Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-07-05
' Nv Invisible
Client
] Ds6an 10 Servo Her b. -
Illegal Proceeding
BY R. Forsythe Emery
Copyright BY American Press Asso-
ciatipn. 1911.

Copyright by American fFsss 49, ~
% ciatipn. 1sl1. =
Observation-Disclosures
I am an attorney. One summer
svening-I was twenty-seven years old
It the time-while 1t was still daylight
I was sauntering on a thoroughfare
lined with dwellings. Passing under =
window situated but 4 few feet above
my head heard 4 woman's voice pro-
nounce my name In tone almost in
audible. / stopped and looked up.
From between the stats came the
words:
81 want q lawyer"
All being dark within, could see
nothing.
How do you know that I am law
yer?" asked. "How can ! serve your
There was no reply. l 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. l
waited few moments; then, thinking
that my lurking there under the win
dow might compromise my invisible
client, l walked on.
The next evening and the next for
several days l strolled by the house at
the same hour and even loitered few
moments under the window, but not q
whisper came from behind the blinds.
/ 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. II this were
true I would make . mistake, doing
great injury to my client A. well as
myself, by an interference.
am a methodical man and determin-
ed to begin periodically at the be
ginning. l must learn from the out
side who occupied the house, then
something about the occupants. l
hired a 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 q 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, l did SO, took basket Of
provisions into the kitchen and by
chatting with the cook learned that
the occupants were Miss Markley and
her niece, Miss Irene Benham, girl
between seventeen and eighteen. This
was all the information could secure.
but 1t was enough for beginning. II
Miss Marley was rich might be able
to find something through records Of
her property-that is, II 1t were real
estate. / went to the Offices of the
receiver Of taxes. but the name Elix-
abeth Marley was not on his list. 1t
occurred to me to look for the name
Of Benham, and I found 1.-The estate
Of Adoniram Benham. deceased" Here
was a pointer. II Irene Benham was
heir to this property 1t was possible
that her aunt was holding her a pris-
oner while she was attempting to get
her estate into her own hands. At the
court Of chancery was shown the
win Of Adoniram Benham, and the
case was plain. Irene Benham was
heir to property worth about half 4
million.
II Miss Markley were wicked enough
to fulfil the theory 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. I must get
into clandestine communication with
Miss Benham.
I bought a book suitable for pres
ent to young lady, prettily Alustrat.
ID, and sent it to her through the mail,
I sent no note Of explanation with 1t
nor wrote anything on the fiyleaf, but
the book itself contained communica-
tion. BY delicate understanding Of
words informed her who was, my
address. how she could reach me what