Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-28
A PLAN THAT FAILED.


Therefore. for the warning of all con-
fiding young men, ! mean to tell plain,
unyarnished tale. Let. him who reads
construct his own moral.
At the beginning of the year 1870 I
was nominally lawyer in the town of
Rockport.
Ihad successfully engineered my way
through the academic department OF
Yale by dint Of hard cramming 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 a New York
city counsellor.
I was then admitted to the bar, and
began to practice in the town before
mentioned, For several 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.
y My law library, the food Of my aspir-
ing intellect, had been fairly large when
I left the university, but it had gradually
succumbed to the urgent needs of my
physical nature, and it's 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
ascended the steps. Iknew him well by
sight; he was Mr.. Albert Sanford, enc
Of the most respected citizens of the
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,p he said, sis Mr.. Abingdon, l
supposeY'
..Yes, sir," answered; sat your serv.
ice. Sit down, SIR
I waited in silence for him to con-
tinue, which he presently did.
seThere is" said he, "a man in this
town who owes me $A00 1 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?
Certainty answered, my heart
leaping at the bare possibility of grasp
ing 600.
AS this has little to do with my story,
let it be at once known that I secured
payment of the debt and in due time be-
came the happy possessor Of the afore-
said one-fourth.
ut During the progress of the case 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 /, with my secret admiration for
the beautiful Fannie, lost no time in do
ing.
To hasten toward my crisis, let me
tell you that in three weeks I was mad
ly in love with Miss Sandford. -.
It did not take me long to discover
that Mr.. Sandford looked upon my de-
votion to his daughter without disfavor.
But Ihad one antagonist--he mother;
and Mrs. Sandford was foe not to. be
despised.
In this predicament went to Henry
n Burton, my tried friend. and her music
teacher.
"Well, Jack, said he, after a long 81
hence, II see only one thing to be done. y
''Name it, my boy" replied, "and
I'll do it" f
"The old man likes you, you sayf" q
"Oh, beyond doubt; can count on
him; but he has no authority" sA
.sThen," said Harry, with look OF
deep cunning, 1--WE must furnish him
with it"
"How?" inquired.
4 '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 te
9 salt himself"
That very night began with my cum
ming work. told Mr.. Sandford thai
his wife was 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 upor
my words. The next evening / wa.
there again. He came to me and said:
4 'Tve been thinking about what yor
said. opposed my wife in one or twt
small matters; but, my dear boy, sht
nearly took my head of. ! shouldn't
dare do it again"
''Ah," said I, ''but you must, and tina
80 decidedly that she will be convinced
that you are in earnest Do that ono,
and you win never have any troubl'
again"
sBut how am to do it?'
"Well, let me think it over, and to
morrow night ! win tell YOU"
When left Mr.. Sandford's that nigh
went to see Harry, and in an hour
was on my way home with the detail
Of Harry's splendid plan buzzing through
my head. EARLY the next evening ] wa
alone with Mr.. Sandford ON the from
piazza
Il 'sNow, my boy" said he, "what issth
planr
well, SIR | replied, 81 know of N
better way for you to assert your an
thority than by giving stag Dime
party"
The old gentleman was astounded.
My dear boy, that's impossible" sal.
he. IF were to invite a lot Of mel
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