Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-12-28
Mr.. NELSON'S Will.
BY II. RIDER HAGGARD.

CHAPTER XIX.-MEESOE VS.. ADDISON AND
ANOTHER.
The most wearisome times 90 by at last
II only one lives to see the end of them,
and so it came 20 pass that at length on
one fine morning about a quarter to ten OF
the Law Courts clock, that projects its
CHASTITY hideOusness upon unoffending
Fleet street, Augusta, accompanied by
Eustace, Lady Holmhurst, and Mrs.
Thomas, the wife of Captain Thomas, who
had come up from visiting her relatives in
the eastern counties in order to give evil
dence, found herself standing in the big
entrance to The new Law Courts, feeling
as though she would give five years Of her
life to be anywhere else.
This way, my dear, ;" said Eustace; Mr..
John Short said that hc would meet us by
the statue in the hall" Accordingly, they
passed into the archway by the oak stand
where the cause lists are displayed. Au-
gusta glanced at them as she went, and
the first thing that her eyes fell on was
probate and Divorce Division, Court l.,
at 1890, Mecson VS.. Addison and Another"
and the sight made her feel sick. In an
other moment they had passed a police
man Of gigantic size, 'mOnstrum hOrren-
DUN infOrnc, iHggns, who watches and
wards The folding doors through which so
much human learning, wrctchedness, and
worry pass day by day, and were standing
In the long but narrow and lI-prOpOrtiOned
hall which appears to have been the best
thing that the architectural talent Of the
nineteenth century was capable OF pro
ducing.
TO the right Of the door on entering is o
statue of the architect Of n pile of which
England has certa My no cause 10 feel
proud, and here, "A black bag full Of papers
in his hand stood Mr. John Short, wcarin
that air of excitement upon his counter
ance which is 50 commonly TO be seen in
the law courts.
Here you are,' he said, 81 was begin
ming to be afraid that you would be late.
We are first on the list, you know; the
Judge fixed it specially 10 suit the con
vcnience Of the Attorney General He's
on the other side, you know he added,
with sigh I'm sure / don't know how
poor james will get on. There are more
than twenty counsel again-t him. for all
the lcgatees under the former will are
represented. At any rate, hc is well up in
his facts and there does not seem TO me to
be- very much law in the case"
Meanwhile they had been proceeding up
tie long hall till they came to poky little
staircase which had just been dug out in
the wall, whereby the court floor could be
reached, having, to MI appearance, origin
ally escaped the attention Of the architect.
On getting 10 the top of the staircase they
turned To the left and then to the left
ugAin. If they had had any doubt as to
which rOad they should take it would have
been speedily decided by the long string
Of wigs which were streaming away in the
direction of Divorce Court No. l. Thicker
and thicker grew the wigs, it was obvious
that the cause ccicbrc Of Mccson VS. Add.
son and Another would not want for hear.
cr9 Indeed, Augusta ana her friends
soon realized the intensity Of the public
interest in II way that was as impressive
us IL was di~TprccablC for just past the
Admiralty Court the passage was entirely
blocked by IN enormous mass Of harris
tiers; there might have been five hundred
0r more of them. There they were, chOked
N,p together in their white wiggcd ranks,
waiting for the door of the court to he
opened. At present it was guarded by six
or eight attendants, who, with the help OF
n wooden barrier, attempted to Keep the
surgug multitude Mt bay while those be.
hind cried, "Forward" and those in front
cried, "Bach.'
"ltow on earth are we going 20 get
through" asked Augusta, and Mt that
moment Mr. John Short caught hold of an
attendant who was struggling abOut in
the skirts Of the crowd like a fly in II cup
of tea, and asked him the same question,
explaining that their presence was neCcs-
sHry To the show
Pm bothered if ! know, sir; you can't
come this way. | suppose ] must let you
through 10y the underground passage from
the other court Why" he went on, rs he
led the way to the Admiralty Court, hang
me, if don't believe that we shall all be
crushed to death by them there barristers.
II would take II regiment of cavalry to
keep them buck Aud they are 'ungry
lot, they are, and they amt no work to do,
and that why they comes kicking and
tearing and worriting just to see a bit of
painting on a young Indy's shoulders
by this time they had passed through
the Admiralty Court, which was not sit
ting, and been conducted down II sort of
well that terminated in the space occupied
by the Judges clerks and other officers of
the court In another minute they found
themselves emerging in a similar space in
the other court
Before taking the seat that was pointed
ont to her and the other witnesses in the
well Of the court, Immediately below those
reserved for Queens Counsel, Augusta
glanced round The body Of the court
was rs yet quite empty, for the scething
mob outside had not yet burst in, though
their repeated shouts of open the doorI'
could hc plainly heard. But the jury-boN
was full, not with IA jury, for the case was
to he tried before the Court itself, but of
various distinguished individuals, inClud-
ing several ladies' who had obtained or
dcrs. The little gallery above was also
crowded with smart-lool>ing people. AS
for the seats devoted Ia counsel in the
cause, they were Crammed TO overlooking
with the representatives of the various de-
PENDANTS so Crammed, indeed, that the
wrctChcd James Short solo counsel for
the plaintiff, had to establish himself and
his papers in the centre of the third bench
sometimes used by solicitors
"IiCayens' said Eustace to Augusta,
counting the heads; there are twenty
three counsel against us What will that
unfortunate James do against so mauy2"
II don't know, I'm sure" said Augusta,
with sigh at doesn't seem quite fair.
does itS But then, you see, there was no
money!
just then John Short came up. He had
been to speak to his brother. Augusta be
ing a novelist and therefore Il professional
student of human physlognomy, was en-
gagged in studying the legal types before
her, which She found resolved them
selves into two classes the sharp, keen
faced class and the solid, heayy-jawed
class.
Who on earth are they all2" she asked
oh" he said, that's the Attorncv-Gen
eral. lie appears with Fiddlcstick. @ c.,
Pearl, and Bean for the defendant Addj-
son Next to him is the Solicitor General,
who, with playford, Q. c, MiddleStoue,
Bluwhard, and Ross, is for the other de-
PENDANT Roscoe Next 10 him is Turphy,
.. G., with the SpccIaClCS on; he is sup
posed to have great effect on jury |
don't know the name Of his junior, but he
looks Us though he were going to eat one
doesn't hcy He is for one of the legatees.
That man hchiud Is StiCkou; he is for one
OF the leGatceS also | suppose that he
finds probate and divorce an interesting
subject, because he Is always writing
books about them Next to him Is Howles,
who my brother says, is the best comic
actor IN the court. The short gentleman
in the middle is relty: he reports for the
Times. You see. rs this is an important
case, he has got somebody to help him
10 take it-that long man with big wig.
Ia 4.