Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-06-14

ohcoSc0- Lawyers get INTO the 1aD1t
OF noticing details. and some of them
little as one might suppose 1t to look
at them-really know the difference
between well-dressed and an expen-
sively dressed woman.
While his sharp eyes were thus TAX
ing note OF externals he was shaking
hands with her, hoping she had had a
pleasant voyage, inquiring whether
she had found tolerably comfortable
quarters in London, and getting her
seated in the clients chair His own
chair was fixed upon pivot He gave
1t half-turn, so that he sat sideways
to the writing able and facing his Wis
ltor. Then he threw one leg over the
other, placed his elbows upon the arms
| of the chair rested his chin upon his
folded hands, and said:
We'll, Mrs. Fenton, / must congrat-
ulate you upon your good fortune 1
need hardly tell you that it has come
as something of a surprise to those
who knew your poor father"
And to me, too" answered Mrs
Fenton (she had a sipgularly musical
voice, he noticed). Sometimes 1 used
to hope that he might perhaps have
forgiven me; but 1 never thought of
his leaving his money to me. I dare
say l ought to have written and yet
/ doubt even now whether he would
have answered me IL had"
Mr.. Brefdt shook his head. I'm all
probability he would not. There is 90
harm in my telling you that 1 have
| drawn up more than one will for him,
and under none OF them, except the
last, which he signed on the very day
Of his death would you have received
more than an insignificant legacy"
Mrs. Fenton looked rather sorry for
a moment, but a smile broke out upon
her lips as she said, We'll, at any
rate. he must have forgiven me at the
last; and I think that in his heart he
must always have cared a little for
me, though j was such bad daughter
| to him."
ITO tell you the truth" answered he.
bluntly. Il doubt whether the Deans
last will was prompted SO much by
.paternal affection as by avuncular
spite. His nephew, whom he had al
ways intended to be his heir, was fool
ish enough to offend him. and he was
not the man to let any offense, how
ever venial, go unpublished"
4 Ills AOPnCW ICpCdlSu fen-
ton, with raised eyebrows; who would
that be. / wonder?"
Mr.. Frederick Musgrave, the only
son of the Deans only brother. You
will, perhaps, remember that the Dean
had a brother"
She made a sign of assent. 1T have
heard of him, but I never saw him. He
was a rich merchant. My father
- a., T. 4 = .
by engaging in trade of any kind, and
so they were not on speaking terms"
| Exactly. Well. Mr.. Thomas Mus
grave died bankrupt, and your faith
er adopted the orphan, who was then
boy of Is or 16, and is now young
man of six or seven and twenty Very
unfortunately for him. he recently took
it into his head that he had a talent
| for dramatic composition, and employ
! ed himself in writing plays instead of
| trying to obtain a practice at the bar,
as his uncle wished him to do. The
consequence is that he now finds him
self with a capital of 10000 instead OF
| the 100000 which he had every rea-
son to count upon"
"Oh. poor fellow!" exclaimed Mrs.
Fenton, impulsively. And then, after
pause, rs he nice young MANI"
In my humble opinion he is a very
nice young man." replied the lawyer,
| smiling.
Mrs. Fenton looked down for mo-
ment or two at the pearl-gray Suede
gloves which fitted her little hands so
perfectly. When she raised her eyes
/ there was a look of appeal and doubt
in them which might have softened
the heart of any lawyer in Bedford
Row.
Mr. Breffit," said she, do you think
ought to take all this money from
my cousin?"
my dear madam" said Mr.. Breffit,
| for he was little touched. and ne did
not choose her to think that he was
| touched, Il am a solicitor; l am not
the Pope. and have no pretensions to
adjudicate upon matters of conscience.
AS a solicitor however. l may say
that you cannot help taking what is
legally yours"
But 1 may part with what is legally
mine"
You can execute a deed of gift. no
doubt No doubt also your cousin
would decline to accept such a gift.
Still, you might try"
There was a rather long pause. dur
ing which Mrs. Fenton cast down her
eyes once more. while the lawyer
smiled little cynically. But all the
cynicism was shamed out of him when
she began to speak again. because her
voice trembled, and ii was evident that
| the tears were not very far off.
II feel as II ought to give the mon
4 ha ct aa nj x.af ic
hard-I suppose you can't imagine how
hard II is! My husband. as dare say
YOU know, was a music-master; and
while he lived, his profession. which he
carried on first in New Zealand and
then at Sydney. brought us in just
enough to keep us going; but he had
long and expensive illness. and when
he died 1 was left very nearly desti-
tute. Everybody tells me that might
have made a great deal OF money by
my voice II only 1t had been . little
more powerful: but unluckily ii is not
strong voice. and so l have had to
earn what I could by giving lessons
and sometimes singing at concerts.
Upon the whole. have been moder-
| ately successful; still, have saved
next to nothing, and always 1 have
had before me the specter OF a power
| ty- stricken old age. Won't you advise
me. Mr.. Breffit? l don't know that
shall take your advice If you tell me
that l ought TO resign everything to
my cousin. because 1t would be so
dreadful to have come all this way
only to be disappointed at last But
but / should be very glad IL you
could tell me that / am not bound to
| do so.'
There was 3 candor and a pathos.
and even a touch of suppressed hu-
NOR. in this which fairly vanquished
| Mr.. Breffit. who burst out laughing.
My dear young lady" said he. you
must not distress yourself with such
quixot!c scruples. I don't mind own
| ing 10 you that think Fred has been
hardly dealt with. Still he is q young
man and can work for himself. BY the
way, you viii have 10 prove that you
| N-os,- fathers darvhters