The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-14
Mr.. MeeSon' 5 VIII.
By q. RIDER HAGGARD.


lady UoImburst. like her butler, was also
q person of experience.
.syyon't YOU come into the drawing
roams" she said. And they did, looking
uxow =ssE--
aua mere Eustace made q clean breast
Of At. announcing that they we're engaged
to be married. And although this was
somewhat Of an assumption, seeing that
no actual words Of troth had passed be
tween them, Augusta stood there, never
offering word In contradiction.
well. Mr.. Meeson." said Lady Holm
hurst, IL think that you are the iucklest
man of my acquaintance. for Augusta is
not only one of the sweetest and l0veliest
girls that have ever met, she is also the
6rayest and the cleverest. You viii have
to look out. Mr.. Meeson, or you will be
known as the husband Of the great Au-
gusts Meeson.'
II will take the risk" he answeted'
humbly Il know that Augusta has more
brains in her little finger than have IN
nv whole body. don't know how she
can look at fellow like me-"
Dear me, how humble we are| said
lady Holmhurst. "Well, that is the way
of men before marriage And row, as
Augusta carries both your fortunes on her
bacE as well rs in her face and brain, |
venture TO suggest that you had better 60
and see n LAWYER about the matter; that
Is. IL You have quite finished your little
talk. | suppose that you will come tmd
dine with us. Mr. Meeson, and ii you like
to come little early, say half past =, !
dare say that Augusta will arrange to be
In, to hear what you have found out about
this will you know. And now-aurevoir.
And she departed and left Augusta TO
her reflections, which were-well, not I'M
pleasant ones.
Meanwhile Eustace was marching mp
toward the Temple. As it happened, IN
the same lodging house where he had been
living for the last few months, two
brothers Of the name Of Short had rooms,
and with these young gentlemen he had
become very friendly. The two Shorts
were twins, and so like one another that
IL was more than a month before Eustace
could be sure which of them he was
speaking to. When they were both at
college their father died, leaving his prop
erty equally between them; and as this
property on realization was not found TO
amount to more than four hundred a
year, tho twins very rightly concluded
that they had better do something to
supplement their moderate income. Ac-
cordingly, by stroke Of genius they de-
termined that one Of them should become
a solicitor and the other a barrister, and
then tossed up as to which should take TO
which trade. The idea, Of course, was
that in this manner they would be able TO
afford each other mutual comfort and sup
port. John would give James briefs, and
James reflected glory would shine back
on John. In short, they were anxious to
establish legal long firm of the most ap-
proved pattern.
Accordingly they passed their respective
examinations, and John took rooms with
another budding solicitor in the city. whilo
James hired chambers In Pump court But
there the matter stopped, for as John did
not get any work Of course he did NOT
give any to James. And so it came to
pass that for the past three years neither
of the twins had found the law as profit,
able as they anticipated. In vain did
John sit and sigh in the city. Clients
were few and far between; scarcely
enough to pay his rent. And in vain did
James. artistically robed, wander like tie
Evil One from court to court, seeklDg
what he might devour.
Now, Eustacc had often, when in the
Shorts sitting room III the lodging house
In the Strand heard the barrister James
hold forth leanedly on the matter Of
wills. and, therefore, he natural. enongh
turned toward him in his recent dilemma.
Knowing the address of his chambers IA
Pump court he hurried thither, and was
In due course admitted.
MIR. James Short was n short, stout
Young man, with black eyes, hooked
nose, and prematurely bald head. In
deed, this badness of the head was the
only distinguishing mark between James
and John, and therefore c thing TO be
thankful for, though, Of course, useless
TO the perplexed acquaintance who met
them in the street when their hats were
on. At the moment of Eustaces entry
Mr.. Short had been engaged in studying
that intensely legal print, The Sporting
Times, which, however, from some IN
explained bashfulness, he had hastily
thrown under the table, filling its space
with a law book snatched at hazard from
tho shelf.
'.All right, old fellow" said Eustace,
whose quick eyes had caught the quick
fiutter Of the vanishing paper; don't be
alarmed, it's only me"
"Ahl" said Mr.. James Short, when he
had shaken hands with him, you see |
thought ii might have been client-a
client is always possible, however i'm
probable, and one has to be ready 10 meet
the possibility.
"0nite so. old fellow" said Eustace;
"but do YOU know, as it happens, am a
client-and big one, too; II is matter
of two millions Of money-my uncle S
fortune. There was another Will, and l
want to take your advice.
Mr.. Short fairly bounded out of his char
In exultation, and then, struck by another
thought. sunk back into it again.
my dear Meeson. he said, IL am sorry
l cannot hear you"
"Ehl" said Eustace, what do you
mean
IL mean that you are not accompanied
by a solicitor; and IL is not the etiquette
OF the profession to which belong to see
q client unaccompanied by solicitor"
ooh, hang the etiquette Of the pro-
fessionw
my dear Meeson, If you came to me as
q friend should be happy to give you
any legal information in my power, and |
IL IL. 4 l.t ~