The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-11-25
A PLAN THAT FAILED.

fding young men, mean to tell a plain,
unvarnished tale. Let him who reads
construct his own moral.
At the beginning of the year 1870 /
was nominally lawyer in the town of
Rockport.
l had successfully engineered my way
through the academic department of
Yale by dint of hard examining during
examination weeks. and by the assist
ance of well stored shirt cuffs.
had gone through the law depart
ment of the same institution, and had
passed a year in the office of New York
city counsellor.
was then .aYnittei to the bar, and
began to practice in the town before
mentioned. For sevecal months prac-
ticed principally patience At length
my reward came in the shape of my first
client.
One warm day in June l was sitting
in my office. in front of which an ugly
tin sign hung to tell the passerby that
John Luther Abingdon, attorney at
law, was its occupant.
My law library, the food of my aspir-
ing intellect, had been fairly large when
l left the university, but it had gradually
succumbed to the urgent needs of my
physical nature, and its volumes were in
the possession of the solitary Hebrew
who gave temporary assistance to the
rising youth of Rockport.
An elderly gentleman stopped in front
of my office, looked at the sign and
sight; he was Mr.. Albert Sanford, one
e - e
town, and well provided with the goods
which moth and rust do corrupt.
He was moreover the father of a be-
witching daughter named Fannie, whose
seraphic eyes and rosebud mouth had
been the principal objects of my wor-
ship every Sunday at church. He en-
tered the room and arose to receive
him.
''This," he said, sis Mr.. Abingdon,
SUPPOSED"
Eyes, SIR" answered; cat your serv-
ice. Sit down, sir"
l waited in silence for him to con-
tinue, which he presently did.
''There is" said he, "a man in this
town who owes me $4OO. l don't think
shall ever be able to get it, though he
is abundantly able to pay it. Now, if
you can get the money you are welcome
to one-fourth. viii you take the case?
Certainly" 1 answered, my heart
Ieaping at the bare possibility of grasp
ing 500.
AS this has little to do with my story,
let it be at once known that secured
payment of the debt and in due time be-
came the happy possessor of the afore
said one-fourth.
During the progress of the case l be-
came quite friendly with my client, and
he promised to give me what further le-
gal business he might have. More than
this, he invited me to visit his house,
which l, with my secret admiration for
the beautiful Fannie, lost no time il do
ing.
To hasten toward my crisis, let me
tell you that in three weeks ! was mad
" in love with Miss Sandford.
1t did not take me long to discover
that Mr.. Sanford looked upon my de-
votion to his daughter without disfavor.
But l had one antagonist mother;
and Mrs. Sandford was foe not to be
despised.
In this predicament went to Henry
Burton, my tried friend, and her music
teacher.
"Wen, Jack" said he, after long 81
lence, Il see only one thing to be done"
'Name it, my boy" replied, ''and
I'll do it
"The old man likes you, you say?"
"Oh, beyond doubt; can count on
him; but he has no authority"
"Then," said Harry, with look of
deep cunning, 1--WE must furnish him
with it."
"How?'' l inquired.
"Show him that Mrs. S. is ruling him;
make him do something to acquire con-
troll. When he has once established
that he can arrange your marriage to
suit himself"
That very night began with my cum
ming work. l told Mr.. Sanford that
his wife was a noble woman, but she was
too fond of having her own way.
knew from the way he looked during
the evening that he was rejecting upon
my words The next evening l was
there again. He came to me and said:
eve been thinking about what you
said. L opposed my wife in one or two
small matters; but, my dear boy, she
nearly took my head off. 1 shouldn't
dare do it again"
"Ah," said l, ''but you must, and that
so decidedly that she will be convinced |
and you will never have any trouble |
again."
"But how am to do it?'
''Wel, let me think it over, and to-
morrow night 1 will tell you"
When left Mr.. Sandford's that night |
I went to see Harry, and in an hour l |
was on my way home with the details |
of Harry's splendid plan buzzing through |
my head Early the next evening was
alone with Mr.. SandfOrd on the front |
piazza.
''Now, my boy" said he, 'what is the
plan?'
well, SIR" replied, 81 know of no
better way for you to assert your au-
.hority than By giving stag dinner
party"
The old gentleman was astounded.
My dear boy, that's impossible" said
he. 'If 1 were to invite lot of men
lere to dine, Mrs. Sandford would drive
hem out of the house."
Then" suggested, ''do it when she
S away. You Know she Is gong 10
spend three days next week with her
sister in Littletown. This is your time.
the house to suit yourself while
she is away, and when she comes back
and finds fault settle the matter by in
;isting on having things your own way.
The days passed with leaden feet, but
finally Mrs. Sanford took her departure
and left her husband master of the sit
nation. He Immediately began his
for the dinner party, while
informed Fannie of what was going
IN.
At last, on the third day after Mrs.
had gone, the dinner party
ook place. Only young men were in
yited, aud we sat down at 6 o'clock in
he evening, and were soon having
merry time.
The solids of the feast gradually dis
appeared, and we soon found ourselves
cling funny stories over cur wine and
igars. Some one proposed Mr.. Sand
ord's health, and we arose to drink it
landing.
AT this moment the door was flung
pen with bang, and who should stalk