The Benson signal., 1920-03-06
ADVICE TO THE
LOVELORN
By r. RAY BAKER

'o' 1920, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
lt is unlikely that ever another man
neld the unique position in com
munity that Richard Jerome occupied
in Wakefield.
Vocationally Richard was lawyer
and a good one. A generous practice
nad given him financial status that
might be termed comfortable, and OF
late years he had placed certain re-
str1ctions on his legal business which
permitted many spare moments for
his avocation, which was the mending
of broken hearts.
The avOcatiOn paid Richard not
penny, but he performed the work with
a gleam in his eye and joy in his
heart; for he loved humanity and
could not bear to see his fellows suffer
when way to alleviate their troubles
was ready to his hand.
Never had a lovelOrn young man ap-
pealed to Richard in vain; never had
he failed, in his assumed role of Gu
p1d, to ''get the verdict" His almost
uncanny insight into the ways Of wOm-
en- gave him something akin to fame
in Wakefield, although it was a fame
that was spread by word of mouth and
not by newspaper headlines and half
tones.
1t began when Richards chum, An
thony BreXton, came to him with tears
in his eyes and walled:
TITS all over, Dick. Will you please
get me II bottle of carbolic acid or an
equally deadly poison? Isabelle has
turned me down and life holds nothing
for me nOw."
Richard had calmly lighted corn
cob pipe which was so old it looked as
if it might have been the pattern after
which all the others were copied, had
settled himself comfortably, and said:
''First-before we get this carbolic
acid-let's hear your story. Not that
am curious, but l object to spending
good money for poison unless it's nee
essary. Remember, I am a lawyer.
Why not let me advise you? My fee
will not be heavy"
Anthony had laughed miserably.
''You advise in love affair? That's
funny, Dick. Why, you're confirmed
bachelor. You've never been engaged,
never had a girl in your life."
Maybe that will give me a better
perspective in the NATTER" said, Rich
ard. "It won't hurt to try"
Then he had listened while Anthony
unfolded his tale of woe, and when it
was finished and the latter was hud
died back in his chair choking back
sobs and looking like child that had
crept out of bed early Christmas morn
ing and found his stocking empty,
Richard had taken the case up COM
placently with:
Your problem is easily solved.
Isabelle thinks you have proved
yourself faithless. She won't listen
to your explanations. She's fort
and you're trying to storm her with
shells that won't penetrate the walls.
The thing to do is to find new
method of attack. Put yourself on
the defensive and wait for the gar
rison to make a sortie. Then cap
ture the garrison. Now, this is my
plan in detail
A week later Anthony appeared
again, radiant, jubilant. The scheme
had worked.
Now, Anthony had a friend who de-
veloped heart trouble, and the friend
went to Anthony for advice. '"Take it
to Jerome; he'll fix it," was the advice
he got, and Richard prOffered a pre-
scrIption that healed the wounds. And
so on, and so on, till Richards reputa-
ton was firmly established.
Richard was not a youth in years,
although he seemed one at heart, and
most of his friends were at least ten
years younger. Richard was nearly
forty and there were tinges of gray in
his hair and some wrinkles on his
forehead. He was not handsome. but
strength Of character was stamped on
his face, and this attracted most peo
pie he met.
One day a young man came into
his Office with a listless manner and
a heart that was not working right.
'My names Fred Mania," he said
by way of introduction, and cast a
sour look out of the window at
painter on a scaffOld across the
street. 1--WE been living in Wakefield
only month, but during that time
I've fallen in love with the most won
derful girl in the world. I've taken
her about considerably, and I've tried
desperately hard to win her, but she
has not responded. I've not yet really
proposed because l could tell the time
was not ripe, but she knew what I was
driving at and last night she told me
I could not see her again. / knew Ell
mer Johnson at college, and when