Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-05-13
MR.. BOLDON'S EXPEDIENT.
Whitehall Review,

public, as he sat alone in his Office in
High street, Marlborough, one October
morning.
And truly Mr.. James Boldon's position
was not a happy one; he was young man
lately admitted as a solicitor, and he had
spent all his little capital to no purpose in
trying to make q practice for himself in
the town of Marlborough.
He was almost stranger in the town,
and, although he had been there nearly
year he had hardly succeeded in making
an acquaintance, much less in gaining
clients. The report that there was san
opening" in the place, on the strength of
which he had come there, had proved to
be entirely fallaciOu5. The town was
inst large enough to hide him. 1t was in
vain that he went regularly to st. Angus
tines Mission Chapel, in the hope of hav-
ing his name put on the building commit
tee of the new church; in vain that he
frequented Cat proper hOurs) the billiard
room of the new Royal Hotel; in vain
that he seduously attended the county
court and the police court with glazed
black bag that held nothing but a news
paper and one or two law books. Bust
ness would not come to him. Nobody
knew him, and nobody cared to know
him.
There was, indeed one man who knew
him-One who might, if he had any bust
ness whatever, have proved useful friend
Mr.. Lionel VIM, editor of the West
borough Independent. The young lawyer
had made the acquaintance of Mr.. VIM
over the billiard table. But of what use
was it to have the means of getting
fattering notice in the newspaper when
there was absolutely nothing to notice?
1t was nearly II o'clock, Mr.. j las. Boldon
had been looking over his ledger, and,
even his sanguine disposition failed him
as he marked the state of things there
disclosed. He rose from the table with a
grOan, put on his hat, and, telling his
solitary office boy (who was improving
his time by boring holes in the lid of his
desk) that he would not be in till after
lunch he sailed forth into the street.
Not having any particular object in
view, he thought he might as we'll go to
the railway station and get a London
paper, and thither he directed his steps,
After buying his paper, BoldOn OBJ
served on the platform the station mas
ter, whom he knew by sight, engaged in
an angry alteration with an elderly man,
who looked like a farm labOrer. A little
crowd surrounded the disputants, and
DOluOu Sduub6E6u 10 see WDdU was U19 mat
ter.
"a telfee' ave COON from Lamborne,
an all pay no more" said the man.
"You must pay your fare from London
all the same,'' returned the station mas
ter, angriIy. "Heres the bylaw. You
can read for yOurself-that is, if you can
read"
Nav, CANT"
''Well, it says that any one travelling
without ticket must pay the fare from
the station at which the train started.
How am l to know you only got in at
LambOrne?"
The dispute went on, the statiOnmaster,
who had been sergeant in the Guards
and had great idea of the Importance of
his Office and the necessity of enforcing
the law, having evidently the best of it.
The young solicitor ventured to say some
thing for the man, and was roughly ad-
vised to mind his own business. This
rather nettled him; and, as the poor man
protested that he could not pay the fare
from London shillings and 10 pence
and there was every prospect that he
would be taken before the magistrates,
BoldOn gOOd-naturedly paid the money
for him, and the matter was at an end.
Our hero walked abstractly back to his
Office, bordering over the hard case of the
poor man he had succOrded; and his de-
alterations lasted for some time.
On the following Saturday morning
B0ldon ommitted to shave, and stayed in
doors all day. After a substantial early
dinner he proceeded to make some
changes in his raiment. He put on an
old tweed suit considerably the worse for
wear, and pair of boots that had seen
better days. His hat he took from we'll
merited oblivion, and finally he adorned
his neck with red and blue comforter.
Thus equipped, he set out for a walk to
LambOrne, a small town about ten miles
off.
He reached his destination about
o'clock in the evening, and his first pro
ceeding was to go to an inn and order
some tea. Having refreshed himself, he
left the inn, after exchanging few words
with the landlady, and visited two or
three shops. In each shop he made one
or two small purchases, directing that the
goods should be sent to him at WestbOr-
ough; and in each case he was careful to
take a receipt for the money he paid.
Then he went to the railway station, at
which he knew the London train for West
borough and the West would stop in a
few minutes, made one or two thrilling pur-
ChaSeS at the DOOKSJall, ana ududSeu 10
engage the man who kept the stall in con-
yersation for some time. The train came
in as he was still talking to the man at
the bookstall, and Boldon quietly took his
seat in it, without having gone through
the formality of taking ticket.
When the train arrived at Westborough
the Young solicitor explained that he had
Joined the train at Lamborne and tender
ed the fare from that town. As he ex-
pected, the money was refused, and the
full fare from London demanded This
Mr.. Boldon positively refused to pay, and
accordingly he was detained till the sta
tion-master was sent for.
sWhat is all this about?" he gruffiy de-
manded as he came upon the scene.
''They want to make me pay the fare al
the way from London, and I've only come
from Lamborne," said Boldon IN humble
tone.