The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-25
CHAPTER XVII.
A LEGAL DISTINCTION.

I
his office table John T. Giddings had
changed a g,,at deal since tine time when he
undertook 20 engineer the corporation
scheme. Apparently he was going down hill
very fast. without brakes His eyes wore a
CLASSY look. as if ho had Just walked from a
drunken sleep. The smooth roundne~s Of his
checks was gone bis lower jaw was strongly
marked, and his nose seemed drawn out and
sharycped "a give the effect of bird 0f prey
Philip glanced significantly about tho room
The lawyer followed his eye and laughed
Changed Some. aren't we-ail lack OF
money. Actually. You have no idea how Si0
even would furnish this od table ami polish
this floor Times amt as they were Nj Bre-
ton. i'm thcold days. when used 10 get lat fees
out of men like your father Nice man, your
father But, and b. lccrcd mcaningly no
his visitor. when $50 do get a chance for a
dollar tell you We jump AZ 1T He tipped
back his chair against his halt tllcd book
shelves and peered familiarly into Philips
stern face why. look at those dirty fel-
lows hack los the door Time was | wouldn't
notice a client unless he wore whte collar
and cuffs But now for business suppose
you were a little astonishel 10 get my let
teri
IL should prefer not 20 have listeners, 90 re-
marked Philip. coldly.
"Oh. well, will finish with these fellows
first, then ! thought you might be ina
patient
Not at an, sir
Tho hwvcr clothes were thnadbaro and
s1ilcd and tho black feli bat that be wore.
indoors and out. vel slouclai over his eyes
was torn ia tho crown Philip compared
him with h.a ,iahly loosne callers, .Hd
could not SEE hu' tho clients looked as Uo'l 0s
their patron. Int 90 every si-n of poverty
and de-mlatiou b, heart sank lower and
lower for the man must Dec reckless and
hungry as % mau eating shark W % h} 900
bis power q rdcI, the life out of "a victim
thc lIu could have uo restraint of character
or deccncy 10 hold hack his hand Could
hcra b. anything he knew about bcitLas
pa-t, that terrible gap Philip had not tried
10 iOol, iutol Ike dared not think. impatient
be droaL ii the moment "hen the lawyer
should send away his soiled clients Philip
started each time he half turned a. II 10 come
hack, But when Ghidngs closed the door
after the poor vretches, which was not until
little roll u bills had passed from their
hands TO his, and came hack 20 his seat, the
young mill owner did not seem % observe
him until the lawyer said:
II have filed out complaint, but have
not signed il yet
Philip looked at him blankly. "What is a
complaint"
"Well, my dear sir, a man o. your position
might pass lifetime aud never know
Aheml Ii is a form Of procedure that is
generally understood 10 be applicable only 10
tlc poor. When wretch BIAS committed
burg larry, for instance. -ome friend of Justice.
as for example, goes before a magistrate
and make certain charges Then the poor
devil is arrested, dragged before the court
and tried
"Wou, sir, what are your complaints %
mo!n
Tho lawyer s.ailel. Strictly, noth.nr,
uui IS you identify youreil with q woman
calling herself Bertha Breton. Tie paused
30 notice the effect OF bis words
"My wife, gesped Philip. sob, for Gods
SAX speak quck!'
"Yol have been lately morredr
a week ago
'Ihe woman Jon have married has IA bus
band already. BY remarrying as She has
dole she has committed n felony by our
laws Some rather inaccurately cali her
crime bsamy. A state prison otTeuse, /
suppose You know mean for her The law
Il our state does not touch YOU
But she told me She was free 20 marry
How far OF his voice sounded Was II he,
indeed, in a low attorney Office, discussing
his wife, whether she were a telon or no. Il
was like a horrible dream; too horrible 70 be
anything but dream, but he could not
awake from H.
"No doubt she thought so,n said the law
yer, ctar.tahly; but let me show YOU" lie
opened a drawer In front OF him, and tool,
out a long PAPER. Isn't II old, women have
40 notion OF folding legal document cor
rectly. Did you ever notice itf
mo, never noticed IL, answered Philip,
mechanically lie felt rs If he were standing
still, while tho world was flying from under
his feet
This Is the marriage certificate IL b
proper M form, you viii soc."
Yes; 10 seemed correct. Ber,has name was
there, and Currns They seemed to leap
out OF ta. parchment as be- read. And there
We're two witnesses Tie rubbed his eyes
Thomas Bales that was tho name az the
servant De had turned away Yes; 10 was
not an hour ago he turned him away.
"Nho is this Thoma5 Bliesn
"lo was % waiter at tho Lockout house'
where the happy couple were made one"
The paper iluttercd 30 tho door. the walls
OF the room seemed rushing in upon him.
while the grinning face OF the lawyer danced
m hdcous measure before his eyes Was
God, IN his mercy, sending him deathi when
his brain cleared again the lawyer was talk
ing still
You VIII wonder how happen 10 posses
this paper, but you Will recolcct my adver-
tisement at tho top OF my letter hoadi Well
IT seemed Mrs. Curran, excuse me. grew tired
OF her unoongenial husband. quito OUTSIDE
her sphere Of course. A fine fellow that Cur
ran was too But the young lady naturally
sighed for hor old, more refined associations
Her husband does nothing but shock her
She becomas wretched, her cr-lze IS over. the
reality is not 10 her delicate taste at all
W hat nextl She leaves him. Fortune throws
my advertisement in her way and receive
letter from her address, then mt Vineboro
Here WAS short way out Of it all, divorce
without trouble or Publicity. for my cauea