The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-14
HIS FIRST CLIENT.

! 1Dere was no QOuDJ CnaC MT. SCanmOrt
was enjoying himself. He was an over
worked barrister-barristeKs usually arr
overworked unless they are starving; there
is apparently no middle course-and it wa.
| extremely pleasant to him to come down
for an absolute change of scene and ideas
TO Lady Dugdale's country house in Berk
| shire.
Most of the party had already heard the
story he had just told In fact, if the truth
| we're known, it was rather a well worn
| one, even to the extent of having appeared
in more than one legal biography, but i,
was greeted with none the less hearty ap.
| plause for all that. The listeners at the
farther end of the room, who had not quite
caught the point, and some who had
caught the point without having heard the
beginning. laughed, as is the wont of those
deaf ones, still more strenuously than the
rest.
What a delightful store of anecdotes
you must have, Mr.. Stanmorer' said the
hostess. smiling at him from behind hel
silver tray.
"Oh no doubt FVe come across many
queer things in my time" said Stanmore,
pouring cream into his tea with an air OF
unctuous enjoyment.
How | should like to hear some of
them" said Mrs Meredith, a young
widow who. although her intentions to-
ward Mr.. Stanmore were strictly platonic,
was certainly making the most of the few
days she was passing in his agreeable So
ciety.
"Oh they'll come out by Degrees said
Mr.. Stanmore, you mustn't have too
many of them at a time.
NO, we must be patient" said Lady
Dugdale. Don't let US run through all
our property at once"
But you forget" said youth, who was
standing with his back to the fireplace,
that Mrs. Clanmorris is coming presently,
and after that we shall not be allowed to
listen to any festive stories-in the drawing
room, at any rate"
Mrs. ClanmorrisI Who Is she?" said
Stanmore
A chorus of various epithets answered
him. "She is SO very particular" so very
straitlaced;' so intensely respectable;"
80 extremely decorous."
But still don't know" said Stanmore,
with twinkle in his eye, ''why you are as
Stunning that my stories are not likely to be
fit for the ears Of the straitlaced and deco
rous."
That's true; l don't know why we
need" said Lady Dugdale, laughing
Only that one imagines," said Mrs.
Meredith, that a barrister must be con-
stantly listening to dark revelations of the
most hideous crimes"
'Hideous crimesI" said the young man
on the rug. Mrs. Clanmorris wouldn't
like that"
What time is she coming2" said an
other
81 suppose by the 5 o'clock train" said
Lady Dugdale. "She promised to let me
know, but she has not done so"
Suppose in that case we were to adjourn
to the billiard room until it is time to dress
for dinnerT said one of the younger MEM
bers of the party, and they all trooped out,
filling the hall and passages with noise
and laughter as they passed along. Lady
Dugdale and Mrs Meredith remained sit
ting over the fire with Stanmore. who was
much too comfortable to move.
At this moment a servant came in with
a telegram.
Shall be with you by 5:15 train" Lady
Dugdale read aloud. Twill take fly from
station. Clanmorris."
"Five-ffteenr said Mrs. Meredith, as the
servant left the room.
Yes, she will be here in quarter of an
hour" said Lady Dugdale 80 your
petite chronique scandaleuse," she added,
smiling at Stanmore, will have to be of
the most rapid and sketchy description if
we are to enjoy any of it before her ar
rival"
But this is positively awful" said STAN
more, ito be called upon for a story at the
swords point in this wayl feel as if |
were in the Arabian Nights and should
have my head cut off if | cannot produce
one"
"Onel You can surely tell us one," said
Mrs Meredith imploringly with a most
telling glance of entreaty.
you need not tell US the names, you
know, so that it can't possibly matter to
any one" said Lady Dugdale. Tell US
thrilling that really happened
to yourself"
Mrs. Meredith went on, HAS some
thickly yelled, mysterious lady never come
TO your chambers and told you some dark
story of crimeP
"Of course" said Lady Dugdale. 81 am
sure that must have happened often"
Now you mention it," said Stanmore,
laughing, 1T has happened to me- but not |
quite so often as you seem to think, Lady |
Dugdale-only once in my recollection"
Once? But that once is enough" cried !
Mrs. Meredith. oh, quickly tell us about |
1t before those people come"
Yes" said Lady Dugdale, "I don't |
think Mrs, Clanmorris could bear TO hear |
Of lady thickly yelled. She wouldn't |
think that at all nice She would like to |
be told Of a lady with a thin veil with /
black spots"-
Not large ones" INTERCEPTED Mrs. Mere /
dith.
No, small spots" said Lady Dugdale, |
between which her respectability could be /
clearly seen-a black silk gown and d sol /
emn bonnet"
We'll, ! believe she had black silk /
gown and bonnet" said Stanmore.
"She-who? Oh, how tantalizing you
areT'' said Mrs Meredith. do 90 on
with It"
Yes. Now. begin at the beginning and
so on TO the end" said Lady Dugdale
"Fnd' There is no end to it, dear ladies'"
said Stanmore. that's the worst of this
only has beginning"
''Oh, this sounds better and better"
cried Mrs. Meredith. Come, now, when
was it? how long ago'"
How long' All, q long time" said Stan
more, rejecting. "Let me see, thirty-no.
nearer thirty-five-years ago. was not
much over twenty"
The two women exchanged glaaoes OF
as they saw him fairly em-
barked upon the story
Ny uncle, James Stanmore," the mar
rator went on, was a barrister, most
successful one-a man who had a reputa-
ton Of father COMPRESSOR almost aunnu thu