Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-01-19
BLK AND HIS TAILOR.
How a Complication in Buttons
Was Settled in England.

There Is lawyer in the temple
whom shall take the liberty of term
ing j. Wellington Blk. That is not is
name, OF course, | merely call him so
for the purposes OF this narrative, for
as far rs can find out there is no such
name in the temple, aud say ut the
beginning that IL there is any man of
that title he is not the man mean. I
give the name Blk, as IL were, with
out prejudice" SO as TO protect myself
from possible legal complications, for
one must be very careful when he
speaks of lawyers.
MIR. Blk possesses much law aud little
money. This may seem strange, for
our iGea Of a lawyer In the temple Is
that he has more cases than he can at
tend to. and that he rolls in wealth.
Nevertheless, the thing I 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 n per-
sou knows how to dodge his tailor,
dressing well costs money. IL may
seem needless extravaganza TO pay a
tailor, but, unfortunately, gentlemen
of the cloth do not look upon IL in that
light, and they are sometimes persist
ent in demanding their money, cs-
pecially IL they suspect their customer
Is poor
MIR. Blk kept encouraging his tailor
by ordering more clothes than he nc.
tunlly needed. This is u good plan as
long as IL works, but it breaks down
after time, and, like the INDUCING in
stimulants, leaves the victim with the
original trouble worse than II was at
first
At last things came to a crisis. Mr..
| Hemms, the tailor, said that II he did
| not Mt least get some money on &C.
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 u
threatening letter within the meaning
of the act, but unfortunately, the
tailor had been there before. Ills note
was couched in the most polite and con-
ciliatory terms. 1t was only by reading
between the lines that anything like
n threat could be seen. Nevertheless,
1t was quite evident what the tailor's
intentions were, and MIR. Blk felt that
he could not afford to be brought into
court over the matter IL would Mt
once dispcl the fiction that he had n
large and lucrative practice-a fiction
he was anxious should not be inter-
fered with by any cold display Of fact.
OF course it was a daring and cour-
ageous thing for n tailor TO intimate
that he would bring n lawyer into
court. This was, indeed, fighting the
devil with fire. Let no one say after
this that it takes nine tailors to make
u man.
Although the scheme of the tailor
was magnificent, it was not war II
was not to be expected that any mere
tailor could tread the slippery path OF
legal knowledge and keep step with a
lawyer. Mr.. Blk remembered an act
or two relating TO tailors and he looked
them up. He also ferrcted out some
presidents bearing on the case, and in
good old England, when you can find a
precedent, you are all right. lie wrote
to Mr.. Hemms, asking him to call per-
sonally at his chambers in the temple
at certain hour. Mr.. IIemms was
there prompt to the minute, aud had
some faint hopes he would see at least
a little money, not realizing the impos-
sibility OF removing certain garments
he was in the habit of making, from
the person Of highlnndman.
"Sit down, Mr.. Henms," said Blk,
affably, lit may take us some time TO
settle this little matter"
| III you pay me something on nc
count" said llemms, 81 am willing TO
let the balance stand over for the pres
emit"
Quite so. The proposition does you
honor, Mr.. II emms, and shows that
| you have no desire to press your GUS
toner as hard as you do the raiment he
wears. Unfortunately, II Is incon-
venient for me at the moment TO pay
even the little on account"
SIN that case" said Mr.. Hemms, ~
will be reluctantly obliged TO take pro-
ceedings."
EXACTLY. Igathered as much from
your most courteous note. Now, to do
so with any chance Of success you will
need legal advice. beg TO offer my
services In the matter, and think
will do as well for you as any other;
better, perhaps, for ! understand all
about the case"
Impossible. You could not appear
against yourself"
"My dear sir, you have evidently
little conception Of the length lawyer
is willing to go for the love Of the pro-
fession and incidentally for the fees
appertaining thereto Why pay good
money TO another lawyer, when will
be quite willing to undertake your case
for (as you say a little money down,
taking the rest out In trndeT'
Mr.. llemms was stricken dumb by
the proposal
"l]eing certain that so amicable an
arrangement would commend itself TO
You, the moment IL was prese nted in its