Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1914-01-10

BIDDING FOR A Wife


June day with horse and buggy,
young man smiled and laughed an'
! hummed. He Knocked a crow, and h
shouted at a farmer In the field. Nov
and then lie slapped his leg, and nov
and then he gave the old horse a Gu
; with the whip. and few seconds latei
begged his pardon for the act.
Mr.. Ralph Warrenton, attorney and
counsellor at law, was resident Of
the town of Dorset, where he wai
neither beloved nor despised.
He had set up law Office on moth
ing. and still had his original capital
and was in debt besides. He had four
clients in three years, and had lost
their cases for them with promptness
and dispatch.
II was the general opinion that he
didn't know much about law, and that
some day he would get discouraged
and go into partnership with the town
cooper.
They hadn't been fair to young War
renton. They are never fair to the
young man who starts out without
money or influence to make his way in
the world. A pull Is needed, and
when one has 1t his road Is plain and
easy to travel.
Ralph Warrenton was smart, but he
wasn't in with the ring. 1t could
neither be said that he had money or
was making money, and so the clients
carried their easy cases to other law
yers and gave him those without
hope. He didn't amount to much so
cially. How could he when he couldn't
buy dress suit nor join club? He
had raised the money two or three
times to buy a chance at the grab
bag" at church festivals, but that
hadn't helped him much.
In the first place, how could the
briefless young lawyer afford to be
riding about In a livery rig at an ex-
pense of $3.50?
In the second, why was the grin on
his face 80 broad and merry that one
was reminded of eating hot maple
sugar on a white maple chip out in the
spring sugar bush?
He had a cool ten thousand dollars
right in his pocket He had been over
to Iona to get 1t cashed. He had been
left that sum in his grandfather's will.
and as no one had contested the will
on the grounds that the old man was
of his perch the legacy had come
along. And knowing all that the
money meant to him the young man
wanted to ring out the fire depart
ment.
"Doggone your hide. are you
blind?"
The horse was driving himself, and
had almost run over an old man who
was padding along In the middle of
the highway.
whoa there! l didn't see you.
beg your pardon and hope you are not
hurt"
"You needn't hope anything about
It! You are a darn mean mani If you
had run over me I'd have you in
PRISON."
Again l beg your pardon"
You needn't beg nothin'. l know
you. You are that young whipper-
snapper lawyer from town, and you
tried to set a party up to make me
troubled"
But l don't remember you" said
the lawyer.
Il don't care whether you do or not!
If you ever try to run over me again
I'll give you a dose of your own lawl"
Young Warrenton's spirits were
somewhat chilled as he drove on, but
he entered Dorset with most Of his
smile back and drove to the bank to
open an account. The Difference ex-
tended him was balmy. It makes a
heap of difference to banker whether |
you come to deposit or to borrowl
by the way" said the banker as the |
business was concluded, why don't |
you pick up a good real estate invest
ment with a part Of this money!"
"Why, / might" was replied. do
you know the Isabel farm?"
mo"
"A mortgage has been foreclosed or
Il, and 1t is to be sold to the highest |
bidder tomorrow. OF course the old /.
man Carney, who held the mortgage,
will bid it in If he can. No one may |
bid against him, rs no one wants trou-
BILE with him. He'll get farm worth
all of $1,000 for less than $500. By
laying out $1,000 in improvements you
will have a $4,000 farm there. Better
30 out and make bid. like to see
young men get along"
And this was the banker to whom
the lawyer had been introduced twice,
but who didn't remember his name
three days ago when passing him on
the street He was now anxious to
throw something good in the young
mans way.
Mr.. Warrenton drove out to the farm
the next morning. No one had arrived
yet, and he knocked at the door OF the
to make some inquiries. He
started back when 1t was opened by a
Young girl whom he thought must have L