The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-10-03
1ed in a room adioining, called C

Rachels.
"Tell him." said Torrance, "I'd like
him to take drink with me-"
"Who the devil is that talking in
your roomP" Carruthers asked. Blamed
If it didn't sound in my very sleep like
Sebe Torrance's big voice."
"That's just who it is. He's come
over to be ready for the Amerson case.
When he found out you were here, he
asked me to tell you that he'd like you
to take drink with him and Squire
Dabney in my room. You're to have
one more, you know"
my Lordl I didn't know the man
knew me so well. Yousee, Gus Rachels
that I'm more of gentleman thar
some folks take me for. Why, certain
ly, Of course I'm glad / never took
my last drink you limited me ia
sooner. Hand me them clothes, won't
you, Sally brought me this evening.
How do I look? Is my face at all
swelled2 And my eyes, do they look
tolerable clear?"
"Oh, you're all right enough, now.
The thing is to keep So"
He assisted him in dressing, the
while cautioning him how to conduct
himself in the presence Of the distin-
guished visitor, ending thus: II hope
you'll show Mr.. Torrance that you
don't belong to Vile Amerson."
"Gus Rachels," said the invalid, while
being assisted in tying his cravat,
you're the only man In this blessed
world I'd let talk to me that way. You
know you are. You see a man like
Sebe Torrance has asked me to take a
drink with him"
His moistened eyes and the pathos
In his words touched Rachels, who
with instant compassion said:
"Oh, you know didn't mean to hurt
your feelings, boy. Pm not a-denying
that you want to do right Thatll do.
You look real spry. Come along"
His handsome face and slight figure,
which had learned to accommodate it.
self to his limping movement, showed
to full advantage in his tasteful dress
ing. He met the party with grace, as
If he were accustomed to such invita-
tions, and strove, not quite, but near
ly, with success, to hide his embar-
rassment.
"Ah!" cried Torrance. "The son of
my dear old friend Lewis Carruthers,
the best of court-clerks, and as clever
a man as ever lived in Milledgeville or
any other town. How are you? A
man of my age, as a general thing,
oughtn't to invite the young to drink,
but I'll make an exception in this one
case, if you and Dabney will join me-"
For long afterwards Dabney used to
tell of that meeting at the "Big In
dian," of the instant and continued
charm put by the great lawyer upon
the harmless weakling, of the ease
with which, while entirely respectful
of his feelings, he drew, one after an
other, everything that was Of any
value from his recollections of his re-
lations with the Amersons. Rachels
sat and wondered how in less than an
hours irregular and apparently un-
concerned chatting, he strung along
together items individually seeming
insignificant, but gradually making a
chain incomparably stronger than he
had imagined to be possible. At the
last, as at the first, they clinked the
glasses, and, after an engagement to
meet Mt the court an hour before It's
opening, the lawyers took their leave,
and shortly afterwards Rachels carried
Carruthers home.
"We could have gotten more out OF
him, If we had needed to-" said Tor
rance. Hes not bad. Dependence
and other things have made him shack
ling. / am grntifled to see that he
doesn't understand Amerson. Therell
be no difficulty in getting the truth
out of him on the stand, however re-
luctant he may be to hurt one who he
thinks has befriended him. thought
best, however, to say nothing to him Of
what we discovered to-day. It'll be
we'll for Rachels to know it, and /
asked him to come to my room to-mor-
row. You're sure of his discretion,
you say? Yes; well, I'll tell him, and
he must keep it to himself till Monday.
wanted to impress the boy with the
great seriousness Of the case. You
saw how he WINGED once or twice at
what said. intended to make his
hair rise little, then let it lie down
again. He'll feel like it's going to lift
him off his feet, Monday, 1t was well
to see him, mainly for the purpose OF
deciding how we should handle him on
the stand. There's going to be no
trouble. declare it touched me to see
tears In his eyes when l spoke of what
sort of man his father was, and what
an honorable name he had left. 1t
was every word the truth. Heigh-hoP'
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