Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1894-09-20
A FILTRATION.

terably bored-that is to say, at first.
! Afterward he was not bored, but he was
not quite comfortable He had met her
first ON the bridge In St. James park. The
sultriness of that August night, the smoth-
cred quacking of n sleepless duck, the
| large raindrops, tho hurried step behind
him, the small, pale face and large, blue
eyes, peering anxiously into the darkness
overhead, the sudden flash, the little
scream and the long roll of thunder
these were their introduction. She had
no umbrella, and she was really fright
ened He could not have done otherwise,
and was she to blame for being gratefully
In the first instance he was not in fault.
In the course of perfectly natural con-
versation he had learned that every night
she walked home by the bridge. No one
was in town. 1t was too hot for the pit
of any theatcr and it was impossible to
read at home. There is no pleasanter
| place in London for stroll than st.
| James park, and the view from the bridge
at night recalls the calmest reaches Of the
Isis. She had never been on the Thames
and longed for an opportunity. He pitied
her and gave himself a treat.
He called her JEANNE, for he never
knew her surname 1t was not her wont
to talk about herself, and he rather pre-
ferred not to learn the details OF her par
entaRe. She had never mentioned her &C.
| cupation, but the simple tastefulness OF
her dress and the case with which it fitted
her pretty figure left little room for doubt
upon this head. She had told him her
birthday once and he had not forgotten
| it. And when she timidly asked him to
| enhance the value of the locket by giving
her lock OF his hair-the wig sat SO light
| " on his brow that the luxuriant growth
of his dark trcsscs was still unimpaired-
he could not hurt her feelings by refusing.
The end Of tho vacation had come at
last Men were back at chambers, and
the friends with whom one dimes were
daily returning to town. Besides the
weather was becoming decidedly unsutcd
for evening promenades. But, as we have
said, he did not feel quite comfortable
about the situation 1t would be no doubt
the easiest thing in the world to drift
away from this benevolent Irritation, just
as he had drifted into 1t, but he did not
| like to behave unkindly. II she had grown
too fond of him, 1t was not his fault,
| though possibly a natural result of their
relations 1t might have been letter il
! the incident had never occurred, but 1t was
/ clear that at Its present stage he could not,
without meanness, bring the acquaintance
to an abrupt termination.
In disconnected frame OF mind he
walked down to the temple one morn
ing. At the door of his chambers his clerk
met him, with brief in his hand. If
you please sir, Mr.. Wilson would be glad
! If you would look after this matter for
him today. He is in the court of appeals.
The case Is not likely to be reached, as
Jarndyce versus Jarndyce, which has been
transferred from the chancery division, ls
/ in front Of it. Anyhow you Will not
/ have much to do, as you have Mr.. Snufilcr
to lead you He took up the brief, and
had discovered little moro than that no
was appearing for the defendant in
| breach of promise case before 1t was time
for him to hurry across the strand
AS he entered the court he met "a gen
eral exodus of q. C.'s, juniors and solicit
ors Clerks Forcing his way to the front,
he confronted an army of barristers' clerks
stacking books and packing papers in
their bags He looked at the cause list ON
the wall and found the name Jarndycs
versus Jarndyce, part heard, erased.
The great case had been unexpectedly set
tied. A junior engaged in the next case
was on his feet and was asking that, with
the consent Of his friend it should be III
lowed to stand over Mr.. Snutfler, lead
ing counsel for tho plaintiff, had been
taken suddenly i'll.
He had pcruscd fully two-thirds Of his
brief, when his attention was suddenly ar
rested by the words Robinson against
Virgins His case was called. Should
he follow the example Of the junior in the
preceding action? No, he would not let
such an opportunity slip. He would fight
and win.
So the plaintiffs case was opened. She
was a young lady named Jane Robinson
and aged 81. Straitened circumstances
had compelled her to supplement- her par
ents means by taking employment IL
millinery establishment. The defendant,
Alonzo Virgins, was the manager of tho
business He had forced his attentions
upon her and had finally induced her to
consent to become his wife. The engage
ment had lasted for some months, when
the defendant broke it off without any
prctext, except that the plaintiff had found
it impossible to walk with him every even
ing, and he now denied that he had ever
promised marriage.
The counsel for the defendant had been
Watching the dcmeanor of his client-s
/ large carroty headed man of 1870 closely
that he did not observe the plaintiff until
she was in the box. \ soft, sweet voice
fell upon his ear with strange familiarity.
/ He looked up. Gracious heavens!
He had scarcely collected his scattered
senses before the examination in chief had
concluded. As he rose to cross examine
I his eyes met those of the plaintiff, and
sad smile passed across her face. He put
a few irrelevant questions and drew upon
himself a sharp rebuke from the bench.
Then Brown, who was sitting by his side
taking notes for the st. James Gazette,
whispered to him; sit down. You re all
right. They've no corroboratlve evil
dence" But at that moment he caught
sight of the locket, which he knew so
well, hanging from her neck. So the poor
child had not quite forgotten him. For
few seconds he was agitated by terrible
conflict between his zeal as an advocate
and the dread of personal consequences to
himself Duty to ones client, however,
! Is paramount, and he proceeded: