The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-09-13
The End Of a
Lawsuit
A Lawyer Paved the
Way; a Woman Did
the Rest
By F. A. Mitchell

My friend Jernegan came into my
law Office one morning and said to me:
"Tom, my affairs have been in the
hands of Turner & Swift ever since my
dad died. and they have got them into
a frightful snarl. They now tell me
that I'm likely to lose everything. I've
concluded to take the management Of
the estate out Of their hands and put
it In yours"
This seemed to me like a doctor call
ed in to save patient that had been
given up by another doctor, but jim
Jernegan and l had long been chums,
and I couldn't refuse him. A tin box
full Of papers arrived at my Office, the
box being marked in gilt letters "Es-
tate Of James R. Jernegan." Jim's ia
Their, and l proceeded to an investiga-
ton.
The deceased had made fortune by
land speculation in which he had had
partner named Hausman. The two
had quarreled, each claiming the lions
share Of the property. This had start
ed lawsuit which had been inherited
with the property by the heirs. The
value Of the land had increased, but the
costs of the suit had increased proper
tionately. Hausman before his death
had transferred his interest to a man
named Starkweather, and Starkweath-
er had died, leaving it to his only
child, daughter.
found my client absolutely ignorant
Of the condition Of his interests in the
property. Don't talk to me about It,"
he said. II know nothing of law.
That's what hire you for" So was
obliged to work out the puzzle unaid-
ed. 1 found that there were just two
interests in the property-Jim's and
Starkweather's daughters. The law
yers had been playing these two inter-
ests Off the one against the other to
make business for themselves. I would
have brought about a settlement, but
the rascals had got the matter so tan
gled that this was impossible. There
was but one way to effect such result
and that was by union Of the two Op-
posing interests. Since one Of the par
ties was a man and the other woman
this might be effected by marriage.
But l saw no hope in such solution
The woman might be old; she might be
homely; she might be virago. And
even though she were young and at
tractive l knew that Jim would never
marry. When twenty-five or twenty
three years old he had been Tilted by a
girl he loved, and this had made him a
confirmed woman hater. He was now
thirty, frequented clubs and had no
home. / think that he would have
liked home, but could not have one
without wife, and he had no con.
fidence in any woman.
However, 1 determined to have a
look at the person who was fighting
Jim for the estate and ask her If she
would accede to something of no real
Importance as an excuse to call upon
her. l found woman of about twen-
ty-seven, handsome and apparently
otherwise attractive, except that her
disposition did not seem especially
amiable. But whether this was natu-
raj to her or had been engendered by
her fight for affluence in lieu Of pow
erty or some other cause was igno-
rant. Beyond this defect, which l was
obliged to admit was serious, there was
no reason why she should not make a
husband happy.
I dofarrpipaI 10 hrno,h ,>Ic- -
her. Beginning with statement of
how her lawyer had played off her in
terests against those of her opponent,
i entered into a detailed explanation
Of the tangle into which the two inter-
ests had been brought and finally end
ed by saying:
There is but one way in which the
property can be saved. The two inter-
ests should be united In one person."
How can that be?" she asked in
wOnderment.
by marriage"
"Then all 1 have to say is that the
property will be sunk"
made no rejoinder, but, gathering up
some papers had brought with me
took my leave. Any attempt to bring
two such persons together would be
; evidently futile. The lady was as
much in the hands Of her lawyers as
Jim had been In the hands Of his. She
knew nothing about the condition OF
affairs until l made my statement tc
her. She did not even know who was
her opponent. Until I informed he,
she had no idea how she had beer
used by her lawyers or that she was
In danger Of poverty, for they had
Kept her supplied with an income
taken from the principal.
! was not surprised, then, when In q
y lew weeks | received a call from he,
at my office
/ Would legal marriage" she asked
2 with this man who is endeavoring &c
e CHEAT me out of my property, without
|. my living with him, bring about a set
+ uement of this suitT'
: After some thought told her that q,
5 would help matters very much. 1 told
n her this not because would approve
r sucn marriage, for l would not and
r felt sure that it would bring about add
n