Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-09-05
A LAWYERS STORY.
HIS Experience with - Mean client
and an Honest Man.

w. lNUkc IN
room 2, superior court. is fond Of tell
ing a good story on himself OF how he
received a fee that was entirely unex-
pected. Ten or IL years ago Judge
Harper kept his office In the Vance
block. One day he was consulted by
a merchant OF this city. who will he
known as c.. in the story. The mer.
chant was badly embarrassed. rs he
owed about $4,000. and the wholesale
houses were pressing him. He came 10
Attorney Harper for advice. The law
yer learned that G.'s wife had some
time before come into possession OF
about $1,000. which had been given her
by her father. This money she had
loaned her husband and it was invested
In his business.
The attorney advised q. TO secure his
wife the first thing, and he did SO
''Well. we finally got the matter set
tied up" said Judge Harper in telling
the story the other day. and G.. and
his wife started i'm business again. The
creditors, of course. We're losers To a
certain extent. but felt IL my duty 10
advise the man TO look after his fani.
" first l didn't see him for several
weeks after the business was settled.
and began TO wonder about my fee.
ought to have had at least 500. I
thought. G. didn't come around. and
one day l sent him a note. asking him
to call at my office. He came in day
or two, and l asked about my fee. stat
ing that would be willing 10 square
up for 500. L also recalled to his mind
that / had performed a legal service
for him 10 the best of my ability and
thought 1 should be paid. AS soon az
1 finished my speech q. jumped up and
started for the door.
- haven't got time 10 talk about
that today. he snapped as he went out
Of the door. OF course made up my
mind that my fee was not an assured
thing. and let the matter run on for
a few months. Finally one day met
G. on the sidewalk in front OF the
Vance block. and held him up
asked him to come to the office rs |
wanted TO talk TO him. He was in
clined to be a little impatient and
wanted to know If I couldn't do my
talking where l was.
Well, might, c. said 1. but il Is
possible 1 might say some things that
you would not want the public TO hear
Il think G. understood that he had
better come 70 the office. and he signi-
fed his Willingness to come with me.
We came up stairs, and as soon as we
got into the Office he drew n piece Of
paper from his pocket. and, throwing
1t down on the table. he remarked.
Take that or nothing.
Il picked up the piece of paper and
no Il,
given by a man named h. several years
before. 1t had been outlawed long
! ago. The principal and interest amount
ed to something over $500. knew
Mr.. 3. and remembered that he had
become bankrupt several years before
l showed the note IN the drawer OF my
desk. as a worthless instrument. A
week or two later, however, ! got TO
thinking about the matter and sat
down 10 write b. a note, asking him
10 call at my Office If be should hap
pen TO be in my neighborhood. He
came within n few days. and showed
him the note.
Yes said he, 1 gave that note,
and it is perfectly good. Now, I'll say
| to you that within ten days I'll pay
! $500 on that note and will settle the
remainder by paying 500 or $500
every month OF course 1 was amaz-
ed. said to B. that would only ask
him TO pay 500, but he Insisted that
he would pay every dollar of ii. Then
1 suggested that he only pay the prin-
cipal
No, sir he declared. L owe the
interest, too. and, since 1 am making
money now, expect TO pay every cent
of it
well, TO make "a long story short,
that man, within q few months, paid
of every dollar that the note called
for. A short time after he had finish
ed paying the note G.. cSme into my
office one day. What do you think he
said to mef He said he had under
stood that B. had paid of the note In
full and, since i had only demanded
a fee of 500. he supposed l would pay
over the remainder TO him. Did do
it? Not much. / simply recalled 10
G.'s mind that he had thrown an APP
parently worthless note on my desk
with the suggestion that take that or
nothing G. scowled and walked out
of the Office. "-Indianapolis Journal.