Devils Lake weekly world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1914, 1911-08-18
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My Invisible
Client
I Began to Serve Her by an
Illegal Proceeding
By R. Forsythe Emery
Copyright by American Press Asso-
IL
BY R. Forsythe Emery
Copyright by American Press Asso
citation, 1911.

II citation, 1911.
|. ! 1. l2.a.as.s.
am an attorney. One summer
EVENING" was twenty-seven years old
at the time-while it was still daylight
I was sauntering on thoroughfare
lined with dwellings. Passing under
window situated but few feet above
my head heard a woman's voice pro-
nounce my name in a tone almost in
audible. l stopped and looked up.
From between the Stats came the
words:
Il want lawyer"
All being dark within, l could see
nothing.
How do you know that 1 am law
yer?" asked "How can serve you"
There was no reply. listened, but
could hear nothing more. There was
but one Interpretation. Some one must
have entered the room whose presence
put an end to the conversation.
waited few moments; then, thinking
that my lurking there under the win
dow might compromise my invisible
client, walked on.
The next evening and the next for
several days strolled by the house at
the same hour and even loitered few
moments under the window, but not
whisper came from behind the blinds.
I formed many theories as to what
had occurred. 1t was evident that
some one-the voice seemed to belong
to a young woman-was detained I'M
willingly. But why? To this there
were many possible answers. There
was one that caused me to doubt the
expediency Of pursuing the matter any
further. The person might be feeble
minded-perhaps insane. If this were
true l would make a mistake, doing
great injury to my client as well as
myself, by an interference.
am methodical man and determin-
ed to begin methodically at the be-
ginning. I must learn from the out
side who occupied the house, then
something about the occupants.
hired boy to watch the premises at
that hour in the morning when trades
men deliver provisions, note the names
on the wagons calling and make list
of them. In this way easily secured
several firm names, one Of grocer Of
whom bought my own supplies, and
he gave me the name Of the person to
whom he sent goods at the premises
in question. 1t was Miss Elizabeth
Marley, a rich lady about fifty years
old.
My next move was to obtain permits
sion Of the grocer to go on his wagon
and deliver goods myself. Putting on
old clothes, did so, took basket OF
provisions into the kitchen and by
chatting with the cook learned tina,
the occupants were Miss Markley and
her niece. Miss Irene Benham, a CIR
between seventeen and eighteen. This
} was all the information could secure
but it was enough for beginning. II
} Miss A1arkley was rich might be able
to find something through records Of
her property-that is, if it were rea
estate. l went to the offices Of the
receiver of taxes, but the name Eliz
abeth Markley was not on his list. II
occurred to me to look for the name
of Benham. and found "the estate
of Adoniram Benham, deceased" Here
was pointer. If Irene Benham was
heir to this property it was possible
that her aunt was holding her pris
oner while she was attempting to gel
her estate into her own hands. At the
court of chancery was shown the
will of Adoniram Benham. and the
case was plain. Irene Benham was
heir to property worth about half a
million.
If Miss Markley were wicked enough
to fulfill the theory I had formed of
her it would be necessary to fight her
with fire. dare not make any open
move whatever lest she should remove
her niece to some hiding place where
she could not be found. l must get
into clandestine communication with
Miss Benham.
bought book suitable for pres
ent to young lady, prettily illustrat-
ed. and sent it to her through the mail.
I sent no note of explanation with it
nor wrote anything on the fyleaf. but
the book itself contained communica-
ton. BY delicate understanding of
words Informed her who l was. my
address, how she could reach me, what
l had learned about her and my sus-
picion. was doubtful Of the success
of this maneuver, for If her aunt were
watching her she would examine the
book closely before allowing her niece
to have it. For this reason did not
begin my message before the fifteenth
page and made my interlineations so
faint that no one except one reading
the book would notice them.
l waited week for a result to my
expedient. When it came l was sure
no ordinary message could leave the
Marley home without being carefully
inspected. The reply was an adver.
Using card Of a secondhand bookstore.
l should not have thought of it's being
a reply to my message had not the
name Of the firm been UNDERSIGNED in
pencil. went to the bookstore and
asked If they had any communication
for me. They said they had not. !
went away disappointed. and while
walking along thinking of possible
explanation Of the problem it occurred
to me that the book l had sent Miss
Markley might have been sold to the