The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-04-13
CHAPTER XIV.
A TERRIBLE SURPRISE.

"Good afternoon, Laura; taking a
driver" called out Arthur one October
day to that young lady, whom he met in
her phaton as he was crossing the street.
"Oh, no, Pm painting fence" she re-
piled laughingly. "At last. young man, l
am even with you on one score, though l
owe you a thousand" she said, stopping
her horse.
81 give in, but don't you ever forget
anything? Why, the time you asked Ira
and me if we were painting a fence must
have been fifty years ago!"
My Arthur, what makes you fib so?
It was Just about ten years age" for even
in a Joke, Laura was beginning to be Just
the least bit precise as to dates that might
have a possible bearing on her age; and
then she blushed o little-Laura's fair
complexion showed blush very distinctly
as she said: Pm going to drive up
through Maple lane; it's lovely there !;
don't you want to go? You look as though
a ride would do you good"
Arthur hesitated. He really ought not
to 90 for he was studying up an important
case, and he would have to pay for it by
sitting up MALT the night, but he said ::
"Yes, thanks; l would like to very much.
Please wait till l run up TO the office q
minute"
We'll, by Crymus!" said Tom Dowdall,
Arthur's office boy, clerk and student, a
couple of minutes efterward. He's a
funny duck! Told OIL Tomplins couldn't
get away this afternoon-too busy"
IL thought Sc" said the over-ripe youth,
flattening his nose at the window, Il
thought there was a piece o calico the
matter. 'Tsint calico either, it's better n
that"
''Now she's a good deal my STYLE" he
soliloquized as they drove away. "My
podner's got good taste" and he nodded
his head approvingly, and got Arthur's
meerschaum and helped himself TO Ar
thurs tobacco. and sat down in the revolv-
ing chair in Arthur's private office.
THE Hon. a. Huntington buys good
tobacco, too" he continued serenely, and
he tilted the chair back comfortably and
put his feet up on the finely finished desk
and gave himself up to blowing rings OF
smoke, and building Spanish castles in
which he was admitted to the bar, and be-
came popular young lawyer With great
practice. and beautiful and wealthy young
ladies like Laura waited in a row in front
of his office to take him out riding.
The door opened slowly.
ais Mr.. Huntington in ?"
The feet came down and the pipe was
covered with astonishing celebrity, but il
WAS only Sam Speckles so the young dis
ciple of Blackstone carelessly resumed his
former position and said, imperturbably
"Senior podner's out on important bus.
mess; return indefinite; anything we can
do for your
"Wall, | dunno" said Sam, evidently
agitated; 81 kinder wanted fur to see
him."
"There's no secrets between the firm; ]
tend to all ordinary cases."
"Wall, said Sam awkwardly, 'fhe BOYS
wuz a tellin' that the guv'ment wuz a-goin
| to sen sogers down South to fight the
cholery; an the president wuz a-;Dakin' 'em
sen one-eyed men at wuz unmarried, with
red hair; less they got exempted or suth
in"
Young Dowdall saw at once that n Joke
had been played on the scant-witted
| Spockles, so he said gravely:
"By Crymus Sam that's fact; anC
| you do come under that head 1 never
you goin' to doH
81 dunno, thought mebbe Arthur Hunt
in'ton nd help me-"
Tom studied the matter over. HI
wanted fifty cents to use for a special pur
| pose.
"Sam," he said, ~ can fix your exemp
ton papers all right, but there are reason
why it wouldn't do TO tell anyone abou
it. Can trust your"
OfIcourse Sam promised that much.
| It'll only cost, les scotland o and
Sis-well, just half a dollar. In cas-
OF this kind where I'm doing il for yer,
particular friend, won't charge you
cent for my services, and you must swea
take oath that YOU will never use th
arg,smentum ad fdem-that's what W,
lawyers call II, or say anything about thi
TO anyone until they try TO grab you for .
cholera soldier. and" he added confident
ly. mind, wouldn't let this get out 70
the world. but can't refuse an old frien,
like you" And he got ont someof Arthur
legal cap paper and wrote 20 the effec
that he, the undersigned Thomas Dow
dali, was acquainted with Sambel Speck
les, Mapleville, personqky knew
him to be non compos mentis. (which b