White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-02-25
/ throbbed with it.

DOy lace. Ills BudTlGu- Olu manu-
reached and grasped DePs and his
voice was bit husky. Thanks, boy.
You know there's only my old wife
and me- She, bless her, doesn't know.
Nobody knows but you-and Purdy.
I'm kinda tired-carryin' it alone. To
know somebody's sorry helps"
II am, darned sorry. I'll do all 1
can" His arm frightened for moment
and then Doyle was gone. Afterwards
Del put in half an hour of hard think
ing, hunted through some law books
and then went into his fathers office.
"Ready for luncheon, Del?" queried
e. j., looking at his watch.
Nope. Want to ask you something
about my first case"
Certainly, delighted" said the father
as he pushed batch of papers aside
and composed himself to listen.
Rapidly Del sketched Doyle's plight.
"That's the situation he's in, Dad. So
far as know there's no legal recourse.
Do you know of any?"
mo, / DON'T" said E. ]. fatty and
the boy puzzled over the cloud that
settled quickly over the fathers face.
The old man drummed lightly on the
desk top for a moment and then went
on, II think you'd better not take the
case, Delbert. In fact, you can't take
it,"
"Why not?" demanded the boy
blankly.
"Well," said E. ]. blandly, "you see
we are already counsel for Mr.. Purdy.
In an effort to save his loans / have
agreed to take his case against Mr..
Doyle. l expect to turn the case over
to you, Del There will be a generous
| fee."
Fee be damned" roared the boy,
rising. "That skunk Purdy has been
waiting five years for this chance.
Why, it's worse than highway robbery,
Dad. That poor old man is fighting to
keep himself and his old wife out of
the poorhouse, and me help shove 'em
in? 1 guess not! I'll have nothing to
do with it,"
"In law" said r. ]. coldly, you will
find many things that do not agree
with altruistic concepts of life. You
must remember, my son, that you are
| n &C inf
Of law and not as chivalrous adjus-
tor of human mistakes"
"Ill not be party to the black
lacking of white-haired old man,
even if the blackjack is the law.
can't forget that a run Of hard luck is
the alley you propose to do the club
bling in. No, sir! You can count me
out of that party"
Every we'll" smiled e. J. you'll get
over that. But I'll attend to this my
SELF"
Almost in horror Del looked at his
father. "Dad," he pleaded, "you can't!"
"There is no sentiment in business,
boy"
Eyes there is-I'll swear there isl"
Del replied holly. "This thing is wrong
dead wrong-and you aren't going
to pull it off either. If l can't take
Doyle's case and remain. partner
here, if it's a violation Of professional
ethics for one firm to represent both
ri,
partnership ends In fact it ends any
way. I won't be member of firm
where even half of it would do so
dirty trick as this!" He dug into a
pocket and tossed key on his
fathers desk. II may not know much
law but l do know human decency,
Dad, and what you propose to do to
old man Doyle isn't it. I'll take with
me what's mine in there and maybe
you can find some slick crook to take
my place. They made lawyer out
of me at college, but remember /
played baseball too, and old Coach
Johns taught me more about being a
man than did all the professors. I'm
not leaving home, Dad. Just busting
an association that might make me
what you are. I'll 90 it alone" With
out another word he was gone, leav-
ing his father first purple with rage
and then crushed with the weight of
broken dreams.
That afternoon Del had long talk
with Judge Codding and left that con-
ference in blue funk. There was
absolutely nothing that could be done
to save old man Doyle. In desperation
the boy went to three banks. Nothing
doing. Banks don't lend money with
out security.
Dinner that evening was very
chilly affair. Mrs. Hayworth tried few
tactful leads that ended in disaster,
after which she too lapsed into sill
ence. On concluding the meal Del got
his car and drove away He must
talk to someone and the only one he
could think of who would do way Mary
Smith. So, shortly, they were skim
ming afar over white, moonlit road.
1t was late when they got back, very
late, but the boy had learned that for
| chppr cnht1pty tharo'c nothing like n