The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-12
IA CASE FOR DIPLOMACY
BY KENNErr HARRIS.
tcopyrlsht, 1904, by Daily Story Pub.

(Copyright, 1904, by Daily Story Pub. Co')
 The not at ali immature young lady with the just a little suspiciously golden hair and the large dark eyes smiled at the lawyer and said: 'fYes. I see.", q know" said the lawyer. with dry grimace, intended for courtly smlle' .'that if anybody could do 1t you csn. You are a fiatterer." said the lady with the golden hair.
 ''Not at alLh protested the lawyer. "You see." he continued, "he is a young fool and his father is an old fool. that is all the difference. He has allowed me to engineer this case for him. and that is the solitary gleam of sense that has shown through the whole affair. He talk ed of turning him adrift. and all that soft of nonsense, but what would have been the result? They boy. would have made heroic speech of defiance, assert ed his superiority to mere mercenary con alterations and married the girl. The old man would have been made miserable for life, and so would he. He'd tire of her inside of six months"
 "You don't seem to have a high opin- ion of the constancy of your sex," said the lady.
 Have you?" asked the lawyer, with a keen glance at her. "No. I haven't a high opinion of the constanoy of the wind, for instance. I was going to say that my respected client would probably for give the boy. but the boy would never forgive himself, and I am therefore going to put a stop to the business, but in a dip- Ionnatic way. If he is insensibie to your charms I am mistaken-that is. when his father has withdrawn his opposition to his present infatuation."
 Suppose" said the golden-haired young lady, suppose that after winning this young gentleman's-heart, I should conclude to keep 1t. I'm not at all sure that I will be able to. To tell you the the truth I hope that I will fall. although that doesn't mean that will not do my best. But suppose that he is that sort of fckle fool and he becomes infatuated him? Really. I might do worse. You say that his father Is not altogether unre- lenting. and even if he was ,the son has some money of his own.''
 '"I altogether refuse to entertain such supposition," said the lawyer. "We won't discuss it."
 "But if did?" persisted the lady.
 You won't" said the lawyer, bend ing his brows upon her. First. there is the little contract that you have just signed. Secondly, you and I are pretty well acquainted with one another. Third ly. and finally, T will see to it that you don't. Here's the retaining fee?" he con- tinued, tearing a slip of paper from the book open upon his desk. ''The remainder is contingent upon your success. Now that's all, isn't it?" "I guess that is all," said the lady with the golden hair. Except" she added ''that hope I won't get the remainder. Then I'm to be your niece on Monday night?"
 That's the program" said the lawyer. Goodnight, niece.'
 Goodnight. uncle" she replied. with a bewitching smile and Kiss waited from the delicate tips of her gloved fingers. You needn't be afraid that I am going to turn sentimental at my time of life. :"
 I'm not" growled the lawyer, as tho | office door closed behind her.
 Tn the same chair that tho young lady with the golden hair had occupied, regard ing the lawyer with nervous apprehen- sion that he strove in vain to conceal with a look of bravado, sat young man. | He was an exceedingly good Joking young ! man-not more than g or B, perhaps,
 broad-shouldered. we'll built generally-a prepossessinga sort of a young man; unless | some student of the doubtful science of physiognomy should take exception to his | mouth and chin, as denoting an infirmity | of purpose at variance with his shoulders. The lawyer was writing. In a mo- | ment or two he looked up with a bene-