The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-23
HIS FIRST SUIT.

What had become of Mabel Stone? That
was the problem that puzzled the people
or Squalacket, and they were no nearer to
a solution at Christmas than they were in
July. when. one oppressively hot morning,
Mabel's place at the breakfast table was
vacant. and Deacon Stone learned from a
servant, who had been kept awake by a
toothache, that his daughter had arisen at
4 o'clock in the morning and gone out hur-
riedly into the gray dawn.
She had not returned at nightfall, and
when it was ascertained that her aunt in
New York, whom she frequently visited,
was ignorant of her whereabouts, and that
her brother. who was trying to build up a
medical practice in Boston, had not seen
her or heard from her, dark suspicion
arose in Squalacket that she had run away
with Philip Mesmer, for Squalacket was
New England town, and every inhabitant
in it had grown weary comparing his or
her own goodness with that of the neigh
bors and arriving at a comfortable, if
somewhat monotonous conclusion, that the
home virtues were a little purer and rather
more securely rooted than any others.
If there is such a thing as an excess of
righteousness Squalacket knew what it
was. and a ripple of wrongdoing appear
ing upon the otherwise unruffied surface
Of its purity was like little flavor Of
onion lurking in a bowl of salad. Half
suspected" it animated the whole So the
people of the straitlaced town were per-
haps unduly hasty in grasping forbidden
fruit when they declared, with something
nearly approaching unanimity, that Philip
Mesmer and Mabel Stone had eloped.
To be sure, the circumstantial evidence
was strong against the young couple.
Philip was only twenty-five, and though
all his friends said he had in him the max
ing of a great lawyer, he had not yet been
called to the bar This would not have
mattered greatly, because his life lay be-
fore him, and his crusty old uncle allowed
him enough money to cover his bare ex-
penses, with the provision thet it should
all be returned with accrued interest and
by increasing installments as soon as his
profession began to yield him an income.
But Philip, though not yet barrister,
was too good lawyer to be ignorant of the
dangers of delay He had already, he
hoped, carried one suit to successful issue
1t was a suit for Mabel's hand in marriage
and tn. young lady had rendered judgment
in his favor. But Deacon Stone had re-
viewed this decision, reversed it and
thrown Philips case on motion of appeal,
out of court. He said his daughter was
his heiress, and as he was rich man, no
penniless young fellow, on the strength of
his expectations, should marry her
Philip however, was not easily non
suited. At last interview with Mabel,
before he went back TO Philadelphia to
digest more law, he offered to release her
from her engagement to him; but Mabel
was not the sort of girl to take advantage
of his generosity. and perhaps he knew
that before he exercised it. Love especial
ly love with profound knowledge of law
behind it) is rarely quite unselhsh. She
promised to wait for him, If necessary,
until time was no longer young, and he
assured her that he would return to Squa-
Jacket to claim her as soon as be had mas
tered the contents of his first brief, which
be expected with the new year; for he was
to be called to the bar about Christmas,
and in January the case of Colly versus
West would be tried in the superior court,
and Colly, who was a friend of his dead
father was pledged to retain him as junior
counsel to show the jury that West had
cut down tree which stood evenly on the
dividing line of the West and Colly prop
critics, and laughed derisively and sour
rilously rallied at Colly for saying that his
half of the trunk should have been re-
spected and left standing
and if that isn't a good case and a sure
winner, darling" said Philip enthusiastic
ally. as he folded Mabel in his arms, Il
wonder wha, is Don't you?" Then be
kissed her again and said he wouldn't
weary her with the dry details of the law
1t was very encouraging.
And thus hopefully they parted Philip
went back to Philadelphia by night train
and Mabel returned to her fathers house.
But the deacon gave her very bad half
hour after supper. He said that Philip
was nothing better than beggar depend
ent upon his uncle's bounty; that he was
mean fellow and too dull to succeed at any
bar except marble topped one with bot
ties behind it and some body with him be
fore it 70 pay his reckoning. He said
many other things about her lover that
Mabel, being a high spirited girl, could not
stand at all.
She went TO her room when she could
restrain her tears no longer. and when she
had locked her door and relieved her heart
with such tears as she had not shed since
her mother died, twelve years before, she
decided that she could never again have
a home until Philip made one for her She
had promised her lover that she would
never marry any other man; but she had
also promised her father that she would
not wed without his consent. The situa-
ton was rather conflicting, and only one
thing was quite clear TO ber-that was that
neither Philip nor the deacon should have
an opportunity TO urge her TO break either
pledge She trusted her lover, and she
trusted herself; and, above all, she had 4
higher trust that her dead mother ha,
taught her
So when she packed up few articles OF
clothing in a small handbag. counted her
savings. which amounted Ia about seventy
five dollars, and stole away with the dawn
unobserved hy ans one IN the house except
the tooth tortured servant. she felt lonely
and perhaps liz; e frightened. but not Al
all Cne CHiity conscience stricken creature
Jh3t the deacon and most 81 the piou~ peo
pie OF Squ2iGcket Eel, assured that shs
mast ne a. soon - her a;gnt was diSooN
erred
Deacon Stoue was nE az snv tine a man
0f