Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-07-27
The End Of a
Lawsuit
A Lawyer Paved the
Way; a Woman Did
the Rest
BY F. A mitchell

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
fnghtful 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
itin yours
This seemed to me like doctor call
ed In to save patient that had been
given up by another doctor, but jim
Jernegan and had long been chums
and couldn't refuse him. tin box
full of papers arrived at my Office. the
box being marked in gilt letters "Es
tate Of James r. Jernegan," Jims ia
Their. and 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 a 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
tonately. Hausman before his death
had transferred his interest to 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 die
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. found that there were just two
interests in the pfoperty-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. wouli
have brought about settlement. but
the rascals had got the matter so tan
gled that this was impossible. There
was but one way to effect such a result
and that was by union of the two OPP
posing interests. Since one of the par
ties was man and the other woman
But saw no hope in such a solution
The woman might be old; she might b;
homely; she might be virago. And
even though she were young and at.
tractive 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 lo
home. I think that he would have
liked home, but could not have one
without wife, and he had no con
fdence in any woman.
However, 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 upori
her. found woman of about TWEEN.
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 1 was igno
rant. Beyond this defect which | was
obliged to admit was serious, there was
no reason why she should not make a
husband happy.
determined to breach my plan to
her. Beginning with a statement of
how her lawyer had played Off her in
terests against those of her opponent
entered into 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 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 made my statement to
her. She did not even know who was
her opponent. Until informed her
she had no idea how she had been
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 a
few weeks received call from her
ut my Office.
"Would legal marriage" she asked,
with this man who is endeavoring to
cheat me out of my property, without
my living with him, bring about set
Element of this suitY'
After some thought told her that it
would help matters very much. told
hnr thiS nnf lt,aoa,,co would