The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-07-06
A Compromise
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[Original.l

Among those who befriended him and
threw into his hands whatever prac-
tice he could control was John Aims
worth, man who was supposed to be
rich. Ainsworth died soon after Trevor
made his acquaintance, and Trevor
considered his going great loss to
himself.
Shortly after Ainsworths funeral
Trevor was sitting in his Office wonder
ing if he would ever get another case
when young lady in deep mourning
came in. She was Dora, Mr.. Aims
wOrth's daughter. By her fathers
death she had been left alone, being
without mother or brother or sister.
"Good morning, Miss -Ainsworth,"
said the young man, rising and offer
ing her a seat. II hope there is some
thing can do for you, considering
your fathers kindness to me-"
''Oh, Mr.. Trevor, l am in such trou-
BILE. In addition to being an orphan 1
am a pauper."
"My dear Miss Ainsworth, how can
the heir to the Halliwell block be a
pauper?"
Il am not the heir to the Halliwell
block. A lawyer-I suppose you would
call him a shyster-has produced
deed from Mr.. Halliwell prior to the
one he gave father
Trevor was too astOnished for a few
minutes to give the girl any comfort
Then he asked:
"Was this deed offered before your
fathers deaths?
1T was this largely that killed him."
"Would you like me to see if can
do anything for your"
"Yes only have no money for law
yer's fees. The block was fathers
only property"
"Never mind that. Is Halliwell liv-
ingY
mountains after selling father the prop
erty. 1t was not worth much then.
Father bought it to enable Mr. Halli-
well to get away"
The result of this conversation was
that Trevor found that he must prove
the signature to the newly offered deed
a forgery or Miss Ainsworth must lose
her property. He had about hundred
dollars of what he had brought west
with him, and on this he started out to
the mountains to find Halliwell in or
der to get his testimony. chasing him
from place to place till at a mining viii
lage,in Nevada he found him, a broken
down prospector. He had been in
many a quarrel and in one of them had
an arm so badly shattered that the sur
geOn who attended him was obliged to
amputate 1t. Trevor promised to help
him in case the suit was won, and the
two started eastward.
Halliwell told Trevor that he had
never made deed to any one but Mr..
Ainsworth. and any other deed was I'M
questionably a forgery. But Trevor
had misgivings. He knew the reputa-
ton that Gibbs, the claimant, had
brought with him from his former
home for a very smart and unscrupu-
lous rascal His only hope was that
Halliwell himself would pronounce the
signature a forgery
When Trevor returned and reported
what he had done, Miss Ainsworth was
very grateful and, not understanding
such matters, hopeful For the first
time Trevor spoke without any enthu-
siasm as to winning the case.
At the trial, the preliminaries having
been gone through with, Trevor called
Halliwen and showed him the sigma
ture on the Ainsworth deed, which he
identified as his own. Trevor next
showed him the one on the Gibbs deed.
The court and the spectators, who
knew that the daughter of one Of their
most respected associates, who had
done more than any other to build up
their city, was to be made rich or
pauper by a word, sat Greatness. Hal
uwell scrutinized the signature for
fully FIVE minutes before answering the
question If he had written 1t; then,
looking up, he said unhesitatingly:
Eyes"
All eyes were turned upon the young
lawyer who had worked so hard for his
daughter and had failed.
He was as calm as ever. Turning to
the witness he asked:
"Mr. Halliwell. when did you lose
your right ar1n?'
about twelve years ago."
us your signature to this deed writ
ten with your right or with your left
hand"
MY left"
did you ever sign papers with your
left hand before losing your right
ARM"
mo"
THAT will do"
Trevor next called Gibbs and asked:
ION what date was your deed
given"
ut is dated Dec. 9, 1885,"
THAT was five years before Halli-
we'll lost his right arm, and yet this
deed is signed with his left hand"
Suddenly the blood forsook Gibbs
cheek. He had not known Of Halli-
wells loss Of his arm. He had written
him and copied the signature Of the re-
ply, and copied it SO wen that Hail.