The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-09-19

rance approving, decided to have copy
and process Of the last put in the hands
Of the sheriff, with Instructions to
serve them upon Amerson on the day
of the appearance of the advertise
ment Of the other In the Southern Re-
corder.
There is a curious combination of
cowardice and bravery in men like
Amerson. 1t seems wonderful what
risks they will take when considerable
moneys or other stakes as precious are
at the end of the perilous roads they
undertake to travel. There seems
some degree of insanity in their au-
dacity. Amerson had learned to stand
with apparent calmness before out
spoken, severe, angry condemnation
of some Of his practices, and, when it
was over, turn away and go about his
other business. 1t was the unexpected
ness of the civil suit, far more than
the newspaper advertisements, that
made him pale In the presence of the
sheriff. For moment he was thrown
off his guard; yet in another his long
white teeth appeared behind sardonic
smile, and he said:
"old saying, Mr.. Ennis, when it rains
it pours; but think I'll be able to
show the people of Baldwin county
that it isn't anything but shower
after all the laundering. don't know
what made my father give me the big
gest share of his property, unless be-
cause he thought I'd take care of it.
don't know that you know it, Mr..
Ennis, but Hannah knows that have
been always ready to allow, and allow
more than she could have any lawful
right to calculate on. Cullen knew 1t
too, before he died, that, being my own
brother, 1 couldn't but think heap of.
But 1t looks like, now, that she just
simply wants to bother me and perse-
cute me, when she knows perfect well
that there's no woman / think more of
than her, being as she is my own and
only brothers. widow. 1t looks rather
hard, Mr. Ennis"
"Of course, Mr.. Amerson, you under
stand my persish, which I'm simple
officer Of the court, and isn't supposed
to know anything about the merits of
the case"
Certainly do, Mr.. Ennis; and you've
been sheriff long enough to know that
often where there's great cry there's
mighty little wool, as I've no doubt
you've heard the expression. I've al
ways respected you, Mr.. Ennis, as
man and as sheriff, not to say any
thing as a friend. Occasionally,
wouldn't undertake to say how often,
it's been my pleasure to help you in
your election and other times and
things, in trifling little ways, we won't
say how, it not being worth while.
hope that next time they won't press
on you so ohard. But If they do. I've no
doubt you'll know who are your friends,
and that they'll continue to stand up
to you. Good morning"
Yes, he made point always to have
the sheriff on good terms with him.
In the case of this one, who in his too
yielding indulgence to defendants in
execution had several times been ruled
for not having the money in court,
Amerson had come to his rescue
"Yes," soliloquized the official after
he had turned away, you has holp me
sometimes when you knewed wasn't
any danger, although, which you don't
believe I know, you voted ag'ins' me
when first got in, and you'd a. done
II again last time, exceptin' you see I
had the field. Go long, Vile Amerson.
You've been dodgin' and bamboozlin'
the hounds SO fur. Go long"
Amerson repaired straightway to
Watson's Office, large room opposite
Rainer's store, to which steps led from
the street. The lawyer noted at once
his perturbation and the slowness of
It's relief from assurance that nothing
was to be apprehended from the action
for words unless proof was made of
their utterance within the last six
months. With some coldness he said:
"Mr. Amerson, hope that the words
charged in this writ were not spoken
by you at any time. I've taken your
case believing that your hands had
been-well, I'll say, moderately clean,
with intent to see that you got all Of
your legal rights. It's not my busi-
ness to inquire how your father came
to make such WILL against which 1
find there's good deal of feeling In
the county, and there's no sort Of
doubt that 1t is obliged to be sustained
If your recollection of the facts as
you've told them to me is entirely ac-
curate. The fght against you is going
to be serious. You see that Mr.. Tor
rance is OF counsel in the case; he's q
man of very great capacity, and who,
at least in attack, Is not one to waste
his powder unless he believes that
something Is to come of 1t. You've
said to me that you wouldn't be op-
posed to compromise that might not
be too unfair. Let me tell you what
I've been. turning over in my mind.
Your wife's dead, and so is Mrs. Amer
sons husband. Why not let the whole
dispute be settled by your marrying
her and adopting her son? Such
things are done very often. You're
both young, and as for her, why, she's
beanty, whom any man might take
and give boot. How would that suit2
Who knows but that's what she's
driving at In the end she finds she
can't do better? You're old enough to
understand that women have more
than one string to their bows"
| The clients eyes CLEANED during the
utterance of these words, then In q
low, eager voice he answered: