CHAPTER XXVI. THE CLOUDS LOWER
Janice was so excited she could scarcely speak intelligibly for aminute. But finally she made her father understand what wasgoing on in the kitchen.
"And he's come to take their house right away from them,"concluded the girl. "He's given her a paper, and she's got togive him the house--and everything!"
"Oh, no; not so bad as all that," said daddy, soothingly."Things aren't done in just that way-- not even by shysterlawyers. This is just a notice of suit he has given her. Butyou run, Janice, and tell them to come in here. I will hear whatthis man has to say."
So Janice ran back to the kitchen. She held the door open, and,with rather a commanding air for so young a girl, lookingstraight at the curly-haired man:
"You and Mrs. Carringford come into the living room. My fatherwants to see you."
"Hey?" said the man. "Who is this?"
"Mr. Broxton Day," said Mrs. Carringford, quietly. "I think wehad better see Mr. Day before we go any farther in this matter."
"Oh, I have no interest in seeing anybody else, ma'am," said thelawyer hastily. "Of course, you can take advice if you wish to.Every move you make, however, will cost you money, as you'llfind. It will be throwing good money after bad money, I assureyou."
"Now if you feel like settling the matter out of court--"
"We will go in, and you can say all that before Mr. Day," saidMrs. Carringford firmly. "It seems to me I shall understand itbetter in front of him."
"Daddy is waiting for you," said Janice urgently. "He has abroken leg so he can't come here to get you," she added lookingat the lawyer significantly.
Maybe the fact of this assurance--that Broxton Day waspractically helpless physically--led the lawyer to take a chancein the living room. But he was manifestly very ill at ease fromthe moment he heard Mr. Day's name mentioned.
"Will you oblige me with your name, sir?" said daddy in hisever-courteous way.
The curly-haired man fumbled for a card and finally handed one toMr. Day.
"'Mr. Jonas Schrimpe,'" repeated daddy. "Are you practising atthe bar here in Greensboro?" "My office is in Napsburg, Mr. Day.Three Forty-two Main Street."
"Ah! Are you acquainted with Mr. Abel Strout?"
"I have nothing to do with Mr. Strout," said the man, rathersharply. "I have already told the lady that. My client is Mrs.Blayne--"
"I understand," said Mr. Day suavely. "I merely asked you aquestion, Mr. Schrimpe. Do you know Mr. Strout?"
"Well--I know him by sight."
"Naturally. As I chance to remember his office is in the samebuilding on Main Street as your own. I remember the number,"said Mr. Day smiling. "Three Hundred and Forty-two Main Street."
Mr. Schrimpe fidgeted and turned very red in the face. Mr. Daywent on quietly:
"Is this client of yours in Napsburg?"
"She lives in Croydon, Michigan."
"In Michigan! How came she to pick out you Mr. Schrimpe, for anattorney in this matter? Forgive the question; I am curious."
"Why--I--I was recommended to her."
"Ah! By a friend, I suppose."
"She--she heard of me down here, and wanted to put the case in alawyer's hands on the spot."
"'On the spot,'" repeated Mr. Day. "Why not in some lawyer'shands in Greensboro, rather than Napsburg?"
Mr. Schrimpe seemed very confused, as well as angry; but he didnot dare to assert himself. Mr. Day held out his hand for thepaper the lawyer had given to Mrs. Carringford.
"Just leave it to me, Mrs. Carringford," he said confidently. "Iknow just what to do. Possibly had I not broken my leg I wouldhave been able to warn you of this."
"Then that Abel Strout is at the root of it, just as I said," shecried.
"Not a doubt of it," replied Mr. Day. "That John Jamison was buta dummy."
"I assure you," began the red-faced lawyer, but Mr. Dayinterrupted:
"Your assurances would not be accepted before this court, I amafraid, Mr.--ah Schrimpe. Now would you mind, as you are intown, calling upon Mrs. Carringford's legal adviser in regard tothis affair?"
I--oh--"
"Oh, Mr. Day!" interjected Mrs. Carringford, "a lawyer's servicescost so much."
"This man is my own lawyer," said Mr. Day promptly. "I assureyou that he will look into this suit without charging you much,Mrs. Carringford. If Mr. Schrimpe--"
"Oh, if it's not out of my way as I go back to the railroadstation," growled the curly haired man.
"Not at all. It is over the bank--the Farmers and MerchantsBank. Mr. Randolph E. Payne is the gentleman.""Great Scott!" gasped Mr. Schrimpe, actually appearing toshrivel, "Mr. Payne?"
"Yes. He is known to you?"
"Everybody knows Mr. Payne."
"He is well known. As good a lawyer, I believe, as we have inthis part of the State. You do not mind meeting him?"
"Er--will he see me, Mr. Day?"
"I will telephone to him at once. I assure you he will give youa hearing--and thank you. Good day, Mr. Schrimpe."
Although daddy could not leave his chair, Janice saw that he hada way of getting rid of visitors promptly when he wanted them togo. Mr. Schrimpe scuttled out in a hurry.
"Wheel me to the telephone, Janice," said Mr. Day cheerfully. "Ihope Payne frightens that little shrimp out of a year's growth.If ever I saw a shyster lawyer, I saw one when that fellow cameinto the room."
"Oh, Mr. Day! but this suit? That summons? What shall I do?"
"Do nothing yet! assure you, Mrs. Carringford, you will have oneof the best lawyers in the State to tell you what to do when thetimes comes. Of course, if the matter comes to court, you willhave to go into court and meet them. But don't worry till thattime comes. That is my advice."
"Then they can't take our home away from us?" cried Amyjoyfully."
"Hold on!" advised Daddy. "I do not say that. I don't wish toencourage you with any false hopes--nor to discourage you,either. I know nothing--absolutely nothing--regarding the legalstatus of this case. I have my suspicions that Abel Strout isbehind it."
"Oh, I am sure of that!" cried Mrs. Carringford.
"Nevertheless, it may be that there is an unsatisfied claimant ofthe old Peter Warburton Blayne property. This Mrs. Alice G.Blayne may be perfectly honest in her contention."
"But in that case won't Mr. Strout or Mr. Jamison give me mymoney back?" asked Mrs. Carringford.
"If there was much chance of that, do you think Strout would havestirred up any such suit as this?" asked Mr. Day quietly. "No.Strout at least thinks he sees his way to making you lose thehouse. Jamison was his dummy--used by him in order to keep,himself out of trouble."
"Oh, Mr. Day! Don't say that"
"I say he thinks he has a chance. But he may be mistaken.Strout is sly. This may be merely 'strike suit' started in thehope of scaring you into making a disastrous settlement with him.He wants to get the property back. The foundations for thatfactory are already being laid. Property values Mullen Lane aregoing up."
"Oh, dear me!" sighed Mrs. Carringford, starting back toward thekitchen, "this is a wicked world."
"Nothing the matter with the world," said Mr. Day, cheerfully."It's some of the folks in it."
He called Mr. Randolph E. Payne's office then and talked to thesuccessful lawyer for some time. To Janice, afterward, he wouldsay nothing more encouraging than he had said to the widow.
"When one mixes up with a sharper like Abel Strout, one is likelyto be burned before he is through. Strout is always and forevertrying little, nasty, legal tricks. And Schrimpe is an instrumentfitted to Strout's hand.
"Perhaps they have found some ignorant woman who really was arelative of Peter Blayne, and who may have a small claim on theproperty. It is enough to invalidate the deed Mrs. Carringfordhas and yet she will be unable to prove that Strout and his manJamison knew about the fault in the title.
"If he makes her sue to recover the thousand dollars she paid thelegal fees will eat up
that sum--and he can afford to hirelawyers and dribble along through the courts better than shecan."
"Oh, Daddy!"
"Yes, I am afraid, if Strout--or, rather, Schrimpe-- has a goodcase it will be better to settle it out of court."
"But, dear Daddy! Mrs. Carringford has no money to pay lawyer'sfees, or settle cases," urged Janice.
"True. And that is the unfortunate part of it. Let us wait andsee what Mr. Payne advises after he has looked into the matter.Whatever he says, she would better do."
This ended the matter for the time being. But all the darkclouds of trouble seemed to have lowered upon the Carringfordsagain. Janice Day was sorry for them, but this was a case inwhich she positively could not "do something" to help. She couldonly offer her sympathy.