The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-09-14
BLK AND HIS TAILOR.
How Complication in Buttons
Was Settled In England. u

There is q lawyer In the temple
whom shall take the liberty of term.
ing J. Wellington Blk That Is not Il
name, Of course, merely call him so
for the purposes Of this narrative, for
as far as can find out there Is no such
name in the temple, and ! say at the
beginning that II there is any man Of
that title he is not the man mean. II
give the name Blk, as 1t were, with
ont prejudice so as to protect myself
from possible legal complications, for
one must be very careful when he
speaks Of lawyers.
Mr. Blk possesses much law and little
money. This may seem strange. for
our idea Of q lawyer in the temple iaj
that he has more cases than he can at
tend to, and that he rolls In wealth.
Nevertheless, the thing ] state Is true;
there are lawyers in this world who
have hard struggle for existence.
One of the disadvantages Of being a
lawyer who Is not getting ON Is that
he has TO dress well. and, unless per.
son knows how TO dodge his tailor,
dressing well costs money. II may.
seem needless extravaganza to pay a
tailor, but, unfortunately, gentlemen
Of the cloth do not look upon 1t In that
light, aud they are sometimes persist
emit in demanding their money, es
pecially II they suspect their customer
Is poor
Mr.. Blk kept encouraging his tailor
by ordering more clothes than he &c
tuaily needed. This Is good plan n
long as 1t works, but It bre axis down
after time. and, like the indulging in
stimulants, leaves the victim with the
original trouble worse than Il was at
first
AT last things came to a crisis Mr..
Hemms, the tailor, said that If he did
not at least get some money on nc.
count he would sue Mr.. Blk for the
whole amount Mr.. Blk pondered
long over the tailor,s letter, for, while
in England you may take what action
you please. you are not allowed to
threaten, and the lawyer thought he
could perhaps twist the epistle into .
threatening letter within the meaning
of the act, but. unfortunately, the
tailor had been there before. His note
was couched in the most polite and con.
ciliatory terms. 1t was only by reading
between the lines that anything like
. threat could be seen. Neye rtheless,
1t was quite evident what the tailor's
intentions were, and Mr.. Blk felt that
he could not afford to be brought into
court over the matter. 1t would at
once dispcl the fiction that he had .
large and lucrative practice q fiction
he was anxious should not be inter.
fered with by any cold display Of fact.
OF course 1t was q daring and cour.
ageous thing for q tailor to intimate
that he would bring a lawyer int
court. This was, indeed, fighting the
devil with fire. Let no one say after
this that 1t takes nine tailors to make
man.
Although the scheme Of the tailor
was magnificent, 1t was not war. Il
was not to be expected that any mere
tailor could tread the slippery path q
legal knowledge and keep step with I
lawyer. Mr.. Blk remembered an aci
or two relating to tailors and he looked
them up He alsl4erreted out some
precedents bearing ON the case. and Ii
good old England. when you can find {
precedent, you are all right He wrots
to Mr.. Hemms, asking him TO call per
sonally at his chambers In the temple
ut certain hour. Mr.. Hemms wa
there, prompt to the minute, and hat
some faint hopes he would see at least
little money, not realizing the impos
sibility Of removing certain garments
he was in the habit Of making, from
the person Of highlandmnn. d
.,Sit down, Mr. Hcmms, said Blk
| affably, st may take US some time Il
settle this little matter"
''If you pay me something on nc
count, said IIemms. II am willing Y
let the balance stana over for the pes
| emit.
Quite So The proposition does 70,
| honor, Mr.. II emms, and shows tina
you have no desire to press your Gus
toner as hard as you do the raiment Ia
wears. Unfortunately, It Is incon
venient for me at the moment to pal
| even the little on account
| SIN that case" said Mr. Ilemms, =
will be reluctantly obliged TO take pro
ceedings"
| Exactly. gathered as much from
your most courteous note. Now, to d.
so with any chance Of success you viii
need legal advice. beg TO offer mJ
services in the ma ter, and think
will do as well for you as any other
better; perhaps. for | understand al
| about the case.
impossible. You could not appeal
against yourself
my dear sir, you have evidently