The Dolores star., 1912-02-09

with . door opening from
one to another. These
doors could also be closed.
SHIPS" Lawyer Gooch would say.
are constructed for safety. with sep
arate. water-tight compartments In
their bottoms. II one compartment
springs q leak II Nils with water: but
the good ship goes on unhurt. Were
II not for the separating bulkheads
one leak would sink the vessel. Now
II often happens that while l am oc-
cupied with clients other clients with
conflicting interests call. With the a..
sistance Of Archibald-an once boy
with q FUTURE cause the dan gerous
influx to be diverted into separate
compartments. while I sound with my
legal plummet the depth Of each. II
necessary. they may be baled out into
the hallway and permitted to escape
by way Of the stairs. which we may
term the lee scuppers. Thus the good
ship OF business Is kept afioat; where
a. II the element that supports her
were allowed to mingle freely In her
hold we might be swamped-ha. ha.
hal"
The law Is dry. Good jokes are few.
Surely II might be permitted Lawyer
Gooch to mitigate the bore Of briefs.
the tedium OF torts and the Freshness
Of processes with even so light levy
upon the good property Of humor!
Lawyer Gooch's practise leaned
largely to the settlement Of marital
infelicities. Did matrimony languish
through complications. he mediated.
soothed and arbitrated. Did It suffer
from Implications. he readjusted. de-
Tended and championed. Did Ar
rive At the extremity OF Implications.
he always got light sentences for his
clients.
But not always was Lawyer Gooch
the keen. armed. willy. belligerent.
ready with his two-edged sword to lop
OF the shackles Of Hymen. He had
been known to build up instead Of de-
molishing, to reunite. instead Of sever
ting, to lead erring and foolish ones
back into the fold instead Of scatter
ing the flock. Often had he BY his
eloquent and moving appeals sent hus-
band and wife. weeping. back isto
each Others arms. Frequently hs had
coached childhood 90 successfully that.
at the psychological moment land at
q given signaD the plaintive pipe OF
Papa. won't you tum home adam To
mo and muvver? had won the day
and upheld the pillars Of tottering
home.
Unprejudiced persons admitted that
Lawyer Gooch received a. big fees
= from these re-yoked clients a. would
have been paid him had the cases
been contested in court. Prejudiced
ones intimnted that his fees were
doubled, because the penitent couples
always came back later for the d..
vorce. anyhow.
There came . season In June when
the legal ship OF Lawyer Gooch ito
borrow his own figure) was nearly be-
Gained. The divorce mill grinds slow.
iy in June II 10 the month Of Cupid
and Hymen.
Lawyer Gooch. then. sat idle IN the
middle room Of his ciientless suite. A
small anteroom connected--or rather
separated-this apartment from the
hallway. Here was stationed Archi-
bald. who wrested from visitors their
cards or oral nomenclature which he
bore to his master while they waited.
Suddenly. on this day. there came .
great knocking at the outermost door.
Archibald. opening II. was thrust
aside as supernuous by the visitor
who. without due reverence. At once
penetrated to the once Of lawyer
Gcoch and threw himself with eood-na-
tured insolence into . comfortable
chair facing that gentleman.
you are Phinens C. Gooch, attor.
ney.at.law" said the visitor. his tone
Of voice and infection making his
words at once . question. an assertion
and an accusation.
Before committing himself BY . 70.
ply. the lawyer estimated his possible
client In one Of his brief but shrevd
and calculating elances.
The man was Of the emphatic type
--iarge-siled. active. bold and debon.
air In demeanor. vain beyond . doubt.
slightly wagering. ready and at ease.
He was well clothed. but with . shade
too much ornatsnesa. He Vas seeking
Q lawyer: but II the fact would ssem
TO saddle him with troubles they were
not patent in his bsaming eye and
courageous air.
MY name 10 0ooch." at length the
lawyer admitted. Upon pressure he
would also have confessed to the
Phineas c. But he did not consider Il
good practise TO volunteer Information.
II DID not receive your card" he con.
tinued, by way Of rebuks. 80 l."
- know you didn't" remarked the
visitor. coolly: and you won't just
yet. Light upf" He threw leg over
an arm chair. and tossed . handful
Of rich.hued cigars upon the table.
Lawyer Gooch knew the brand. He
thavsd Just enough 70 accept the isvi.
tation 10 smoke.
-You are . divorce lawyer" said