The suburban citizen., 1900-03-17

con OF time. 1 hired a cozy little
Office in a building filed with scores
of prominent law firms. After ar.
ranging my well.stooked library, 1
nailed up q new sign among the rest
and waited for my clients to appear.
1t soon became a sad trial of pa
tience
Among the many brilliant lights Of
the day my own name passed un-
noticed.
Day after day, and month after
month, I attended the courts or
passed the time in perusing cele-
brated trial cases. Like Micawbar, 1
was waiting for something to turn up.
The small capital with which 1 hc3
started was dwindling away at IN
alarming pace and, as yet, 1 saw no
prospective fee.
One pleasant afternoon Stanley
Ferris, young lawyer, who, like my
self, was unwillingly idle, dropped in
to see me.
"What news, Jack?" he asked,
carelessly.
"Same as usual" I replied, de-
spondently. "I've a notion to pack
Off in the wilderness for few weeks.
Everybody is out of town, and there
is little prospect of picking up a fee
until they return"
My friend was about to reply,
when there came a low tap at the
door.
"Come in" I said, carelessly,
thinking it some chance acquaint-
| ance.
As the door opened my heart gave a
great bound. I felt that my long
looked-for client had arrived at last.
At q single glance I took in all the
details of my visitors appearance.
He was o middle-aged man, dressed
in plain costume, and with seeming.
ly good-natured face. Most men
would have set him down at once as a
jolly, open hearted individual; but 1
did not. Ny constant attendance at
the courts had taught me much.
There was something underlying his
oily smile and obsequious manner
that made me distrust him.
'Is this Mr.. Burns?" he asked,
blandly.
I bowed in the affirmative and re-
quested him to be seated. Stanley
left the room at that moment, aud the
stranger continued:
"My name is Brown, sir-Martin
Brown. have called upon you in a
case Of emergency"
I'm what way can be of service?"
I asked.
my friend, who is in dying con-
dition, wishes you to draw up will
at once"
seized my hat and hurriedly fol-
lowed my visitor. In the elegantly
furnished room of a hotel we found
the man.
Owing to the heavily darkened
room, could distinguish nothing of
his features. He lay with his face
turned toward the wall, and in feeble
tones dictated the terms of his will.
as I drew it up.
accomplished my task to his salts
faction, and placed the document be-
fore him to sign. As he did so I
noticed a deep red scar running across
the back of his hand. The whole of
the dying mans property-an immense
one, by the way-was left to his dear
friend, Martin Brown.
Two of the servants had been called
in to witness the signature, and every
thing was performed according to law.
AS left the house the smiling Mr..
Brown handed me my fee. It was a
beggarly amount-the more 80 from
the fact that Mr.. Brown was soon to
become wealthy. The mans willy
smile, too, while his friend lay at the
point of death sickened me, and L was
glad to hurry away. On my return !
met Stanley, and in answer to his in
quiries 1 related the circumstances.
"a beggarly miser," he exclaimed,
Indignantly. "Td never believe il
from his appearance.
1t was nearly a week afterward that
a young lady, dressed in deep mourn.
ing, called upon me. This time had
a case in reality. She was not more
than twenty, but her beautiful face
bore the impress of deep grief. In a
few words she stated her business,
retaining the names until she had
heard my opinion.
Her story was as follows: Three
weeks before her uncle had left home
in company with man he called his
friend. While in the city he had been
taken suddenly i'll and died. She had
received no information OF the fact
until after her relative was buried.
Then came the strangest part Of the
story.