The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-08-31
A CURIOUS CASE.

uAueI lne I'D preston lnat you VIII lose
that case" !" said Dodworth to me as he
entered my store and took seat.
Dodworth is not only my lawyer, but
also my trusted friend. We sat side by
side in the town school and graduated
from Princeton the same year.
The case he referred TO was one oflong
standing between myself and shoe man
ufacturer named Fairfax. Some six
months before Fairfax had supplied me
with large quantity Of uppers Of an in
ferior grade from those which l had or
dered, and now he was trying to make
me pay for them. had demanded a re-
duction on the invoice price from Fair
fax one day when L met him on the
street, and to this be had made an oral
agreement, but now he demurred and in
tended to sue for the full amount.
%But 1 can prove that he agreed to a
reduction Of IS per cent" 1 replied rath-
er nettIed to find that my friend did not
think had clear case
How can you prove it?' he asked
dryly.
why, he said 50 himself. at all
events
That is no proof. If you tax him
about it in court he viii, of course, say
you are entirely mistaken, and there you
are. If there was some outside party
witness to the bargain"
There was"
@Who was it?"
All, that was the truth. Ever since
had detied Fairfax to go to law and col
lect the bill had been trying to think
of the gentleman who had been with me
on that occasion. Il was some oneI did
not know very well, and I had forgotten
him within the hour, and now try my
best I could not recall either his face or
his name.
"If you can tell me who this party is /
VIII call on him and see If he recollects
the matter went on my friend. @Ifhe
does you are safe, If not your case goes
10 pieces"
"Fairfax must know him." replied.
THAT isn't the point. Do you know
him2"
~Yes; but I can't recall him now"
"Wer, try your best to do so during
the day. I will call again late this after
noon"
With these words Dodworth passed
out of the place, leaving me very busy
with my thoughts
had mass of figuring to do that day,
but cast II all aside, and did my best to
follow his instructions. But though l
smoked up half dozen cigars and near
" stared the plaster Off the ceiling, 1 ar
rived at no satisfactory conclusion.
Once or twice I fancied had the name
of the witness on my tongues end, but it
slipped back before could utter it.
FINALLY threw away three-quarters
of the last cigar and turned to my work,
resolved to lose haifa dozen cases rath-
er than to think myself into an insane
asylum.
Dodworth came back at > o'clock and
asked what luck.
"None," I replied. 81 couldn't think
ofthat mans name if my life depended
on it."
'Then you had betterpay up and have
the case quashed."
~Not bit OF It." said stubbornly. Il
want you to fight him all you can. Put
him under the closest cross-exAmination
You can devise"
@Oh, of course III do that, if you in
sist on going ahead. only want you to
be prepared for defeat, if it comes"
q viii be-
"Pve got another plan," he went on,
rubbing his chin slowly. "Suppose you
put 4 personal in all of the leading
papers. The witness may possibly see
il"
I shook my head. vas under the i'm
preston that the witness was business
man himself, and if so, it was not very
likely that he was in the habit Of perus-
ing the personal column ofa newspaper.
@Well, suit yourself" said Dodworth,
Struggling his shoulders. Il only thought
you wanted to do all that could be done
"Well, 90 ahead and write out the pr
sonals." 1 returned, simply TO please
him.
Writing up the advertisement was n o
easy matter. Both of Us tried our hands
al it and made a number of failures be-
fore We produced the following.
WIrSEss WASTED.-Willt the gentleman
who overheard a certain business trans-
action concerning a reduction in the in
voice price of a quantity Of uppers kind
ly communicate with %Dealer," this
office?
Fairfax may see that and then he
viii know Just how weak we are" said
l, when the writing was finished.
THAT Is tue replied Dodworth,
''but there Is nothing else TO do, and it is
your last hope"
when shall We insert them ?"
=HaTe your boy take them TO the diff
ferent offices at once, then they viii sp-
pear in to-morrow's issues"
! did as he advised.
Late on the following day had re-
ceived two repIies-One from paper in
which the personal had not been insert
ed, advising me to try IFS columns, and
one from a private detective, who vas
willing to work up the case for proper
fee.
paid no attention to either Of these
letters At the same time l was served
with notice to the effect that the case
would come up in the regular county
court held in an adjoining town on the
following Tuesday
q suppose an in for it." IsAid TO
Dodworth.
I'm afraid you are, Blake. You'd
have been better of If You had taken