The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-02-06
A Breach Of
Promise Case
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

~ ''Ao " Wv" ~ "SS'h
came tripping along the road. e..
Good morning. Mr.. Beasley," she
said cheerily,
"Mornin'. Mrs. Chambers" replied
Beasley.
what a pretty woman" | remark
Cd, land what a pleasant smiley'
well. rather" said Beasley. THAT
smile is capable o bowIin' 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 'em
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'
10 III 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 I met the wilder after
Stumps sued her for bIightin' his
affections ! reckoned when | seen her
comm that she'd look kind o serious.
but she didn't. | said good mOrnin'
10 her and asked her how her suit
was comm on. and she said It was
1nterestin'. The m generally sued
the men for breach Of promise. and she
reckOned she was the only woman In
the state that had ever been cOmpli-
nented that way.
"By crackey! She seemed 70 be
proud of It. | asked her IL she want
afeared Of havin' to pay a big sum.
and she said she'd be very much
mortified II the jury stuck her for a
Attle n Funny creatures women
are. aren't they?
when the trial come around I 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
Nike this: Are you married or single.
Mr.. JOnes?' with that smile o her'n,.
oh. r bachelor. Ell? Were you eve in
love. Mr. Jones? Have you a proper
reverence for sex? DO you think
that II yon were fitted you'd consider
money an equivalent for your broken
heart? Mr. Smith. you say you are
married. Happy match? Does your
wife ever cit jealous? How much do
you think would have repaid you II
she had refused to marry you after
you had cOurted herY
"And all the time she was talkin'
she Just sot there and smiled. shown
her white teeth between her rosy lips
Some on EN- she turned down. and
some on EN- she let through. but she
didn't take any time about 1t. which
ever way she decided. Nobody could
tell from her questions whether she
was goin' to turn a man down or let
him OF 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 II they was
goin' to have the time o. their lives.
The Judge. he looked cheerful too. The
plaintiffs counsel apolOgized TO the
defendant. but cOnscientiOnsly. work
ed for his client, Whenever he said
anything about the widder's rOpin
him in she just laughed as though.
she thought 1t very funny And when
he read some soft solder she had
written the plaintiff she sat lookin'
At the jurymen with that smile o
bern on her lips. and it seemed to me-
that every one Of 'em couldn't help
thinkin' that she was sayin' 1t tn
hin specially.
"when the lawyer got through the
widder arose to make her defense,
May 1t please the court and she
smiled at the judge. When she said
Gentlemen Of the jury she spoke
the word gentlemen as though every
enc on 'em had been born In an ala.
baster palace with jeweIed doors and
windows. She said she'd have to
throw herself on the courts mercy.
her she just couldn't help sayin' nice
things to him too. She was awful
sorry about It all and really thought
he ought to have a considerable verdic'
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 a into court.
"Reckon this puzzled the jury some
They didn't seem to know which way
to bring in the a to the widder's
satisfaction. II they allowed Stumps
the $2O.OOO damages he claimed the
wilder would have to pay It. II they
found for him with a few cents dam.
aees 1t wouldn't be complimentary to
ne widder. So when the judge gave
EN- the case they retired to the jury
noon to talk It owe They all agreed
"a favOrin' the defendant. but didn't
know how to favor her most. At last
enc on EN-. an oldish married man.
Mt the nail on the head. and they all
went hack into the courtroom feelin'
1rst rate.
".Your honor said the foreman.
we've fonnd for the plaintiff with
91OO.OOO damages. but OWN to tx