The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-08
MY FAIR CLIENT.

|
thin air. was sitting, as l am now, smOk-
ing cigarette, and / believe 1 was Won
dering which of my lady friends would be
most pleased to entertain me at ) o'clock
tea, and whether my clients would ever be
numerous enough TO prevent me from pay
! ing calls at all There was light in my
clerks eye as he showed her IN, rs if he did
not regard her as client at all He saw
the matter differently after I 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 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 little
jingling envelope, saying with half smile:
''One pound three and sixpence-that' 5
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 hats and
frocks must have escaped from its asylum
on purpose to visit me. / may add that
she was Enthusiastically lady. 1 have an
her natty little patent leather boots, her
gloves and general etceteras.
What for?" she echoed, and then went
onquickly: "Why for your advice of course.
You are Mr.. Fairbairn, are you not?" Il
bowed) Il hear that you are very cIever'' q
blushed), 'and | want your help" Qsmiled
encouragingly.) "You need not try to find
out who told me to CONE to you, for she
falI II 81,
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?" L said, as she paused for
breath.
with my case"
''Will you explain your case to me?" l
said, hoping that the explanation would be
as long as possible.
1--WE 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
be none to you. Ny solicitor took me to
see Them" she added, looking down and
signing IS she recalled what no doubt was
a pa III and disappointing interview,
"and they were snuffy, dull old gentlemen,
y
you were very clever and original and had
brilliant ideas" q blushed AGAIN. Il
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 me
:. the facts Of her case without her assist
- zee or the usual sources of information, /
held out my hand deprecatin,gly for the
opinion, and read it through "a couple of
times before l wholly mastered its con
tents. 1t ran as follows:
Opinion: On the instructions before us we ca1a-
not advise the resduary legatee that she has any
grounds either for upsetting the VIII, ON the
ground of the lunacy of the testator and so tax
ing next of kin that she can accept what the
teStator leaves her and refuse his conditions He
bequeaths 20 her the bulk of his fortune which
we understand to be considerable, ON condition
that she accepts it within year Of the date of MS
death, and taat before ACCEPTING it she marries q
husband To this Is appended the further condi
ton that this husband shall be some other person
thaI certain Capt. Henry Scott-Sackleford ia
whom tie testator seems 60 have borne particu-
lar dislike. Should she fan to accept the prop
erty on these conditions it is to BE- distributed
among various charitable Institutions named by
the test2tor It IS Suggested 10 US that will must
be absolutely void, on the ground that this CON
Gltlon IS IN restraint Of marriage and SO contrary
TO public poHcE We re a1sIe Of no authority
which wodld support such T cUntention and need
hardly point Out to the young lady that she is /
offered every Involvement to marry at once and
that her choice of a husband ranges over the |
whole unmarried bachelor population of the
world, to say nothing of the widowers and di-
yorced husbands, with the one solitary exception
named. A. al events, II is our opinion that the
reSidusry legatee must marry some enc, 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 luninaries, and 1 felt I must bow 20
their authority
I'm a common law man. said, as l .
handed her back the document, land they !
are very eminent chaucery counsel"
"Oh, she said, docs that mean that you +
are cleverer than they"
"Not precisely" l answered modestly. {
But chancery barristers are always
proSy and inAy,' she said. 4 have cousin /
who Is one, and he and all his friends are
simply horrd- They may be very intel
lectual OF course, but call them stupid.
Perhaps l said. "on this side OF the
Strand we see more OF the practical things
Of life"
She nodded with hopeful smile, and
felt I ought to say something else
80 you dent want 70 marry" I said
Don't want tor she cried. "Why, it's
Just that; Idor'
Then why don't you' Under the cir
you would be justified IN ask
nE-in limiting at al events-if no one
proposes 20 you
But they DO she said: "they. propose
4 shoals, and hsve done 80 for months
Only the other day girl said to me that
,he could not stay wlth-the Blsnkneys for
he Bicester bali, because a man would be
L the house whom she had refused. Bless
Gu l said 70 her, II were 20 refuse iaTi-
atoms 70 all houses where should meet
nen who had asked ne 10 marry them
houlc stop at home for the rest of my
ife"
Then you cannot fail in love-" said
i am IN love-thaSs just II.
won I be propose"
He proposed years ago"
Then way don't youH-I felt uyseI:
,etdng puzzled. but she interrupted ne.
az don t see that you are SO very clever"
he said Can't you understand that nv
orTid old uncle has done his best 20 pre-
ent me rom ever marrying the only man
ever csTed for II my whole Lte' How /
you'd you like some ore 10 leave you
money. on condition you would not mary
our Euphenia'' Her voice began 70
hake, and there were tears II her blue
ges
Arc you friend Of Euphemia'"
aid gently. to divert her thoughts for
eoueut. / rezlly never blushea SO often
D Al a1sS-nccE 6s.o.s c. GsSA