The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-08-15
MY FAIR CLIENT.

two years ago, and 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. l was
sitting, as | am now, smoking a cigar
ette, and | believe | was wondering
which of my lady friends would be
most pleased to entertain me at s
O'Clock tea, and whether my clients
would ever bs numerous enough to
prevent me from paying calls at all
There was light in my clerks eye as
he showed her in, as if [ did not re.
gard her as a client at all. He saw
the matter differently after | handed
him his fee, and reminded him tina,
the attorney general had laid down
the rule that in non contentious bust
ness there is nothing in the nature OF
professional etiquette to prevent bar
rister from assisting his clients with
out the intervention of solicitor.
She looked very much more coo
and collected than | did. | am sure, a:
she walked mp to my table and placed
Oh it little jingliug envelope, saying
with half smile: "Ode pound thre,
aud sixpence-thats right, is it not?
| simply gssped, "What fort" forget
ting all about the attorney general
edict' and thinking that dear little
female lunatic in the smsrtest of hat,
and frocks must have escaped from it,
asylum on purpose to visit me. may
add that she was unmistakably lady
have an eye for detail, and my frs
glance embraced her nstty little paten
leather boots, her gloves and genera
etcet eras.
"What fort" she echoed, and thei
went on quickly: "Why, for your ad
vice of course. You are Mr.. Fair
BARN, are you not?' q bowed) I"
hear that you are very clever" Il blush
ed,) and l want your help Il smile,
iencouragingly.) "You need not try t
| find out who told me to come to you
for she won't tell you (the assistance o
the fair sex in advertising ones cspa
blities is sometimes not to be despised
and you need not know my name, 70
it has nothing to do wIthit"
"With WHAT" | said, as she pause
for breath
"With my case"
"Will you explain your case to mel
| said, hoping the explanation woul
be as long as possible.
"Ive left all the papers behind sh
said, "but they were of no use to S
Humphrey Raby or Mr.. Wigsby whe
they gave thier opinion, so l thougl
they would be none to you. My s.
licitor took me to see them,' she a
ded, looking down and signing as 81
recalled what was no doubt paint
and disappointed interview, sand thu
were snuffy dull old gentlemen, al
= I've come to you because l was to
you were very clever and original al
had brilliant ideas" Il blushed again
81 have their opinion, as they call
in my pocket" AS the names me
toned were those of two of the me
eminent leaders practicing at t
chancery bar, and as my client seem
to think that my brilliant intelle
would instruct in the facts of her ca
without her assistance or the usl
source of information, | held out I
hand deprecatingly for the opinio
s. and read it through a couple of tin
before l wholly mastered Its conten
= 1t ran as follows:
Opinion: On the instructions before
we cannot advise the residuary legal
that she has any grounds either forr
setting the will, on the ground of
Y, lunacy of the testator, and 80 taking
next of kin, or that she can acc(
what the testator leaves her and
fuse his conditions He bequeaths
her the bulk of his fortune, which
81 understand to be considerable, on O.
81 dition that she accepts it within "
I3 of the date of his death, and that
90 20 fore accepting il she marries h
Il band. To this is appended the furt
48 condition that this husband shall
90 some other person than certain Ca
y Henry Scott-Sackleford, to whom
- testator seems to have borne parti
&c, lar dislike. Should she fail to acc
the property on these conditions it
. to be distributed among various ch;
table institutions named by the ties
tor. 1t is suggested to,,us that the ,
must be absolutely void, on the gror
that this condition is in restraint
b marriage and so contrary, to p
lie policy; we are aware of no author
III. which would support such a cont
ton, and need hardly point out to
young lady that she is offered eY
.oe inducement to marry at once, and t
.7s her choice of a husband ranges o
~ the whole unm ,rried bachelor popr
. ton of the world, to say nothing of
widowers and divorced husbands, v
the one solitary exception named.
all events, It is our opinion that
residue legatee must marry some {
not being the individual specified,
fore the 18th OF May next, ii she
-, tends to accept the property.
em Here followed the signatures of
two great luminaries, and felt n
- bow to their authority.
"l'm common law man, said
| banded her back the document, g
they are very eminent chancery CO
sell"
'on "Oh," she said, "does that mean
- you are cleverer than theyi"
"Not precisely" l answered moo
ly,
"But chancery barristers are alv
on prosY and inky she said"
on have a cousin who is one, and he
md all his friends are simply horrid, I
may be intellectual of course, br
call them stupid"
"Perhaps," said, "on this sid,
the Strand we see more of the pr
cal things of life."
She nodded with hopeful 81
nj and felt ought to say sonnet
@ fcs else.
. $50 you don't want to marry,
- said,
"Don't want tol" she cried. "V
it's Just that; / do!'
"Then why don't youf Under
circumstances you would be just
in askiug-in limiting at all events
N no one proposes to you.