Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-06-13


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 a will, against which /
find there's good deal of feeling in
the county, and there's no sort of
doubt that it is obliged to be sustained
if your recollection of the facts as
you've told them to me is entirely ac-
curate. The fight against you going
to be serious. You see that Mr. Tor
rance is of counsel in the case; he's a
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 it. You've
said to me that you wouldn't be OPP
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
beauty, whom any man might take
and give boot. How would that suit?
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 a
low, eager voice he answered:
''Mr. Watson, if you could arrange
that, I'd double the fee I've promised,
and, if it's necessary, I'd double that
Mr.. Dabney is expecting to get"
Smiling, the lawyer replied
Il don't think, if l were in your
place, that I'd make such an offer to
Dabney. Indeed, l wouldn't care to
do it myself. Dabney is rather a tick
lish sort of fellow about taking fees,
as it were, over the left shoulder
Then, some people say he wants the
widow himself
Noticing the pallor on Amerson's
face, he continued:
But, if you wish, I'll feel of him,
and there's no doubt that he will not
try to hinder Mrs. Amersons accept
ance of your proposal, whether she
may incline to it or not At all events
it won't do any harm to make it. Or
reflection, it may do you some good,
even if it's rejected, provided it be-
comes generally known. You see, il
will be the amplest apology and com
pensation you can make for any words
they may prove you to have said against
her. You seem to be in earnest aboutit." F"
Looking down for a moment, Amer
son took from his pocket a handker-
chief and wiped his eyes. Then he
said:
"Mr. Watson, I'm going to tell you
something. I've loved Hannah ever
since she was girl, and I've never
loved anybody like I've loved her.
Don't ask me why I didn't marry her,
as I could-at least as / thought
could have done. She had nothing but
herself, and I-well, was ambitious to
get rich, and the more I've got the
more I've been disappointed. Mywifs
that's dead saw how it was, but she
was good woman, and not healthy,
and after Cullen died she said on her
death-bed that she hoped / and Han
nah would marry. told Hannah that
six months ago, and offered to settle
on her a good part of fathers property,
but she as good as ordered me out OF
her house. It's impossible; but I've
got to that, Mr.. Watson, I'd be willing
to give up mighty nigh the whole
of that property if could get her."
His voice and lips trembled with the
excess of his passion and its hopeless
ness. After moments pause he said,
in augmentation that seemed to his
counsel really pitiable:
''You say, Mr.. Watson, that people
say Mr.. Dabney wants Hannah for
himself? Why, does it seem reasonable
to you that Hannah would take up
with man that's got nothing except
what little he picks up at law, when,
as I tell you, she's a woman that's al
ways loved fine things and wanted
more than she could get? You see how
fine she dresses now when she comes
to town, which she cant afford, and
which she knows Mr.. Dabney couldn't
begin to allow her without they won
this case, which they can't, as there's
the will to show for itself. AS for
suing me for SANDER, it's done for
nothing else but to scare me-"
'And perhaps to drive you to COM
promise"
II hope that's it, Mr. Watson; and
you know my terms-that is, we can
figure on it, and see what you think is
the best way to put it."
After some pause, Watson said:
"Mr. Amerson, on reflection, l be-
lieve I'd rather not make to Dabney a
proposal of that kind, and I'm sure it
wouldn't be the very best for you to
do it, Why not make it directly to the
widow, either by yourself or through
some friend? Isn't there some one who
is friendly to all parties whom you
could trust with it?"
81 wouldn't like, myself, to go to Mr..
Dabney about it, or for you either, be-
cause, from what you say, he'd be
against me- The old man Flint Is a
friend of Hannah, and he used to be a
good friend to me. Once or twice he's
told me ought to compromise the case
somehow, because he knows they can't
break the will, which he signed as a
witness, and he tells everybody that
mentions it to him that he never saw
father in stronger mind than he was
on the day he made it. / don't know,
but think he might advise Hannah to
take my proposition"
"The very man! The very mani
Among other reasons for that is that
if his mission fails he'll be sure to cir
culace it, and that will take off some
of the prejudice againstyou. Will you
see him?"
'I'd rather it would be you, Mr.. Wat
son. The old man would take 1t as a
compliment if you was to send for him,
and you'd know better than me how to
talk to him, and, besides, it'll bolster
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