Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1919-07-24
A Minimum
Fee
By AUGUSTUS c. sHERwIN
Copyright 1919. By western Newspaper Union.j


OF ten local stOrekeepers. and It's men,
bers expressed good Zeal Of curl
oslty and interest at monthly meet
ing where II had been announced Ros-
coe Meredith had matter Of inpor-
lance TO present for their e0nsidera-
ton.
Roscoe was a general favorIte in
the town.
Gentlemen" he said when he APP
peared before the association, II have
In my pocket my entire fortunes
license to practice law. The city In
vited with gIittering prospects, but
prescribed inItialy surplus capital
| have not got. Wayneville down the
line offered a starvation salary In its
legal department. Rushton rendered
an opening in the law department OF
big harvester concern, which meant
burying oneself. In PlymptOn / am
known. Old Judge Barnes, the only
other attorney this side of the county
seat, is about to retire. have de-
cided to put out my shingle in Plymp-
ton"
Good for you! we want you'll" en-
Enthusiastically hailed the leading local
grocer.
Provided"
There was a hush and an eager Sc
ries of glances. The provlso held in
suspense somehow put q damper on
proceedings.
Provided" continued Roscoe, II
can earn living in my native town.
l have figured ii out. Lem Dole, as
SCISSOR and collector, is about to move
away. That leaves those positions
vacant. Elect me as Dole's successor
and there Is a surety of five hundred
dollars year"
"We'l do that, don't doubt 1t, RoS-
coe," observed the governor Of the
association.
THAT" continued Roscoe steadily,
SIS not enough. / shall have to have
a thousand. Here is my proposition
You ten people have more or less It'll
cation each year. l will make to each
one of you minimum annual fee
fifty dollars apiece. That makes up
the thousand dollars. For the fifty
will cover all local suits, give all
necessary verbal advice and attend to
collections on a fifteen per cent COM
mission basis. All this will enable
me to have spare time to work up
general business, and shall stay
with you and grow up with you, and
later on If a judgeship comes along,
count me in as a candidate II de-
serve It,"
The proposition was unanimously
accepted and everybody seemed
pleased with the arrangement. Ros-
cOe took out a part of the ten sub
scriptions in trade Thus: from the
tailor suit of clothes; from the gen.
eral store his footwear, neckwear and
hosiery; from the grocer and the
butcher supplies for the larder for he
lived at the home of his aged mother
A few litiglous farmers came in to
secure his services, and while his
progress was slow he was financed
for the year and did not worry.
Six months had passed by and Ros-
coe had accumulated small store
of money, when one day there entered
his office an old man who seemed to
be a confirmed invalid. He intro
duced himself as Mr.. Award Trude,
and stated that he and his daughter
had just arrived in Plympton, had ar
ranged for rooms with Widow Lar
kins and intended to remain until
suit they designed bringing In Boyd
county was decided.
"It's the Tarleton estate" soberly
announced Mr.. Trude, and Roscoe be-
gan to smile. 81 see you are familiar
with it and don't think much Of its
merits" went on Mr.. Trude. Il sup
pose there have been twenty litigants
In the matter during the past ten
years, and every one of them losers.
For all. that, should feel had not
done my duty If did not try to pros
ecute the claim Of my dead wife. ]
offer you the case on contingency
flfty per cent IL you win. If lose
Twill give you what can afford,
which may not be much. Think 1t
over, and will call again in the
morning"
That night Roscoe went over all
that ne had read and heard Of the
Tarleton case 1t was an instance
where powerful moneyed interests
were able to tire out poor and obscure
IitIgants. Roscoe had about made up
his mind to refuse an apparently
hopeless mission when Mr.. Trude
Glanced to bring his daughter with
him to the Office. An hour in that
sweet presence and Roscoe was will
ling to devote time and money both,
II the sacrifice might further increase
their acquaintanceship.
Roscoe discovered some strong
points in the claim Of the Trudes. but
the case went against them. 1t took
his last dollar to appeal to a higher
court. No other litlgant had ever
gone that far. The unsettled suit
hampered the defense. They began
to fear the resolute, persistent young
lawyer He might annoy them for