Amador Ledger-Dispatch, 18 February 1910 — TAKING A LAW CASE [ARTICLE]

TAKING A LAW CASE

DAVID WATERS

[Copyright, 1910, by American Press Association.] "Here la a letter from n client of ours, a Mme. Dubois," said the head of the firm, "asking us to send a man to her at L. about litigation as to real estate she is interested In. Take the afternoon train. She'll meet you." It was Saturday, and I feared to get caught In a country town over Sunday, but I was not accustomed to make suggestions to my chief and did not daro propose a delay. I arrived at L. Just before the dinner hour, and, passIng out of the station, I saw a lady about twenty-flve year* old sitting alone in n buggy and keeping her eyes on the throng of arrivals. It occurred to me that she might have come to meet me. and I stopped before her. The moment her gnzo was fixed on me a sudden look of Joyful wonder came Into her eyes. "Are you Mme. Dubols?" I asked. "I am." "And I am Edraond Boyer, with Twining & Twining, attorneys." "Ah, e'est vous (It is you) I have been expecting." I got into the buggy with her, and she drove me to her home. As goon as we alighted she began to stare at me. Then she said to me In broken French: "Pardon. You are the Image of ray late husband. When I saw you at the station I thought for a moment you were he arisen from the dead. You bear a French name, I see. You must be. of French extraction." "My father came to America from Dijon before I was born." "From Dijon! My husband's family live there. I came from Paris a few months ago. I am here to secure some property that was owned by my uncle, who came here years ago." Mme. Dubols showed me her husband's likeness, and my resemblance to him was astonishing. It was evident that he and I had sprung from the same stock. His widow must have loved him very dearly, for she could not disguise her feelings at meeting one who resembled him, and she treated me as though I were he who had returned to her. My feelings at this treatment were singular. While it was pleasant to be coddled by a pretty woman, my amour propre was ruffled at being the recipient of especial attentions as the representation of another— a dead man. At one moment,!, would experience a delicious gladness, at the next would knit my brows at the thought that I was being worshiped as a -wooden idol. Then when Mme. Dubois saw that I was troubled she would give me a piteous look from her big black liquid eyes, and I was in heaven again. My widow spoke but little English and I not a word of French. The consequence was that we fell into pantomime, and pantomime is often more expressive than words. Indeed, love can be better Indicated by one look than by a dozen languages. I soon got used to representing another and discovered that any omission of a display of affection for the dead had a harrowing effect on the living. Of course I did not get a proper knowledge of the business Mme. Dubois wished to intrust to the firm of Twining & Twining before the last train had left Saturday night. She declined to take the matter up on Sunday. She was very methodical. Her first inquiry was what would be the amount charged for legal services. I had been instructed to ask for a retaining fee of $50, but declined to name any future amouut. Next she gave me. an account of bow the property had been acquired and lastly a statement of claims made upon it by builders and others. I had been looking into the case of Mme. Dubols three days when I received a note from my employer asking when I would return. 1 replied that, since our client spoke very little English, much time must be spent In getting the facts. Two days later I received a peremptory order to return at once. I was stuudlng in the hall bidding Mme. Dubois goodby when she said to me: "Ze retaining l'argent? Must I pay now?" "My firm usually collects that before taking a case." "Comblen— how much did you say it was?" I bad forgotten that I had given her an amount and replied that it would be $100. "Cent dollar!" she • exclaimed, surprised. "You are dearer to me than when we were first engaged." In love effects are as likely to be produced by blunders as by properly expressed Ideas. Rovers may be separated or united by mistaking the meaning of a word. I knew full well the widow meant that my charge was greater than when I bad first named It. but I refused to put any such interpretation upon her statement. Oltisping her in my arms. I cried: "And you are dearer to me than my lifer 1 It mattered not to her that I had apparently mistaken her meaning, and it mattered not to me that I was to stand not for myself, but in the place made vacant by her late husband. She yielded to my caresses, and before leaving for the train I was "engaged" not as! an attorney, but as a lover. ' "Mr. Boyer, 11 said my chief sternly, when I next stood In his office, "you have been away an Interminable while. We have needed you greatly." "I am— l mean we are engaged," I stammered. * "Big case?" Jj "Immense. I'm going Into it heart) and soul." 1