Willmar tribune., 1910-03-16
TAKING A Law CASE
BY DAVID. WATERS.

BY DAVID WATERS -
copyright. 1910. by American Press Asso-
ciation.I
Here is a letter from client Of
ours, a Nine. Dubois" said the head
of the firm. asking US to send Il man
to her at l.. about litigation us to
real estate she is interested in. Take
the afternoon train. She'll meet you"
1t was Saturday. and | feared to get
caught in u country town over Sun
day. but was not accustomed to make
suggestions to my chief and did not
dare propose Il delay. arrived at L.
Just before the dinner hour, and. pass
ing out Of the station. saw a lady
about twenty-five years old sitting
alone in a buggy and keeping her eyes
on the throng of arrivals. 1t occurred
to me that she might have come to
meet me. and stopped before her.
The moment her gaze was fixed OH tie
q sudden look of joyful wonder came
into her eyes.
Are you Nine. Dubots?" l asked.
II am"
"And am Edmond Boyer. with
Twining & Twining. attorneys"
"Ah. c'est vous tit Is you, have
been expecting"
l got into the buggy with her. and
she drove me to her home. AS soon
as we alighted she began to stare at
me- Then she said to me in broken
French:
."Pardon. You are the image of my
late husband. When l saw you at
the station thought for moment
you were he arisen from the dead.
You bear French name. ! see. You
must be Of French extraction" =
MY father came to America from
Dijon before / was born.'
"From Dijon: My husbands family
live there. came from Paris few
months ago. am here to secure
some property that was owned by my
uncle. who came here years ago"
Mme Dubois showed me her hus-
bands likeness. and my resemblance
to him was astonishing. 1t was evi-
dent that he and had sprung from
the same stock, His widow must have
loved him very dearly, for she could
not disguise her feelings at meeting
one who resembled him. and she treat
ed me as though were he who had
returned to her,
My feelings at this treatment were
singular. While It was pleasant to
be coddled by pretty woman. my
amour propre was ruft1ed at being the
recipient of especial attentions as the
representation of another-a dead man
At one moment would experience a
delicious gladness. at the next would
knit my brows at the thought that
was being worshiped az wooden idol
Then when Nine. Dubois saw that
was troubled she would give me a
piteous look from her big black liquid
eyes, and was in heaven again.
My widow spoke but little English
and not word Of French. The con,
sequence was that we fell into pan,
tomime. and pantomlme Is often more
expressive than words. Indeed. love
can be better indicated by one look
than by dozen languages. soon
got used to representing another and
discovered that any omission of a dis.
play of affection for the dead had a
narrowing effect on the living.
OF course l did not get a proper
knowledge Of the business Nine. Du
bois wished to intrust to the flrm OF
Twining & Twining before the last
train had left Saturday night. She
declined to take the matter up on
Sunday. She was very methodical
Her first inquiry was what would be
the amount charged for legal services
I had been instructed to ask for d
retaining fee of $50, but declined tc
name any future amount. Next she
gave me an account Of how the prop
erty had been acquired and lastly 3
statement Of claims made upon it Ey
builders and others.
/ had been looking into the case OF
Nine Dubois three days when l re-
ceived a note from my employer ask
ing when l would return. replied
that. since our client spoke very little
English. much time must be spent in
getting the facts. Two days later
received Il peremptory order to return
at once.
l was standing in the hall bidding
Nine. dubois goodby when she said
to me:
"Ze retaining rargent? Must l pay
now?"
MY firm usually collects that before
taking Il case"
"Combien-how much did you say II
wasp
!. had forgotten that had given hel
an amount and replied that it would
be 500.
"Cent dollar!" she exclaimed, sur,
prised. You are dearer to me than
when We were first engaged"
In love effects are as likely to be
produced by blunders as by properly
expressed ideas. Lovers may be sepa,
rated or united by nistaking the mean.
ing of word. knew full we'll the
widow meant that my charge, was
greater than when had first named
it. but refused to put any such inter
probation upon her statement. Clasp
ing her in my arms. cried:
And you are dearer to me than my
life!.'
It mattered not to her that had ap
parently mistaken her meaning. aud il
mattered not to me that was to stand
not for myself. but in the place made
vacant by her late husband. She yield
ed to my caresses. and before leaving
for the train I waS .'anpa ped' not as