Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-12-23


utmost possible attention.
, He cared no more for matrimonial !
advertisements than he did for John |
Olmstead's millions. It was John Ohm !
stead's nephew he was thinking of. The |
moment there was a pause he said:
See here, Esther; the idea is all |
right, but II is risky business for the
shrewdest man to try and handle Grim
inals. You want the best lawyer YOU
can secure, and you want him at the
start. Otherwise you'll drag your club
into no end of trouble; for even Grim
inals have certain rights, which they
understand better than you, and which
it is dangerous to NEEDLE with or ig-
more. Now, the first thing you do, you
go to John Olmstead's nephew. i be-
heve he's the best lawyer of his age in
the state. He'll tell you he's too busy
to give the matter attention, but don't
let him slip. Ten minutes of his brain
work is better than an hour from most.
Take him on philanthropy. 1 under
stand it's something of a hobby with
him. Don't you offer to pay him, or he
won't look at you. He can earn ten
times ali that your club will pay with
half the work you will require, but he's
forever throwing away good business
10 give his time in charity. Call it
charity, See? And if that don't work.
try moral reform. He's head and front
in dozen moral reforms. = And once
you've secured him you're all right"
Following this advice. Esther cut
from the next. mornings papers all
the obnoxious advertisements she
could find. She read them over with a
shudder OF horror that men and women
could be SO. base and depraved. One
In particular, signed - Malcolm" fas-
tened itself upon her mind. Thus
armed, she started, early, to consult
that prodigy of genius and brilliant
leader in philanthropy, charity and
morality, John Olmstead's nephew.
She knew him well enough by sight,
and doubtless Stanton had frequently
heard her name and even seen her dur
ing the brief period when he was most
in society. He might almost have seen
her yesterday, and forgotten. There
was a strong similarity among women
as he saw them. He never tried to re-
member unless they were in the wit
| ness-stand
AS Miss Braddon stepped into the ele-
vator the operator was showing another
boy an item in the Morning Herald
which intensely amused them both.
| Always interested in what interested
the young, she glanced over their shout
ders, to find them absorbed in the ad-
vertisement signed Malcolm" She re-
meufbered it well, and a new horror
L ri 10 nd L..
entertainment in the pernicious matter
and from it formed their notions OF
what real life would be for them too
when they were old enough to enter in
As she crossed the hall to Stanton's
door, she whispered, Indignantly:
Malcolm. Herald. Uptown"
She paused timidly upon the thresh
old, fully aware of the Importance o.
the man she was about to approach
when the Office boy came forward, re
marking:
"Good mornin', UNI. Yer lookin' ful
de Mr.. Malcolm as addetised in d.
Mornin' Herald, um2 He's right IL
here, um.'
Before she could collect her thoughts
the door of the private office had beer
opened, she had entered, and it haC
closed again behind her. 1t was ali il
an instant, and Esther Thorndil1e Brad
don was face to face with John Ohm
stead's immaculate nephew-otherwls,
Malcolm.
Her first thought was to get hersel
instantly away. The next suggested
that she be very sure, first, that sh
was right, then fly to her father witt
news of the clay fees of his idol. Thel
n vein of amusement crept into tn
situation, and when she found that sh
was mistaken for an applicant he
woman's wit suggested that she ha,
glorious opportunity to investigate
draw him out, preach him a sermon
that should wither him with shame
then tell him who she was, why sh
came to him, and what every true won
8 an would think of him.
Upon this plan she began operation.
and she carried out the plan-almost I
the end. The end itself was not quit
. what she had planned. She went d
Z | rectly to her father. She told hiI
: about the win, with it's time-limit an
} ] forfeiture, of which he already knew
about the mistake in dates, of whic
h | he did not know; about Richard Ray
mond, which did not greatly surpris
? him; about Stanton's determination I
= retain the property, of which he higl
. ~ approved; about the matrimonial az
vertisement and the plan for Unite
q alliance, which certainly did not affeC
him as Esther had feared it might
I about-last of all she pulled togetht
d all her courage, drew long, quiverin
. breath, and with fear and tremblin
J. as she thought of what she had don
= began-about what her angry, indi,
d nsnt, sympathetic heart had prompte
# her to say and do to help John Din
Y stead's nephew and punish Richa1
'e Raymond. With wet cheeks she locke
up TIC her father for his verdict.
% If Thaddeus Braddon could have bee
Il IL IL e. ~ 4