The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-08
A CURIOUS CASE.

Il am sorry TO say, blake, UndC am
under the impression that you will lose
that case" said Dodworth to me as he
entered my store and took seat.
Dodworth is not only my lawyer, Eut
also my trusted friend. We sat side by
side in the town school and graduated
from Princeton in the same year.
The case he referred to was one of long
standing between myself and a shoe
manufacturer named Fairfax. Some six
months before Fairfax had supplied me
with large quantity of uppers of an in
ferior grade from those which had Or
dered, and now he was trying to make
me pay for them. l had demanded re-
duction on the invoice price from Fair
fax one day when l met him on the
street, and to this he had made an oral
agreement, but now he demurred and in
tended to sue for the full amount.
But can prove that he agreed to
reduction of 10 per cent" | replied,
rather nettled to find that my friend did
not think had clear case.
How can you prove it?'' he asked
dryly. -,
why, he said so himself, at all
events"
This is no proof. If you tax him
about it In court he will of course say
you are entirely mistaken, and there you
are. If there were some outside party
witress to the bargain"-
There was"
"Who was it?''
All, that was the rub. Ever since
had defied 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. 1t was some one l did
not know very well, and had forgotten
him within the hour, and now try my
best l could not recall either his face or
his name.
IF you can tell me who this party is
will call on him and see if he recollects
the matter" went on my friend. IF he
does you are safe, if not your case goes
to pieces"
Fairfax must know him." l replied.
THAT isn't the point Do you know
him?"
Eyes; but can't recall him now"
"Well, try your best to do so during
the day. will call again late this after
noon"
With these words Dodworth passed out
of the place, leaving me very busy with
my thoughts.
had a mass of figuring to do that
day, but cast it all aside, and did my
best to follow his instructions. But
though 1 smoked up half dozen cigars
and nearly stared the plaster off the cell
ing, l arrived at no satisfactory conclu-
sion. Oncesor twice fancied l 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 half dozen cases rather
than to think myself into an insane
asylum.
Dodworth came back at 5 o'clock and
cheerily asked what luck.
None" l replied. II couldn't think
of than mans name if my life depended
on it,
Then you had better pay up and have
the case quashed."
mot bit of it," l said stubbornly.
II want you to fight him all you can.
Put him under the closest cross exami-
nation you possibly can devise"
"Oh, of course I'll do that, if you in
sist on going ahead. / only want you to
be prepared for defeat if it comes"
II will be-
"Ive got another PLAN" he went on,
rubbing his chin slowly. Suppose you
put personal in the leading papers?
Inc WJIueSb may pOSSluly Soe IL.
| shook my head. | was under the i'm
preston that the witness was business
man himself, and if so, it was not likely
that he was in the habit of persuing the
personal column of any newspaper.
"Well, suit yourself" said Dodworth,
Struggling his shoulders. 81 only
thought you wanted to do all that could
be DONE"
"Well, go ahead and write out the
personal" returned, simply to please
him.
Writing up the advertisement was no
easy matter. Both of us tried our hands
at it and made a number of failures be-
fore we produced the following.
WITNESS WANTED.-Wil the gentlemen who
overheard certain business transaction concern
ing q reduction in the invoice price Of aquantity
of uppers kindly communicate with "Dealer,"
this Officer
Fairfax may see that and then he will
know Just how weak we are" said l.,
when the writing was finished.
THAT is true" replied Dodworth,
"but there is nothing else to do, and it is
your last hope"
"When shall we insert them?n
Have your boy take them to the diff
ferent offices at once, then they will ap-
pear in to-morrow's issues"
l did as he advised. Late on the fol-
lowing day received two replies-one
from paper in which the personal had