Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-01-27

her and ready to help her II she neeu-
ed help. "The same old love is in my
heart that made me want you for my
wife long ago, that has filled my let
ters and sustained me in many an
hour of peril" he wrote. IF you
really think that you must marry Da-
Wis, / ask you at least to wait for the
developments Of o suit which Abe Lin
cGin IS bringing in behalf OF MANY
citizens of Tazewell county. 1t Is
likely that we shall know more than
we do now before that case ends.
saw your beautiful little boy. He looks
So much like you that / long to steai
him and keep him with me"
In d few days he received this briei
reply:
Dear Harry: Your letter pleased
and panied me. / hav been so tossed
about that / don't know quite where |
stand. For a long time my life has
been nothing but a series of emotions
What Honest Abe may be able TO
prove / know not, but | am sure that
he cannot disprOve the fact that Mr..
Davis has been kind and generous TO
me. For that l cannot ever cease TO
be grateful. l should have married
him before now but for n singular
circumstance. My little boy cannot be
made to like him. He will have moth
ing to do with Mr.. Davis. He will moi
be bribed or coerced. l saw in this a
nrDnhaar of trorhIo I laft hnmn and
vent down into the very shadow of
death. 1t may be that we have been
saved for each other by the wisdom
of childhood. l must not see you now.
Nor shall / see him until have found
my way. Even your call cannot make
me forget that l am under a solemn
promise.
I'm glad you like the boy. He is a
wonderful child. / named him Ne
hemiah for his grandfather. We call
him MIN and sometimes Mr.. Nimble'
because he is so lively. I'm homesick
to see him and you. l am going to
Dixon to teach and earn money for
mother and the baby. Don't tell any
one where / am and above all don't
come to see me until in good heart I
can ask you to come.
"God bless you!
"BIDI."
In a few weeks the suit came OF.
Davis defense, as given in the an
sWer, alleged that the notes were to
be paid out of the proceeds of the
81 ~e 1o+. a,,1 +Ia+ ~ oAnconftonnn
of the collapse of the boom there had
been no such proceeds. AS to the un-
~derstanding upon which the notes
we're drawn, there was a direct issue
of veracity for which Abe Lincoln
was exceedingly well prepared. His
cross-examination was as merciless
as sunlight failing round a helpless
thing" 1t was kindly and polite in
tone but relentless in it's searching.
When it ended, the weight of Davis
character had been accurately eStab-
lished. In his mastery summing up
Mr.. Lincoln presented every circum-
stance in favor of the defendants po-
sition. With remarkable insight he
anticipated the arguments OF his at
torney. He presented them fairly and
generously to the court and jury. Ac-
cording to Samson the opposing law
yers admitted in a private talk that
Lincoln had thought of presumptions
in favor of Davis which had not oc-
Cured to them. Therein lay the char
acteristic of Mr.. Lincoln's method in a
lawsuit.
at was a safe thing for him to do,
for he never took a case in which JUS
tice was not clearly on his side" Sam
son writes. "If he had been deceived
as to the merits of a case he would
drop it. With the sword of justice in
his hand he was in~vincible."
A Judgment was rendered in favor
| of the plaintiffs for the full amount of
their claim with costs. The character
of Lionel Davis had been sufficiently
revealed. Even the credulous Mrs.
Kelso turned against him. MI. Lin
coins skill as a lawyer was recognized
in the north as we'll as In the middle
counties. From that day forth no
man enjoyed a like popularity in Taze-
well county.
When Samson and Harry Needles
left the courthouse, there seemed to
be no obstacle between the young man
and the consummation of his wishes.
Unfortunately, as they were going
down the steps Davis, who blamed
Samson for his troubles, flung an in
suit at the sturdy Vermonter. Sam
son. who had then arrived at years of
firm discretion, was little disturbed by
the anger of a IA so discredited.
But Harry, on the sound of the hate.
full words, had leaped forward and
dealt the %speculator a savage blow in
the face which for a few seconds had
deprived him of the power of speech
That evening a friend of Davis called
at the City hall with a challenge. The
hot-blooded young soldier accepted il
against the urgent counsel of Samson
Traylor, Mr.. Lincoln having left the
CitV