Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-08-29
MY FAIR CLIENT.

nj I FAIR CLlENI.
1t was just such day as this two years
ago, and a year or SO after my call to the
bar, that my mysterious little visitor came;
and now she seems to have vanished into
thin air. I was sitting. as [ am now, smok-
ing cigarette, and believe was Won
dering which Of my lady friends would be
most pleased to entertain me at 5 o'clock
tea, and whether my clients would ever be
numerous enough to prevent me from pay
ing calls at ALL There was q light in my
clerks eye as he showed her in, as if he did
not regard her as client at all. He saw
the matter differently after 1 handed him
his fee, and reminded him that the attor-
ney general had laid down the rule that
in non-contentious business there is moth
ing in the nature Of professional etiquette
to prevent a barrister from assisting his
clients without the Intervention OF a So
icitor.
She looked very much more cool and col
lected than did, am sure, as she walked
up to my table and placed on it a little
jingling envelope, saying with half smile:
Zone pound three and sixpence
right, is it not?" I simply gasped, "What
for?" forgetting all about the attorney gen
erals edict, and thinking that dear little
female lunatic in the smartest of bats and
frocks must have escaped from its asylum
on purpose to visit me. I may add that
she was enthusiastically lady. I have an
eye for detail, and my first glance embraced
her natty little patent leather boots, her
gloves and general etceteras.
'What for?" she echoed, and then went
on quickly: "Why, for your advice, of course.
You are Mr.. Fairbairn, are you not?" q
bowed.) II hear thatyou are very clever" q
blushed) ''and want your help" Qsmiled
encouragingly.) "You need not try to find
out who told me to come to you, for she
won't tell you (the assistance of the fair sex
in advertising ones capabilities is some
times not to be despised); and you need not
know my name, for it has nothing to do
with it,"
'With what?" said, as she paused for
breath
'With my case"
"Will you explain your case to me?" /
said, hoping that the explanation would be
as long as possible.
GIVE left all the papers behind,' she
said, ''but they were of no use to Sir Hum
phrey Raby or Mr.. Wigsby when they
gave their opinion, so thought they would
OC lOAO W yOu. 4uy ooAASioOI ooOh liz W
see them" she added, looking down and
signing as she recalled what no doubt was
a painful and disappointing interview,
"and they were snuffy, dull old gentlemen,
and I've come to you because l was told
you were very clever and original and had
brilliant ideas" q blushed again.) ~
have their opinion, as they call it, in my
pocket" AS the names mentioned were
those of two of the most eminent leaders
practicing at the chancery bar, and as my
client seemed to think that my original
and brilliant intellect would instruct Inc
in the facts of her case without her assist
ance or the usual sources of information, l
held out my hand deprecatingly for the
opinion, and read it through a couple of
times before I wholly mastered it's con-
tents. It ran as follows:
Opinion: On the instructions before us we can
not advise the residuary legatee that she has any
grounds either for upsetting the will, the
ground of the lunacy of the testator, and so TAX
ing as next of kim that she can accept what the
testator leaves her and refuse his conditions He
bequeaths to her the bulk of his fortune, which
we understand to be considerable on condition
that she accepts it within year Of the date of his
death, and that before accepting it she marries
husband. To this is appended the further condi
ton that this husband shall be some other person
whom the testator seems to have borne particu-
lar dislike. Should she fail to accept the prop
erty these conditions it is to be distributed
among various charitable institutions named by
the testator. 1t is suggested to us that will must
be absolutely void, on the ground that this con-
dition is in restraint of marriage and so contrary
to public policy; we are aware Of no authority
which would support such a contention, and need
hardly point out to the young lady that she is
offered every inducement to marry at once, and
that her choice of husband ranges over the
whole unmarried bachelor population of the
world, to say nothing of the widowers and di-
vorced husbands, with the one solitary exception
named. At all events, it is our opinion that the
residuary legatee must marry some one, not being
the individual specified, before the 18th of May
next, if she intends to accept the property.
Here followed the signatures of the two
great luminaries, and felt must bow to
their authority.
'I'm common law man." said, as /
handed her back the document, "and they
are very eminent chancery counsel"
"Oh, she said, "does that mean that you
are cleverer than they?"
''Not precisely" answered modestly.
'But chancery barristers are always
prosy and inky," she said. 81 have cousin
who is one, and he and all his friends are
simply horrid. They may be very intel
lectual of course, but call them stupid"
Perhaps" said, "on this side of the
Strand we see more of the practical things
Of life"
She nodded with hopeful smile, and I
felt ought to say something else.
$50 you don't want to marry" said
"Don't want tor' she cried, "Why, it's
just that; do!'
"Then why don't you? Under the cir
cumstances you would be justified in ask
ing-in limiting at all events-if no one
proposes to YOU"
"But they do" she said; "they propose
in shoals, and have done SO for months.
Only the other day girl said to me that
she could not stay with the Blankneys for
the Bicester ball. because a man would be
in the house whom she had refused Bless
you,' I said to her, If were to refuse invi-
tations to all houses where I should meet
men who had asked me to marry them
should stop at home for the rest of my
lifer -
"Then you cannot fail in 1ove?" said.
II am in loye-that's just it."
won't he proposef"
"He proposed years ago."
"Then WHY don't you'll felt mvse!.
getting puzzled, DuJ Size 1nterrup0ou liz.
'Idon't see that you are SO very clever"
she SAID Cau you uHue1 oo1eHA oi''o iiy
horrid old uncle has done his best to pre-
vent me from ever marrying the only man
/ ever cared for in my whole life? How
would you like some one to leave you
money on condition you would not marry
your Euphemia?" Her voice began TO
shake, and there were tears in her blue
eyes.
care you a friend of Euphemia9" !
said gently to divert her thoughts for
moment I really never blushed SO often
in an afternoon before or since.
"No," she answered, with a quick smile,
though her voice shook as she continued,
81 don't know her, but l know of her; and
I hear that you love her very much, and
when the solicitor said he could do no more
to help me l came to you to see if you
could, and oh, Mr.. Fairbairn, do want