Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-08
YOU CAN'T DODGE HER
WOMAN SERVES LEGAL PAPERS
ON SLIPPERY DEBTORS.
And Matches Their Cunning With Her
Own Superior Foxi-
ness.

From the New York Sun.
Now really, 1 don't believe had better
say anything about this work The process
dodgers are so sharp already that it isn't
wise to give them points that will make
them sharper. Besides, this serving of legal
papers as business is one of the few I'M
crowded fields that offer a good living to
a woman with her wits about her. Why
parade the fact and invite competition7'
She was small and brisk and rather good
looking. Only the snap in her gray eyes
and the set of her chin gave a clue to the
qualities that cause lawyers to call on her
when they have papers to be handed to
persons who are particularly clever at
avoiding the society of the process server
But after ALL" she went on. I'm not
much afraid of comp etition. This Is never
likely to be an overworked field. don't
imagine there are many women who would
fancy the business. and there are fewer
still who could do 1t If they would.
Women Get Hard Cases.
Papers are not usually given to a wo-
man to serve until some man has tried and
failed. We get the hardest cases, and have
to possess ingenuity. the patience of job
and. most Of ALL just plain nerve.
why, not long ago sat on the stoop Of
a certain fine house up on the West Side
for two days and night to serve a paper
on the head of the household, who was in
side waiting for to get tired and go
away
II hired a boy to stay there with the doc
ument while I ate hasty meals at near
by restaurant and snatched little sleep in
the small hours of the morning. But all
the rest of the time l was the watchful sem
t1nel. Plenty of people were curious as to
my object in remaining there. and 1 told
them freely. The policeman on the beat
kept protecting eye on me. became the
talk of the neighborhood.
'All this, of course, was not pleasant for
the man inside. Every time he would look
out of the window caught him at 1t sew
eral hmes-he would see me down on the
lower STEP mute witness of his efforts to
evade the law. Frequently the policeman
or somebody else would be talking to me,
and sometimes there would be a little group
before the house. I shouldn't be surprised
If this siege got on his nerves, or those of
his wife. At any rate, just after dark on
the second day he came out and took the
paper. The lawyers had been trying for
weeks to serve him. l got $50 for my pa
| tience
Serving Parson.
mot many cases. of course. are tedious
as this. I remember one that caused me a
good deal of amusement. A parson was
to be served 1t seems that he had strayed
outside the parish to dabble In real estate
and had become involved In some way. The
lawyers were anxious that the summons be
served on him at once, but he didn't pro-
pose to have it served just then, and gave
orders to his servant girl to let no one not
known to her as being connected with his
church get farther than the vestibule with
out first consulting him. Meanwhile he
kept indoors. stepping out only on Sundays.
when the service of papers is not legal.
Several men had tried to reach him, CIV
Ing various reasons for wanting him
personally, but the foxy maid always left
them standing in the vestibule and came
back with word that she was sorry, but Mr..
wilkins was not in. was deeply en-
gagged. 1t was at this stage of the affair
that the paper was turned over to me.
when l went to the house l had young
man with me. 1 didn't ask If Mr.. wilkins
was in when the girl came to the door, but
said in an embarrassed kind of way We
We would like to be married. Would you
find out If Mr.. Wilkins could marry us
leave timid young couple seeking mar
riage out In the cold vestibule. Moreover
there Is nothing the average minister likes
better than marriage ceremony, and the
girl appeared to know 1T.
THE scrutiny of suspicion faded from
her eyes Come in she said. with smile
She went upstairs and was back in a min
ute with word that Mr.. Wilkins would be
right down. He came with outstretched
hand and such a fatherly beam on his face
that l felt it was really too bad to disap-
point him and throw cold water on this
fine socable manner. But 1 was there for
business
Are you the Rev. Mr.. wilkins"
Yes yes, to be sure
well then / said quickly, I want to
hand you this summons
What, what is this trick? he ex-
claimed. turning red in the face. It's an
outrageous proceeding. It's highly improper
I'm very much surprised that a woman Of
your appearance should descend to such a
thing
g 1T was made necessary by your efforts
to avoid service l answered Good night