Middletown transcript., 1922-11-04
The Due Process Of
Law
By H. IRVING KING

scHssososcsc.ecsos.scscscascecrseosnt
"Frank," said Elihu Goodwin, cor
poration lawyer, to his confidential
clerk, II have mission Of a rather
private nature which l want you to
undertake-just to oblige me; it's
hardly business. Years ago, when nut
urally was younger than l am now
and trifle more foolish, l had a
rather intimate acquaintance named
Reginald FOntain. We belonged to
speedy set. am afraid"
The lawyer turned toward the win
dow and gazed unseeingly out over
the city; a reminiscent look came into
his usually immobile face.
"Regy had plenty of money in those
days" he continued, land went the
pace. saw little of him after mar
ried, for l put away childish things,
and now-well / am fairly prosperous
and a sober citizen. But Regy, al
though he married, kept stepping on
the gas. have heard he went
through his own fortune and his
wife's, too. Some say she died Of
broken heart. However, for Years l
had heard nothing Of Reginald Fon-
tain until today got letter from
him.
ITS barely disguised begging let
ter. Now. l want you to investigate
and see just how the land lies. l
wouldn't mind helping him little If
it would do him any good-if he real
personally at first-well, it might be
awkward, for l can't do much for him.
I really can't afford to. But you go
and see and report to me. Then I'll
know just what to do"
Now, Elihu Goodwin was rich and,
ns they say down East. "mighty nigh"
He never did like to meet poor people
and the dislike had grown upon him
with the years. Still. Goodwin felt
that he could not entirely disregard
Fontain's appeal. There stirred in
him vague recollections of financial
transactions in the dim past in which
Elihu had been the beneficiary of
INCEtudiu anu ioi Sptttii
sums. Frank made the visit as re-
quested by his employer and found
the shattered wreck of him who had
once been the gay and reckless Regi-
nald Fontain reclining in an easy
chair in cheap fiat. The young man
explained to him that important
business had prevented Mr.. Goodwin y
ETC.. and he had sent him (Frank) "to
ascertain how he (Goodwin9 could be
OF assistance" etc.
Fontain at once launched forth into
rambling tale of woe, the only
salient facts of which appeared to be
that both Reginald's finance and
moralized condition. While he was
rambling on door opened and ligh'
footstep was heard. "Ah," sal. Fon
tain, "my daughter! Bertha. come
here" In response to the summers
there appeared slender young won
an OF about twenty-five, whose face
was of n Madonna-like beauty. Tha
care and sorrow had been the por
ton of Bertha Fontain no one coult
doubt who gazed upon her, but the.
had left as their traces only n look o
sweetness and resignation which add
ed to the Charm of her countenance
Frank Carey, for the first time in hi
self-apprecia,ive life felt bashful ant
confused in the presence Of woman
and when, after q short conversation
in which he somehow learned tha
Bertha was & stenographer in down
town office, he left the flat and tool
his homeward way. Tie was in such
state of observation-disclosures that h
found himself in the uptown station
Of the elevated when he wanted +
take downtown train.
When. next morning, Frank mad
his report to his employer he sal
nothing about Bertha except that sh
was her fathers sole support.
"a pale. wornout creature. SUP
pose" said Goodwin.
"No-o-o," stammered Frank. Ssh
is-er-good looking" He change
the subject abruptly.
"Well," said the lawyer, II suppos
really ought to go apd see Fontair
I will attend to 1t tomorrow"
He made the call and results fo
lowed rapidly. Fontain moved into al
other and more expensive Nat and Iii
tie evidences of luxury and read
money began to appear about hin
Goodwin. who had been widower fc
six years and had two married daugl
tiers and numerous grandchildren. b.
gan to spruce up and indulge in OIL
rageously youthful cravats. He wa
a constant caller at the Fontain fla
IT was as plain as the nose on tn
face of a Roman senator-the lawyt
had picked out Bertha for Mrs. Goo
win No. 2 and father was prepared {
hand her over for pecuniary remul
Grafton.
Frank was frequently an ambass
dor for his employer to the Fonta
4. establishment, and in one way or a
other he and Bertha managed to 81
good deal Of each other. He sa,