The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-24
HIS ROOMMATE.
How He Ruined an Honest Young
Lawyers Reputation.

lam plain, honest lawyer. and, be-
fore a certain young man moved into
nay double Office, my reputation was
! spotless. He moved in for the ostensi-
bic purpose of sharing the expense OF
rent. He was a nice-looking young
man and had fair exterior. The day
following his arrangement with me he
moved in. That is, he appeared IN
/ person. Otherwise he did not have
much to move. But poverty is no
/ crime and / took a fancy TO him on &C
count OF his principles 1t Is so pleas
ant TO meet some one nowadays with
! principles. He had plenty Of them and
I it did NE good to listen to him "A
! lawyer" he would say, has no right TO
defend a criminal when he is guilty"
/ and, although / did not agree with
him. I respected his extreme virtues,
/ and congratulated myself upon having
such . righteous roommate There
/ was a marked popularity about our be-
4 ing in the same office together. Peo-
/ pie said that we resembled each other
/ in personal appearance, which l con-
strued as compliment to me
/ He worked up 4 good business at
once. for only week after he entered
! the office he had case. Other cases
| followed. and at the same time singu-
larly enough my practice decreased
When the first months rent was due he
hit me on the back in his hearty, famil-
lar fashion and said: You pay this
! 81 7 viii g
that was fair I did so. One day when
alone in the Office | was bordering upon
the vicissitudes of fate and the scarcity
Of fees when a man rushed into the Of
fee in an unceremonious manner and
stood glaring at me. Rejoiced over
what seemed 70 be the immediate pros
pect Of client in pursuit of dishon-
est partner or a wife who had eloped- l
assumed a soft, insinuating smile and
politely waved him TO a chair. Ny cour-
teous invitation was declined and the
man, taking 4 step nearer, exclaimed:
'Scoundrel.''
| presumed that he was referring TO
some one who had injured him and from
whom he desired redress in the courts,
and 50 laughed in a conciliatory manner
Come, come, my dear sir, you must
not give way in this manner" l said.
Calm yourself. beg OF you"
"Ah. you dare jest" he cried "But
you shall settle with NE, sir. Do you
know Maggie Klien?'
1t CHANGED that did know the young
woman, who lived in our neighbor-
hood. 1 responded in the affirmative,
and added something about her being
a very charming girl. And now. SIR
said tartly. will you tell me who you
are?''
He drew himself up as though about
to impart startling information. 4 am
Maggie's best fellow, or at least l was
before you came along and alienated
her affections from me"
'What?"
''Alienated her affections"
app
YOU The corner grocer told me all
about it; how you used to meet Maggie
every night near his store and take her
TO the theater and other places. Mag
gle was contented enough until you
came along, and then l began to see
a change that ! couldn't account for
until the grocer told NE about you, and
now am going to wipe the floor with
you"
I started to argue the matter with
him in my most persuasive professional
stvle, but he resorted 70 the tactics of
the ring and proceeded to carry out lit
orally his last statement. My senSa-
tons the next few moments were those
Of q man falling from balloon or go
ing through a thrashing machine.
When l recovered he had departed; my
coat was torn; chair was broken; pens,
papers and books were scattered here
and there, and the Office looked as
though it had been struck with a cy-
clone. Upon my word" l thought,
raising myself on my elbow in the cor
ner of the room, "a strange vlsltor.'
When nv roommate came IN he eX-
pressed the greatest sympathy, and SO
genuine were his words of consolation
that l seized his hand gratefully and
said: Thanks. dear boy, thanks. You
are friend indeed"
After that mishaps came thick and
fast | seemed to be a special mark for
the cruel shafts Of fate. One day gem
tlerlan whom / had never seen before
came into the Office and accused me of
having cheated him at a game Of poker.
lis claim was that l had two aces in
my sleeve. Now, as I never play poker
nor gambled in my life, this was re-
markably strange. itold him that the
festive game had no attractions for me,
and he stared at me in anazement- He
admitted that he was rather under the
shadow Of the vine the night before,
but that his perceptions were perfectly
clear, and that had beyond doubt
swindled him in gentleman's game out
OF one hundred and ffty-seven dollars,
which had better return at once. |
retorted that I did not know a flush
from a full and / had never sat in a
jackpot in nv life al which he looked
unutterable scorn-
Then You refuse 70 return your i'll
gotten gains?" he asked.
Il certainly do"
VERY well; you will hear from ne"
And did. The story got around that
l played crooked game OF poker, and,
although ! carried myself with the
bearing Of man who is innocent,
could sec that / was regarded with sus-
picion- Even the young lady whose
company ! was keeping at the time ap-
parently knew something, for one night
she said with q twinkle in her eye: DO
you play poker, ToEa?' OF course de-
MED that 1 did. at which she looked
grave. and added: ''Pshaw! What's the
use in denying il? Why, do you know.
Ii play sometimes myself"