River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-10-10

had been outwitted, trapped and, per-
haps, ruined; that the attempt to re-
cover the money by force had failed;
that further deception and intrigue
would likewise equally fail. This ath-
letic young man, muscled like black
smith, his hands clenched, his shout
ders thrown loosely forward, 1t were
folly to assail with blows. 1t were
equally folly to assail with wiles that
other there, calmly tearing the deed
to ribbons, running the strips of pa
per backward and forward through his
fingers.
warning, and yet the attorneys pres
ence of mind was not whit shaken.
His face held its set like plaster, not
a nerve quivered, not muscle sprung
he had been schooled to meet the
unforeseen. He had gone Though
thousand staggering crises where the
life, the reputation, the fortuna of his
client We're in flash periled. He un-
derstood instantly, judged the situa-
ton, and acted at once. He thrust
the pack of one thousand dollars, left
lying on the table, into his pocket
and helped his dazed client to his feet
and to the door. Then he turned
back to Randolph Mason.
Your destruction of this deed will
not do any good" he said. THE con-
tract for the sale of this tract of land
was definitely made and concluded,
here, in the presence of this notary as
witness; the signing of the deed is
mere physical act in no way affect
ing this sale. / shall at once institute
suit for the specific performance of
this contract of sale and have court
commissioner make the deed, If this
man refuses. The testimony of the
notary, as the only disinterested per-
son present, will insure the success of
that suit
stood looking closely at the man as
one might at some unusual phenome-
non in nature. Finally he spoke, as
though seeking to induce comment.
"You will hardly institute such
suit. think"
"Why will I not institute it?" re-
piled the attorney, his voice rising to
stronger volume.
Mason advanced slowly with his
verbal prodding.
We'll" he said, 'flet us say that
such suit would be founded on
moral wrong. This tract OF land is
thought by your client to be fabulous
ly rich. 1t lies, l believe, above
synclinal in the oil-bearing strata.
That is, it contains the oil reservoir OF
the whole region around it. 1t is
worth, your client tells me, a half
million dollars. To take 1t from the
owner for mere thousand would be
striking injustice If the law per-
mitted this wrong, would your con-
science permit it?"
The attorney standing at the door
| laughed without disturbing the mus
cles of his face.
| I'VE will take exactly what the
law gives us" he said.
81 thought that" replied Randolph
Mason, his prodding ended, his voice
now flashing like a whip, land, there
fore, l have taken care to see that the
law does not permit this wrong to be-
| come effective. If you look at chapter
ninety-eight of the Code of the state
in which this oil territory lies, you
will discover that no contract for the
sale of real estate can be enforced IN
| its courts unless that contract, or
some agreement or memorandum OF
it. be in writing and signed by the
party to be charged thereby or his
agents. A contract for the sale OF
land In that state may be made in
| the presence of a hundred witnesses,
every detail agreed 1t, the bargain
struck, or assented to, ended and yet
| it cannot be enforced in its courts
without some signed writing. This
act is called the Statute of Frauds.
ssmmend it, likewise, to you for the
value of it's name"
| The hope rising in Roger Sheltons
eyes, called up by the words or his
counsel, died there. His mouth, bleed
! ing from the impact of his enemy s
knuckles on the bone, fell into bag
| CIV gaping. He turned painfully
through the door. The attorney
remained a moment, looking at
Randolph Mason. He had been out
witted, baked, juggled with, then
| grilled on the fire, and yet he came
| forth unmoved, a Narraganset from
the stake. He followed his client
slowly out, his face placid as though
every nerve in it were cut.
The two bank directors, realizing
now the full import Of Mason's re-
markable strategy, came forward with
profound expressions of thankfulness