Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-12-23
A Game Of Bluff

old, whom I had never seen before.
When asked what l could do for him
he said that he wished me to bring
suit against wealthy young widow
for $4,000 for breach of promise OF
marriage. Mrs. Fanny Bissell was
twenty-five years old, rich, vivacious,
pretty and desperate flirt. Hamilton,
my client, had met her during the sum-
mer. He found her a notorious co
quette who did not scruple to engage
herself to dozen lovers at one time.
ut occurred to me,' he said, ito
punish her for such nefarious prac
tees. It's not money 1 want. I've got
all Of it l need. Nevertheless | wish
you to bring suit for $5O,OOO''
l took the case, but before proceed
ing legally made inquiries about the
principals. l learned that all the plain
tiff had said about the defendant was
true. also found that Jack Hamilton,
as his friends called him, had no bet |
ter reputation in such matters than the |
woman he accused Of decorating his |
heart strings. l sent polite nos to |
Mrs. Bissell making the demand on
my office to see me- She was, or pre-
tended to be, highly indignant with |
Hamilton, averring that she hardly re-
membered him, but she tried to fine |
out from me what evidence he pos
sessed in the shape Of letters. Hamil- |
ton had confessed to me that he had |
not a scrap of written evidence, but |
expected me to make bluff and he |
would not blame me in case of defeat |
[ therefore informed her that l could |
not give her any Information as to mr.
clients side Of the caSe-but she would,
Of course, remember what she ha1 |
written Mr.. Hamilton. With charm
ing naivete and a lugubrious smile, she
admitted that she had said and written
a great many foolish things during the
summer, and it would not be possible
to say just what she had written any
special admirer.
"Well," she said at the end Of the in
terview, II SUPPOSE l shall have to pay
something. Must l pay it all?"
"Why not retain counsel and put in
a defenseY
ooh, dear, no! Have everybody
laughing at me? Not by any means!.
I'd rather pay it all"
Suppose you make an Offer"
"Tell him I'll pay half"
She had scarcely left my Office when
Hamilton came into it. When I told
him that the lady would settle out of
court, paying $4,000, look Of disap-
pointment crossed his face. I asked
him if he didn't think the amount
enough, and he replied it was equiva
lent to paying $4,000 rather than mar
ry him.
II suppose" he added lugubriously,
"she thinks she's getting off cheap.
Tell her that her offer is not accepted"
1t was plain that money had nothing
to do with the case-at least so far as
my client was concerned-so gave no
advice combining myself to obeying or
ders. Transmitting the refusal to the
defendant, l received by way Of reply
an offer of $4,000. This was declined,
and the amount offered was raised $5,-
600 at time till the full amount claim
ed was reached, when Hamilton direct
ed me to add demand Of $4,000 for
counsel fees. I demurred at making
such q charge, but he insisted, and I
made the demand Of Mrs. Bissell She |
agreed to pay 1t, and I supposed the
case was closed, but Hamilton demand
ed a written apology for trifling with
his affections.
This demand was Indignantly de-
clined Then Hamilton directed me to
say to Mrs. Bissell that If she would
meet him at my Office and in my pres
ence say that she regretted her f1irta-
lions with other men he would drop
the case without the payment Of any
money whatever. To this, after a long
delay, the widow assented
The meeting was to take place at 3
o'clock on a certain afternoon Hamil-
ton asked me to stay away from my
office at the hour the lady was expect
ed-that is, to be late in coming. | left
directions that when either of. the two
arrived he or she was to be shown into
lily DIlNdLC OlaCC. l. dIIlNCu dL udIE
past 3. Hamilton and Mrs. Bis
sell had arrived and were so engaged
with each other that they did not
notice my coming. Indeed, they were
clasped in each others arms. 1 cough
ed to make them aware of my pres
ence; they started and Hamilton came
forward.
"You have won the case 1 wanted to
win," he said "and l will now explain.
Having been one Of a number of those
with whom the defendant in this case
had trifled 1 determined to withdraw
without proceeding to a climax and
sue for damages. had no case, for
Mrs. Bissell had never promised to be
my wife. Indeed, had never asked
her. But she had promised so many
that when 1 brought my bluff suit she
naturally supposed 1 was one of her
accepted suitors. If l have not pun
ished her 1 have at least taken away
+I,o +p FOR boT 70 do o,,-