Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-03-13
XIV.

was received from the lawyer toward the end
of the week.
Expect me tomorrow on business which
requires personal consultation
That was the message. In taking the long
Journey 10 Cumberland Mrs. Linley's legal
adviser sacrificed two days of his precious
time in London. Something serious must as
suredly have happened.
I'm the meantime, who was the lawyer?
lie was Mr.. Sarrazin of Lincoln's Inn
Fields.
Was he an Englishman or Erenchman?
lie was a curious mixture of bots. His
ancestors had been among the prosecuted
French people who found a refuge in En-
gland when the priest-ridden tyrant, Louis
XIV, revoked the edict of Nantes. A Brit.
ish subject by birth, and a thoroughly com
petent and trustworthy man, Mr.. SarraZln
lab0red under one inveterate deluSion: he
firmly believed that his original French nat
IRE had been completely eIadicated, under
the influence OF our lnsular climate and our
insular customs. No matter how often the
strain of the lively French blood might as
sert itself, at inconvenient times and under
regrettable circumstances, he never recog.
ni2ed this foreign side of his character. His
excellent spirits, his quick sympathies, his
bright mutability of mind-all those qualities,
in short, which were most misclievously
ready to raise distrust in the minds Of En-.
glish clients, before their sentiments chang.
ed for the better under the light of later eX.
perienco-were attributed by Mr.. SarraZin to
the cXhilarating influence of his happy do
nestle circumstances and his successful pro-
f~esSional career. His essentially English
wife; his essentially English children; his
whiskerS, his politics, his umbrella, his pew
at church, his plum-pudding, his Times news.
paper, all answered for him Che was accus.
toned to say Us an inbred member of the
glorious nation that %ieiOices IN hunting the
fox and believes in innumerable pills.
This excellent man arrived at the cottage,
desperately fatigued after his long journey,
but in perfect possession OF his Incompatible
temper, nevertheless.
lie offered a proof of this happy state OF
mind on sitting down 10 his p An
epicurc, II ever there was one yet, he found
the solid part of tho refreshments offered to
him 10 consist of a chop. The old French
blood curdled at the sight of it-but the true
born Engltshnan herolcally devoted himself
to the national meal. At the same time the
French vivacity discovered q kindred soul in
Kitty; Mr.. SarraZin became her intimate
friend in five minutes. lie listened to her
and talked TO her as If the child had been his
client, and fishing from the pier the business
which had brought him from London. To
Mis-. Presty's disgust lie turned up a corner
Of the table-clotll when he had finished his
chop, and began to c~Onjure so deity with
the spoons and forks that poor little Kitty
(often dull, now, under the changed domestic
circumstances of her llte) clapped her hands
NNlIn TIEaGINn nNlI AZ ma. .N.ts .laAI.N
of tn & ~ old times once more. Mrs. Lin
ley, fiattered In her maternal love and her
maternal pride, never thought OF recalling
this extraordinary lawyer to the business
that was waiting to be discussed. But Mrs.
Presty looked at the clock and discovered
that her grandchild ought to have been in
bed half an hour ago.
thine to say goodnight" the grandmoth.
er suggested.
The grandchild failed to see the subject of
bed In the same light. "Oh, not yet" she
pleaded; II want to speak to Mr." Hav-
ing only heard the visitors name once, and
not finding her memory in good working or
der after the conjuring, Kitty hesitated.
Isn't your name something like Saracen?"
she asked.
Very like ~ cried the genial lawyer. TRY
NY Tic IdlIlt. lily utUI. i Ill OdHlUtI 10
well as Sarrazln."
"Ah, that'll do" said Kitty. "Grandmanl-
ma, before ! go to bed Pye something to ask
Samuel"
Grandmamma persisted in defcrring the
question until the next morning. Samuel
administered consolation before he said good
night. "Pll get up early" he whispered,
'and We'll go on the pier before breakfast
and fish,"
Kitty expressed her gratitude in her own
outspoken way. "Oh, dear, how nice 1t
would be, Samuel, II you lived with us!'
Mrs. Linley laughed for the first time, poor
soul, since the catastrophe which had broken
up her home. Mrs. Presty set a proper exam
pie. She moved her chair so that she faced
:he lawyer, and said: Now, Mr.. Sarrazin p
lie acknowledged that he understood what
this meant by a very unprofessional choice
or words. I'VE are in a mess" lie began,
'and the sooner we are out Of ii the better"
Only let me keep Kitty" Mrs. Linley de-
clared, 'and I'll do whatever you think
right"
stick TO that, dear madam, when you
have heard what'l have to tell you, and
shall not have taken my journey in vain. In
the first place, may l look at the letter which
i mad the honor OF forwarding some days
sinceY'
Mrs. Presty gave him Herbert Linley's let
ter. lie read it with the closest attention,
and tapped the breast pocket of his coat
when he had done.
IF l didn't know what / have got here
he remarked, II should have said: Another
person dictated this letter, and the name OF
the person is Miss Westerield.'"
Just my ideaW Mrs. Presty exclaimed.
There can't be a doubt of IT,"
"Oh, but there is very great doubt OF il,
ma'am, and you will say so, too, when you
know what your severe son-in-law threatens
to do" lie turned to Mrs. Llnley. after
having seen that pretty little friend of mine
who has just gone to bed (how much nicer
u would be for all of us IL we could 60 to
bed, tooD l think know how you
ell your husbands letter. But l ought per.