Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-04-03
A LAWYERS FEE.
BY v. II. LOCKWOOD.
is Mr.. Burford in7'

of rather fine looking woman. For
six months had been sitting there
On my spine waiting for my first casa.
Il want to get q divorce, she re-
.sponded after she had seated herself
in proffere1 chair. When the dazed
sensation that came over me at her
frst statement had vanished, / saw
that she had g bright, open, refined
face, slightly marked, however, by the
footprint Of sorrow.
well, madam. ii you have good
ground for divorce, l shall take great
pleasure in assisting you.' replied,
casting another glance at her large,
tender brown eyes. She then told
me 9 pitlful story Of suffering from
the brutality of a drunken husband.
"A bright young lawyer he was like
you when we were married, and he had
met with remarkable success. He was
popular and we'll known, a Circuit
Court Commissioner with a good sal
ary, and in the first year of our mar.
riage he made $4,000 in one case be-
sides earnings in miscellaneous bust
ness. No man in the city had bright
er prospects than he.
my father had died when l was
fourteen, leaving me property worth
forty thousand dollars. Mother al
lowed me early to enter social life;
and, being soon captivatsd by this
young lawyer, I married him at seven
teen.
Success ruined him. Within q
year he began gambling and gradually
became an habitual drunkard. My
fidelity to him was too great too
blind, for l permitted him at times to
sell some of my real estate. He would
often let the proceeds slip through
his fingers within fortnight
i enieavored to reclaim him but
he had soon disposed of all my proper
ty and his own. Then, losing his prac-
tice and having no income, he became
brutal. l left him six months ago,
after years of want and cruel treat
ment and will never again live with
him.
Her cause was quite sufficient, l in
formed her, and I would at once pre-,
pare bill. She had no money, how
ever, and could not she feared pay the
fee demanded. At length I told her
to give lAe enough to start the suit and
I would wait for my fee. She left me
meditating on this first ray of profes-
sionsl hope.
After score OF blunders, anxieties
and painful endorsements in the pre-
paration and conduct of the suit, I sue
ceeded in obtaining favorable decls-
ion from the Judge. A new difficulty
now arose. She could not pay the cost
of the decree and until she did so the
Judge could not sign 1t. Before the
decree was signed she would not be
legally divorced, could not rema~ry
and, if she did, she would be biga.
mist.
The poor, sweet lady resorted to
every means in her power to support
herself. She had not been we'll pre-
pared for it, however, and months
passed without any money coming to
me for the decree and my services. ]
called upon her at times for the
money. She would ask me in, tell
me in few words but with a cheerful
face, the difficulty she had in earning
anything, and then would quite nat
urally drift into some more agreeable
topic.
To me she had always been very in
teresting. Her face and appearance
were certainly faultless; her voice was
refined and movements graceful. Be-
sides she was quite intelligent and
we'll informed on all general subjects
My calls for fees became more fire.
quent. At my departure she would
tell me that she surely expected the
money next week. / shall not say
that money was the only inducement
to call now, for matters developed
so that fell in love- Not having
had much else to do, l had thought
about her constantly, with this re-
suit.
Some times I doubted my love for
her and the wisdom of it. 1t seemed
hardly proper to love the wife OF
another man. Besides / was as poor
as she, why not wait until I had at.
tanned success before loving any one.
But prudence fees at the first sight oi
love. At times I decided to propose
to her, while in half hour l would
conclude not to do it. 1t is the old
story of love and prudence playing at
see-saw.
A year of enforced idleness had con.
sumed my capital and ! had not q
cent. Other clients were as INDECENT
as this one. My board bill had fol
some time been unpaid and I wa,
feeling considerable pressure from thai
direction. At the Office one day while
my feet were up and my spirits down
I finally and firmly decided not tt
marry my client but make her pay up
At once / sent her this letter:
DEAR MADAM:-Nearly a year ha
elapsed since I rendered services to vol