Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-01-19
Serving a
Summons
By RYLAND BELL


young army officer, was a spendthrift
and soon got the estate tangled up.
After a consultation with their
attorney a plan was proposed by
bilities which would force the creditors
to get service on him in order to COM
mence a suit AS soon as the papers
were executed Ned went into hiding
in order that such service could not be
obtained. the object being to delay
judgment and execution while efforts
were being made to turn certain por-
tons of the estate into money with
which to save the rest.
1t was not long before the creditors
attorneys got on to the game, and
number Of detectives were employed to
hunt up the young officer. He had
hunted Indians SO long and had learn
ed from them so many stratagems that
he was far better equipped for the
work in hand than one would suppose.
The trouble was that it was impossible
for him to keep himself shut up. For
one who had roamed on the western
plains to remain within four walls was
out of the question. However, since
the saving of fortune depended on
taking great care to keep away from
the bailiffs. he consented to abide in a
house in the country secured for the
purpose.
For few days the young cavalry
man busted himself in a library there
was at hand; but, firing of this, he
asked for a horse that he might occa-
sionally ride in the open. The attor-
neys sent him the swiftest animal they
could find Just before the first ride
he took he sent man out to scan the
surroundings for process servers. None
appearing, Ned mounted his horse and
started. A man suddenly appeared in
the road before him, throwing up his
arms to stop the horse, But Ned gave
the animal the spurs and had the man
not jumped aside would have run him
down. AS it was, he escaped before
the man could read a word of the sum-
mons. But Ned did not think it pru-
dent to return till after nightfall
A few days later while Ned was sit
ting at a desk before a window on the
ground floor writing letter head
bobbed up on the other side Of the win
dow, and man began to read sum-
mons. Ned kept a small revolver in
his pocket for emergency use and,
drawing it, began to put shower Of
bullets in circle about the fellows
head. The process server ducked and
beat a retreat.
1t occurred to Lieutenant Whittlesey
that he had laid himself liable to ar
rest and had better change his location.
He sent his orderly, whom he had with
him, to his brother with a suggestion
that he provide another hiding place
for him and. leaving his present quar-
tiers, bivouacked that night in a wood.
The next day his orderly returned to
him with instructions as to a new
abode which was easily obtained, for
the Whittlesey estate consisted of a
number of houses, several Of which
were vacant. The one now provided
for him was furnished. He was COM
Portable there, and all might have gone
well could he have been satisfied to
remain for a short time prisoner.
| But he insisted on riding out every
day, and the bailiffs got on to him.
One morning Whittlesey was stand
! ing by window shaving when he
| heard a series of shrieks in the yard
beneath him. Throwing up the win
dow and looking out, he saw a young
woman struggling with several men,
| The window was not over ten feet
! from the ground, and Whittlesey, in
shirt and trousers, one half his face
| lathered, the other clean shaved, jump
| ed down among the trio. He knocked
one man down. The other pulled a
summons from his coat pocket, but
before he could begin to read it Whit
tlesey dropped him. The woman broke
into laugh, and Ned beat a hasty re-
! treat.
The lawyers sent him word that If
he could avoid the bailiffs three days
longer they would have carried through
sale which would relieve the situa-
ton. Ned solemnly resolved that he
would keep within doors and risk moth
ing.
On the third day he was sitting in
a room on the second f1oor-he would
not go any lower for fear of being sur
prised-when he heard something
drop. Without an open window stood
a tree, limb Of which grew to with
ing few feet Of the opening. Turning
his head. Ned saw that woman had
sprung from this limb into the room.
Ned sat for a moment, so astonished
that the intruder got ahead of him.
Like a flash she passed to the door,
locked it and threw the key out
through the window
Ned saw that the game was up. The
g1rl-for such she was. and comedy, toe
began to read a summons to him
and. being too gallant toward her sex
| 70 or ~ vSog~