Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-04-09

to the bar. The first problem that
came up for her to solve after becom-
ing lawyer was whether she should
better practice awhile independently
of her tiance or form the expected
partnership with him at once Under
wood urged her to be married and en-
ter his office as his assistant for one
year with the partnership in view
This she rejected as incompatible with
her ideas of equality between the
sexes. She demanded a partnership.
and Underwood yielded.
Singularly enough before consum-
| mating the arrangement she wished to
] ask her former lover what he thought
about it. Why she should wish for the
| opinion of d man she had discarded
because he was not intellectual enough
for her does not appear. She could
| probably not have explained the mat
ter herself. 1t had been agreed be-
! tween her and Edgar that they should
! remain friends. She did not, therefore,
| hesitate to ask him whether she would
better remain for awhile independent
| or enter upon a partnership at once
Edgar looked at her stupidity for
awhile before replying. She was about
! to turn away from him disappointed
! when he said:
| Before tying yourself professionally
with any lawyer meet him in court as
his opponent
| There was something far down at
the bottom of this advice that appeal
Il cd To ho,, oh
-explain what it was, since she didn't
exactly see how such situation could
be brought about. Edgar. who was
| connected with corporation having
considerable law business, said he
would watch for an opportunity. 1t
was not long after this that his COM
| pany proceeded by law against
man for a debt. The defendants
counsel being Mr.. Underwood. Edgar
Marston secured the appointment Of
his former fiancee as counsel for the
company.
Mr.. Underwood was lawyer-not a
jurist but a practical court lawyer
from the crown of his head to the soles
of his feet Miss Spingler opened the
case by stating the companys claim
against the defendant. showing con-
clusively wherein he had acted with in
tent to defraud and how he had laid
himself criminally liable She had stud
led the law in the case carefully and
made an excellent presentment of both
the law and the case. There was no
doubt but that the defendant would
ha
either throw dust in the eyes of the
jury or work upon its sympathies.
When he arose to speak he referred
admiringly = somewhat patroniZingly.
Julia thought to his young oppo-
nent." as he called her. and to the in
genuity she had displayed in making
the law appear to be on the side Of the
company. while he was prepared to
show that it was all on the side of his
client. He would also show that the
facts in the case favored the defend
ant. AS he warmed up he began to
whirl both the law and the facts over
the heads of the jury at the same time
appealing to the prejudices of the
twelve men in what he called an Oc-
topus corporation sucking the blood
out OF an innocent man whom It had
purposely ruined for the sake Of suck
ing the little business he possessed
into its capacious nav.
Miss Spingier. who had considered
Mr.. Underwood to be full of the dig
nifty of the law. was appalled, at what
she considered an attack on plain JUS
tee Mr.. Underwood, who had won
success by snch handling of his cases
and had fought his male opponents
with far more detiling weapons. break
ing bottle of wine with them after
the trial. was oblivious to the fact that
his opposing counsel considered his
statements untrue that he knew they
were untrue and. moreover. that he
was personally attacking her from the
opening to the close of his speech.
The next matter that occupied the
court was the examination of wit
nesses Miss Spingler's indignation at
the treatment she had received was sc
great that She could barely settle her.
self to the work Of drawing out the
facts. While she was doing so her
opponent further antagonized her by
apparently paying no attention to her
When she had finished Mr.. Underwood
in cross examination destroyed every
point she had made proved her wit.
nesses perjurers and turned all hel
efforts to ridicule. His summing VI
was rather an attack on corporations
than statement Of his side Of the
case. The jury acquitted his client
without leaving their seats
Come. dear" said the defendants
counsel after all was over and they
were gathering lawhooks and putting
them in green bags; lets go to lunch
!. To his surprise. Miss Spngler swept
out of the courtroom without replying
to his invitation or otherwise noticing
him. Then for the first time it oc
Cured to him that woman might NOT
be constructed to stand the browbeat.
ing he had been accustomed to visit
on his male opponents. He looked
after her with a troubled expression