The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-04-06

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He was hurt in a railroad accident. '
replied Mrs. O'Har;L Its likely you
may have heard of it-at berkeley last
summer"
Tho accident in question had been no
great disaster. but il happened that Mr.
Haiioran remembered having read of
it,
Has your son recovered damages f,r
the injury" he asked. And III that
moment he perceived that young
O'Mara and the pretty girl had ap-
preached within hearing.
1t was O'Mara himself who answered
Mr.. IallOran's question. ana Within
half a minute the lawyer was repent
ing deeply Of the sin of curiosity.
O'Alara backed him against the mass
i've masonry Of the arched portal ami
proceeded to tell him the story of the
accident, with infinite attention 10 de
tail. The pretty girl was on one side
and the fragile. sweet faced woman
upon the other, and there WAS no eS-
cape.
The worst of it was that O'Mara had
40 sooner got fairly started upon his
story than the Shrewd lawyer per
ceivCd that there was something wrong.
O'Mara Immediately began to speak of
injuries and suffcrings which were
wholly Inconsistent with his attitude at
the moment. 1t was his feet which had
sustained the damage. They had been
touched by fire while he was pinned
down by wreckage; they had never got
we'll; in fact, they became worse every
day, and the doctors could do nothing.
Yet Q Mara stood upon those very feet
as sturdily as any man ever did. Only
when he referred directly to his pres
ent Sufferings did O'Mara vince and
lift his feet, first the right and then
the left, with peculiarly distressing
affcctation of agony.
Out of the corners of his eyes Halo
ran could see now and then the pretty
girl and Mrs. O'Mara. The mothers
expression was tenderly, yearningly
sympathetic, but the girl was asham-
ed. Her face grew redder and redder;
she clinched her hands nervously.
From time to time she tried TO break
off the story or to remedy some OBJ
vious ahsurdity.
We can't get hold of an honest doc
tor said O'Mara That's what's the
matter They're afraid. every mothers
son of 'em-afraid of the big corpora
ton. And my lawyers no better: he's
done nothing for months"
You see" said Mrs. O'NIara timidly.
Eve haven't much money
Money" echoed the SON why.
Wen have plenty of that if this case
ever comes to court Don't you wor.
ry, little mother You'll live in ease
and comfort the rest of your days or
I'm greatly mistaken"
. Il think we ought to 20 now" said
the pretty girl.
Halloran was thinking hard. He un-
derstoOd the case we'll enough 1t was
only little worse than some others
that he had seen. This young man. who
had doubtless been the support of his
mother, had become utterly worthless
as the result of his dream of gold. He
had perceived the opportunity of ex-
torting damages from the railroad COM
pany. and this vision Of easy money"
had destroyed his appetite for hard
work, if indeed he had ever had any.
Upon this latter point the lawyer had
considerable doubt. For OMara him
self Halloran would have done moth
ing, but Mrs. O'Mara had somehow
won his sympathy. He doubted the
possibility Of doing anything with the
suit for damages because it seemed
certain that, even if the young man
had sustained any real injury, he had
entirely recovered from it so that no
reputable doctor would testify for him.
Probably the best that could be done
for him was to drive the dishonest de
fusion out Of him by proving that his
case was hopeless.
who's your lawyer" he demanded
suddenly, interrupting flow of OMa-
ra's eloquence.
well, it's John NJ. Dolan," said
O'Mara. land I'm a good deal in doubt
about him."
He was going on to state the whole
case over again when Halloran assert
ed himself
Il haven't another minute" he de
clared. Here's my card. Come to see
me-"
The pretty girl stepped aside to let
him out, and under the influence of his
nervous irritation he thrust himself
through the crowd, cut the procession
like knife and made his way to the
club, where he Immediately began to
be remorseful because he had taken so
churlish a leave Of Mrs OMara.
Mara's a fakir and a fraud" said
he to himself. Il suppose that girls
engaged to him. Well, he's lost her; l
can see that. He's lost her love, sure
enough; but he'll never lose his moth
er'S, confound him.
The matter was still upon his mind
heXt day, and one of the first things
that he did after reaching his office
was to call up his learned friend John
NJ. Dolan by telephone. Mr. Dolan was
not in the front rank of the profession,
and he felt fiattered that so great a
man as Edmund Halloran should have
delgned to look up his number i'm the
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