Fox very
well, indeed. It was while he was thus
keeping the connection together that
Mr.. Fox made the acquaintance of a
certain rich old widow lady, named
Mrs. Johnson, and so we'll did he play
his cards that before long Plumley &
Fox became Mrs. Johnson's family
solicitor, land agent, and confidential
adviser. The firm made a pretty
good thing out of Mrs johnson. In
accordance with the usual arrange
ments, Plumley transacted the bust
ness, and Fox became constant visit
or at her house and worked his way
into her good graces by his wonderful
powers OF amusing conversation.
There was yet another accomplish
.ment 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 at
the Office 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 law, but he never entire
fIy forgot his early experience. He
could talk fGently about every known
drug and disease, and about a great
many which had not yet been discov-
cred. He diagnosed Mrs. Johnsons
symptoms at least as well as MacBo-
lus, 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 ne re
tanned 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 matter which had long
furnished speculation of unfailing in
terest TO the town of Scarborough,
and filed many a yawning gap in con-
yersation at afternoon teas. Mrs.
johnson had but one relative in the
world, Miss Lizzie Roberts, the daugh-
ter OF her latesister. This young lady,
however, it was agreed, had not the
slightest chance Of being mentioned in
her aunt's will. A handsome, we'll
bred girl, she was left at her parents
death to make her own way in the
world, inheriting nothing but the bat
tie of life and the dislike of Mrs. john
son, who had not seen the child since
1t quilted it's baby clothes. This