The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-05-12
LEGLL ADVICE

lice OF the peace, IS his ONCE door
closed behind his latest client. what
tansles ihese here married people kint
eli intoa
allus Wish, be said aloud when,
4 case Of thet kind comes Up, that i
couid talk to Maria about Il But 4
yhat the Bible says i true tie old.
soul amt bothered about Isgsults
now
Suddenly bis meditations were in-
| terrupted blythe opening 81 the door
and an elderly lads, carefully COINED.
ina silken dress OF uncertain antique
u, entered the squife's sanetaman and
confidently settled herself IN the most
comfortable unocelpied chair.
Squire Petldnson, I, began the Eop-
an, brlsquely i've never ben to court,
lbut I've gotiio 60 now
Lucinda Wiggins,' interrupted the
squire, sharply "afore you begin on
| your own business. / want to tell You
| some Of mine, II l could have made q
| wish a while ago. not bein' able 70
consult with Maria, as You know !
would have wished to have you come
in, 50 / could ask your advice. You've
known me nigh onto forty years, an
| / guess you know / amt one Of them
men tibet cry down women. No mann;
| | think at times their intuition beats
mems reason all to pieces. Now. got
q little legal matter I'd like to submit
to ye-knowin' your reputation for
secrecy
Now, L call thet q downright sem
s!ble statement, by a sensible man,
more'n you kin say of most Of EN-
commented the old lady.
s3Wallf, began the squire. this
here's the case. A man comes into
this Office today that used to own a
| good farm somewheres down on New
creek. He was always a rather easy
| goin' teller and didn't pay much at.
teltlon to farmin, After a couple Of
years Of bad fsFmin' the farm had
to be sold for taxes. His wife went
back to live with her father, and he,
thoroughly ashamed Of himself, went
out west. Now he's back here to try
to git back thet farm. He don't know
who owns It now, but as the law says
a tax title is no COED until after
certain length Of time, he still has
time to pay the taxes and keep the
land. He says his wife would know
all about IT. but he and his wife amt
on speakin' terms. l told him I'd In
teryiew her and he needn't see her at
ali Il he didn't want to, but the stub
born fool lowed as how he wouldn't
be beholden to her and ef he couldn't
git the land without her help he didn't
want It, because he felt she didn't Just
treat him right. Now, Lucinda, what
do you think OF tibet situation?"
Tibet mans a fool.o she said, Most
likely their quarrel don't amount to
nothin' anyway, and talkin' the case
over might bring 'em together agin.
She will know all about the land, but
you needn't tell either one Of them
what you're up to-" and her eyes
spa9sled with confidence in the wis
dom Of her suggestion.
WALL" purmured the squire, I'D
| like an awful lot to bring EN- to-
gether.p
Mrs, Virgins looked up quickly to
see who had interrupted them.
@silas," she stammered, then rose
quickly and moved towards the door.
Lucinda" answered the man,
The old squire had moved over near
the door and stood directly in front Of
Lucinda, cutting of her only means Of
escape from the room. Taking his
blackened pipe from his mouth, he be
gan slowly:
"silas, I've got expert advice about
tibet case O your'n and I've followed
it. Lucinda, you've got to make that
advice good II you're q woman Of your
own convictions. which think you
are. You said as how perhaps talkin'
over the case would bring tibet Teller
and his wife together. Wall, you and
Silas amt spoke in two years, but
you've got ter speak now. Lucinda
it's yer own husban' what wants TO
git back tibet farm, and you know
more about It than any one else, Now
you excuse me minute, while ! run
over 10 see Bill Stone about putting
in my winter supply of cord wood.
When come back, you kin tell me all
the facts in the case"
1t was fully an hour'before the squire
mounted the dusty stairs that led to
his dingy Office There sat SIlas and
Lucinda, their heads bowed over a.
sheet Of paper upon which silas fig
ured hopelessly. while Lucinda watch
ed silently, 49,
AT the squirrels entrance the man
arose and looked in every direction
save that Of the squire,
wall" he began, i've found out
Lucinda has my farm and i've just
been figurln' how much Il owed her,
taxes, interest and all. Seems her
lfother bought the farm In, and just
okora ha. dad ha gave her n deed for