OCR Text |
Show His First Case By DONALD ALLEN Copyright, 1910, by Associated Literary Press Mr. Paul Franklin has passed his examination and become a member of the bar. Not that he intended to hang out a shingle and become a practicing lawyer, but more to oblige the good old aunt who had brought him up and sent him through college and had often oft-en said: "You will have the estate to manage man-age during my life, and when I am gone you will have to manage it for yourself. One should be a lawyer to do these things." Within a week after Paul had been granted a legal right to add "Attorney "Attor-ney at Law" after his name, the old lawyer of the estate. In turning the papers over to the young man, said: "There is one matter I wish to call your particular attention to. The estate owns Lake Placid. I stocked It with choice fish several years ago and put up many signs of "No Tres pass. Those signs have been generally gen-erally respected, but last summer one particular person, having a camp a Bhort distance away, persisted in fishing fish-ing In spite of all protests. I have Just received word that the same person per-son is back there for the summer and Is fishing again. Our man there thinks an example ought to be made. He says that when he made protest this person told him to go to grass." "A very nervy person," remarked the young lawyer. "Truly so. I think you should write to the agent there to take out a warrant, make an arrest and bring the case to trial. You can go up there and appear for yourself and ,8 "If I Had Known " make it your first case. The Justice is bound to find a verdict for you and impose a smart fine, and that will deter de-ter other campers from trespassing." "I don't want to get the reputation of being arbitrary and mean," said Paul. "But people must respect the law," put in the aunt as sho came Into the discuss.on. "If the laws can't be enforced what will become of us' People have no more right to catch my fish than to catch my chickens. " is my desire, Paul, that you take up this case. Those people who come out from the city to camp for the summer are a very reckless lot They don't pay the slightest attention to signs. What they need Is a good scare. Lake Placid was three miles from the manor house, on another piece of land. It was a favorite place for summer sum-mer camping, and there were no re ?fT.T 6XCept SS to the fls,"ng It had been stocked with carp as a fad of the aunt. Word was dis patched to the man who acted as watchdog, and in two or three days subsequently he reported that a sum mons had been issued for the guilty and defiant party, and he named the date when the trial was to come off before the justice of the peace in the village. ue Mr Attorney Franklin orew a men-tal men-tal picture of a bearded ruffian with a political pull who was setting coun trr law at defiance and denuding Lake P.acid of its carp i spfte all lgns and protests, and he at once looked up the law .. . trespass and made himself familiar with it When he had learned all about it he i vented a plea to the jury. Of course, the defendant would call for one. He went out to the orchard and repeated his plea over and over again. It was strong. It was loglcaL The jury must not look at the valuo tL ,MCarP' bUt at th9 P"clple of the thing, ''Paul, that will be one of the greatest great-est pleas of the decade! The jury must convict the ruffian without leaving the box. You must save a copy for your Children to read." Mr. Paul Franklin drove over to the village at the hour named In the papers. All the campers had turned out for the trial, as well as all the idlers of the village. His honor was on his dignity. The defendant had retained a lawyer. There was to be a mighty legal battle. "We ought to apply for three or four warrants," said the watchdog, as Paul arrived. "The same person was out fishing again this morning, and when I yelled at her she run her tongue out at me!" I Paul did not catch the "her" and "she." It was the black-bearded ruffian ruf-fian he was thinking of. Under summons, sum-mons, and yet fishing for more carp! There must be no letup until the doors of the county 1ail closed behind him. It was for Paul to state his case to court and spectators. He had a feeling of trepidation as he arose, but it passed as soon as he heard his own voice. He didn't see the black-bearded ruffian among the crowd, but of course he was there. There were men, the lawyer told the court, who respected the law, and there were others who deemed them- selves superior to it This was a case where a man, coming from a city notorious no-torious for Its graft and "pulls," was deliberately and defiantly trampling the law under foot He would bring forward witnesses to prove that the man had not only seen the signs of "No trespass," but had deliberately and defiantly " Here there was some tittering and giggling in the room, and his honor rapped for order. "Yes, this man this ruffian, who had been accustomed to trample on the law " More giggling and applause. "You should keep to the case," kindly kind-ly advised the court "Thanks. There were the signs o 'no trespass,' and yet this man " "What man!" asked the opposing counsel, while many spectators laughed. "The guilty party, si," replied Paul with all proper austerity. "But let me explain that there la no man under summons," said his honor. "Can you be thinkin- of another an-other case?" There was more laughter, and poor Paul realized that something had happened hap-pened to the machinery to stop the boat "It's a woman!" whispered a man behind him. "It's a girl," whispered another. "It's that staving-looking girl in front of you," whispered a third. "Your honor, I was led tn helioa that a ruffian had been trampling on the law," said Paul, as he looked around in a helpless way. "No. The summons was for Miss Katherlne Lacy, and she's here in court. I haven't heard anything of a ruffian." "But but " persisted Paul, as he saw the defendant at last and noted not-ed the fact that she was one of the best looking girls he had even seen "My client pleads not guilty," said the opposing counsel. "She will ad mit being on the lake In a boat at va-rious va-rious times, and of fishing for fish but she denies catching any. She also denies that she Is a ruffian. If my learned brother on the other side wishes to go ahead with the case " "But how can I?" asked Paul in a helpless way. "I prepared to prosecute prose-cute a black-bearded ruffian who was trampling the law under foot, but here I find . A young lady who hasn't been rampllng," finished his honor. "I think it would be well for the complainant com-plainant and defendant to walk over to that window together and see if some amicable understanding cannot be arrived at." cannot Miss Lacy rose up with mischief In her eyes and walked, and the blush- llLyfUnS at.t0niey COuld d n 's than follow her. There wasn't much conversation after reaching the win down. He said: dnnM.7fhear MiSS LaCy 1 be yoi,r Pardon Par-don a thousand times over." "Don't mention it." "If I had known " "But you didn't" the'Blakey"U 9h "Thanks." AH that was left was to withdraw the case and take the raillery in good part Of course, the y0Ung I,mb of the law found his way over to the camp, and of course he was hospl bly received and before the can , season was over-well, the Cman rnrr -"be |