Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-01-30
Breach of
Promise Case
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD

While talking with Farmer Beasley
a young woman in widows weeds
came tripping along the road.
"Good morning. Mr.. Beasley." she
said cheerily.
"Mornin'. Mrs. Chambers" replied
Beasley.
"What a pretty woman" | remark
ed. "and what a pleasant smiler'
Well. rather" said Beasley. THAT
smile is capable o bowlin' over a hull
regiment o men"
"How does she do it?"
Just smiles at 'em. that's all she
does. She don't appear to give 'ep
no encouragement. though Ed Stumps
declared she give him a lot of it. He
come to me not long after she lighted
here and told me that he was goin'
to sue her for breach o. promise. !
told him. not to make a fool of him
self, but he wouldn't listen to me and
went down to the county seat and put
the case In the hands of an attorney.
'First time | met the wilder after
Stumps sued her for blightin' his
affections | reckoned when | seen her
comm that she'd look kind o. serious.
but she didn't. l said good mornin
to her and asked her how her suit
vas comm on. and she said 1t was
interestin'. The women generally sued
the men for breach of promise. and she
reckoned she was the only In
the state that had ever been compli-
mented that way.
by crackey. She seemed to be
proud of 1t. | asked her If she want
afeared of havin' to pay a big sum
n she said she'd be very much
mortified If the jury stuck her for a
little one. Funny creatures women
are. aren't they?
when the trial come around | went
down to the courthouse. She was
there takin' care of her own case
She examined the men summoned for
Jurors herself. and you'd ought to
heard the questions she asked. 1t was
like this: Are you married or single.
Mr.. JonesY with that smile o. bern,
oh. a bachelor. eh? Were you ever in
love, Mr.. Jones? Have you a proper
reverence for IL sex? Do you think
that if you were Tilted you'd consider
money an equivalent for your broken
heart? Mr.. Smith. you say you are
married. Happy match? Does your
wife ever git Jealous? How much do
you think would have repaid you If
she had refused to marry you after
you had courted her?'
A-l Ill 49, 49, n - a
she just sot there and smiled. shown
her white teeth between her rosy lips
Some on 'em she turned down. and
some on 'em she let through, but she
didn't take n time about 1t, which
ever way she decided. Nobody could
tell from her questions whether she
vas goin' to turn a man down or let
him on to the jury.
when the twelve Jurymen were
ready for work they was the most
self satisfied lot o. men l ever see
together. They all settled themselves
down In their cheers as If they was
goin' to have the time O. their lives.
The judge. he looked cheerful too. The
plaintiffs counsel a~pologized to the
defendant. but conscientiously work
ed for his client Whenever he said
anything about the widder's ropin
him in she just laughed as though
she thought it very funny. And when
he read some soft solder she had
written the plaintiff she sat lookin'
at the jurymen with that smile o.
her'n on her lips, and 1T seemed to me
that every one of 'em couldn't help
thinkin' that she was sayin' 1t to
him specially.
"When the lawyer got through the
wilder arose to make her defense.
May it please the court and she
smiled at the judge, When she said
Gentlemen of the jury she spoke
the word gentlemen as though every
one on 'ein had been born in an ala
baster palace with Jeweled doors and
windows. She said she'd have TO
throw herself On the courts mercy.
because Mr.. Stumps was SO nice to
her she just couldn't help sayin' nice
things to him too. She was awful
sorry about 1t all and really thought
he ought TO have a considerable verde
In fact. II she'd been rich she'd "a paid
him a large sum-. SEEM she couldn't
love him. without compellin' him to
take his ease into court
Reckon this puzzled the jury some
They didn't seem to know which way
to bring in the case to the widder's
satisfaction. If they allowed Stumps
the $4,000 damages he claimed the
wilder would have to pay It. If they
found for him with a few cents dam
ages it wouldn't he complimentary to
the wilder So when the judge gave
'em the case they retired to the jury
room TO talk it over They all agreed
on favorib the defendant. but didn't
know how TO favor her most. AT last
ono nm .om a N oldiSh ma rriod man