The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-06

swhy. one Of the men process servers
who had tried to get him ~ waiting TIL
he came out actually hsG sn s,d d'g nls ,s IHh
and good -natured in denying that me was
Mr.. 60 and So when the paper was held
| out to him that the PROCESS server lost
confidence. He was hypnotinet into feel,
| ing that he was making q mistake, and
put the summons back INTO TO-. ma pD 0cs aren't
| about two hours thinking up some scheme
to catch him, and at last !! hit upon one
| that seemed to give promise OF success
| l didn't 70 near the apartment house al
| first. went instead to drug store less
than ha block away tax taking nSs.s With t me
| prospective bridegroom.
at was only little after O'Clock IN the
| morning. when there was little probability
Of Mr.--we'n call him johnson Having
gone out, he being something Of man OF
leisure. l had my assistant ring up the
Will you please have Mr.. Henry A.
| johnson come down to the telephone as
soon az possibler' he said to the hall boy
who answered the call. This is very
important
Hold the wire, said the boy,
Now when he comes down, ! instructed
my assistant, be sure to ask him Y ne rs
Mr.. johnson. II he says yes, ask him
II he is Henry A. johnson. When you get
his answer. hang up the receiver
"Then hurried around the corner a.,
entered the apartment house. and asked
| il I might use the telephone
Why. it's busy now said the boy,
but you can II you wait q few minutes.
said would. That was what was there
| for. Well, when the elevator came down
little man with pointed beard popped
out of it and rushed over to the telephone. =,
Yes he said nervously when he had
got the receiver to his ear. Yes. yes,
that's my name. What is it?'
This was enough. ] knew the questions
he was answering, 40 ! stepped up TO MN.
1 beg your pardon, I said, but that is
| my assistant asking you II you are Henry
A. johnson. There Is really no use now
| in your denying that you are the gentle
man, 30 / will Just leave this summons
with you
He jumped up, pulling at his beard, and
looking at me az II was ghost. IL,
he began, stammeringly. but suddenly
his manner changed. He smiled. You've
given me start, he said, but !! must say.
very cleverly. Allow me to congratulate
you, and also to accept the paper. II
/ had my hat on would take it on to you.
Il could mention plenty OF cases that
have required finesse. Each one is different,
OF course. from others. and you have to
devise a new plan to meet it. Just tho
other day firm Of lawyers gave me
| paper that they had grown tired trying to
serve. 1t was summons for a man who
conducts q large business, and would ap-
! pear to be easy enough. But no one was
admitted to the inner Office till his errand
was explicitly explained to confidential
! clerk.
"The process-server who had the paper
before it was given to me did get in, but
sitting face to face with the man he wanted,
the latter informed him coolly that he was
only the private secretary, that the man
he was looking for had gone West for a stay
of indefinite length. The lawyers knew
better, and told me that il would be worth
$50 to me to serve that paper Immediately.
tons about him. One Of the things learned
was that he had some property in the South
that he was trying to sell. This suggested
to me a way to reach him.
Bright and early the next morning I
was at his Office, explaining to his conf
dental clerk across the little fence in the
waiting room that was from such and such
city in the South. and was thinking Of
buying some land for such and such pur-
pose. I oven gave my words touch OF
the Southern accent. not because 1t was
particularly necessary, but merely because
I'm acting when I'm doing these things,
and like to give tho performance a sort
| OF artistic finish.
THE clerk excused himself and returned
in moment. saying that as the represe nta-
| tive OF Mr.. Jones he would be pleased to
talk to me about the land II I would come
in.
lis Mr.. Jones here? I asked.
T, ingly. but he's very busy. and will prob
ably be engaged all morning.
| Now. that's too bad I exclaimed.
I take the o'clock train for Washington.
I've had some business experience, and
my rule is never to talk over matter OF
this kind with anybody but a principal.
But may write to him. Good morning,
| He disappeared again. and came back In
ten minutes, saying that Mr.. Jones would
see me- I served the paper and retreated
without delay.
an another case OF mine the person
| to be served was a very elusive woman.
gave me the names of some friends Of hers
in city near New York. also learned
that she was chummy with dressmaker
who occupied the parlor floor Of the house
in which she lived Well. I went to that
dressmaker and ordered gown, and as
the fittings proceeded | grew quite con-
fidential with her l said I had just come
people there. expected to see them later
at the seashore and 80 on. l mentioned
their names. Of course.
why. how odd! exclaimed the dress
maker Those surely must be Mrs.
Browns friends. What coincidence!
The world is small place. after all. isn't
| it? I must have you meet Mrs. Brown.
You two will be glad to know each other.
Now the very next time you come In I'll
have her down
If you like, | answered indifferently
This is too easy ia what l thought.
After l had paid for my dress and had
1t sent home the dressmaker went upst airs
to bring down Mrs Brown for a sociable
chat She came. but the meeting with me
did not seem to afford her the pleasure
her friend had anticipated. In fact. she
used language that wouldn't bear repeat
ing. She had delayed lawsuit because
| she had been so hard to serve, and the fee
received more than paid for that gown.
"Of course there is deception in all this.
There Ia no denying that feel like hypo-
critic sometimes But l am only fooling
those who deserve to be fooled. They
are trying to avoid the meeting Of claims
that are usually just. to get the better OF
the law and 1t gives me pleasure to get the
better of them, 1t is necessary work. and
| 7 taLa y,rida in heinU ahla IN 6o II woll n