LANGFORD GETS A CHECK.
“I hope you realize, Mr. Langford, that we are not exactly made of
money,” Mrs. Graham remarked tentatively by way of meeting the demand
which she read between his words. “Moreover, we were under heavy
expenses during the last year and you got a good deal of what we paid
out.”
“Not so very much,” Langford corrected, from his point of view. “You
must remember that I was working for you through another man and he
handled the pay roll, on which he and I were the only payees, and
naturally he took what he didn’t absolutely have to give to me.”
“Well, how much do you want for this service?” the woman inquired.
“I ought to have at least $25 a day and my expenses,” the lawyer
answered.
“Absolutely out of the question. That’s several times the amount of our
income from the source you are interested in. And a considerable part of
that has to go for the boy’s clothing, board and education.”
“That is one of the important points to which I am coming,” Langford
interrupted. “I come to inform you that Mrs. Hutchins is very much
interested in how the boy is being clothed and fed and educated, and
also how he is being treated, and she has decided to find those things
out.”
“It’s a case of her old suspicions being revived?” Mrs. Graham asked.
“I suppose so; anyway, she’s mighty suspicious.”
“Who’s been peddling stories to her?”
“That’s something I didn’t find out.”
“Don’t you think a $25-a-day man ought to find out?”
“Perhaps; and perhaps I could have discovered that very thing if I had
thought it wise to spend the time on it. After the mischief was done, it
seemed hardly worth while to expend any effort to find the mischief
maker. I decided it was best to get after the mischief itself and stop
it.”
“I suppose you’re right,” assented Mrs. Graham. “But it really would be
a lot of satisfaction to know who the traitor is.”
“This is no time to waste any of your efforts on revenge. That may come
later, not now. But how about my fee?”
“You ask too much.”
“I don’t agree with you, That is a very small fee, compared with what
some attorneys get. Why, I know lawyers who never take a case under $100
a day.”
“That’s in the big cities, where they are under heavy expenses—costly
offices and office help.”
“Where do you get your information?”
“Oh, I have traveled and lived,” the woman replied with emphasis on the
last word. “And I know there are plenty of judges who get only $10 a
day, some less. Now, what do you think of that? Do you think you ought
to get more than a judge?”
“Oh, fudge on the judges,” Langford exclaimed in affected disgust. “No
big lawyer will take one of those political jobs. There are lots of big
lawyers making $50,000 or $100,000 a year, and there are few judges
getting more than $10,000.”
“Well, I can’t pay more than $10 a day, and I can’t pay that very long.
We’re under heavy expenses here and in Baltimore.”
“You ought to economize, Mrs. Graham,” Langford advised. “Remember, this
special income can’t last forever. The boy is past 10 years old now, and
if nobody takes it away from you earlier, it will stop when he is 21.”
“Take it away!” Mrs. Graham exclaimed in a startled manner, indicating
that her apprehension had not carried her imagination as far as this.
“Sure—why not?” the lawyer returned. “What do you think all this talk
about spies has been leading up to?—a Christmas present? If Mrs.
Hutchins is suspicious enough to send a lot of spies here to get the
goods on you, don’t you think she has some notion of taking some sort of
drastic action?”
“What kind of ‘goods’ does she expect to get on me?” the woman inquired.
“Can’t you guess?”
“I can’t imagine, dream, or suspect.”
“Just hurry things along to an agreement tween you and me, and I’ll tell
you.”
“I’ll give you $10 a day and reasonable expenses. That doesn’t include
your board; only your carfare and such incidentals when you’re away from
home. That is all conditioned, of course, on your proving to my
satisfaction that you have the information you say you have. There’s no
use of my fighting for this income if I have to pay it all out without
getting my benefit from it.”
“I’ll try not to be so hard on you as all that,” Langford reassured the
woman. “I accept your offer, although it’s the minimum I would consider.
I suppose you are prepared to give me a check today?”
“Yes, I can give you something—your expenses thus far and maybe a little
besides. Now hurry up and tell your story.”
“I can do it in a few words. Mrs. Hutchins has sent a dozen or more
girls up here to find out how you treat the youngster and if he is well
fed, clothed and educated. She’s received word from some source to the
contrary and is planning to take him away if she discovers that her
suspicions are true. These spies are all Camp Fire Girls who were
camping on her farm. One of them is her niece. The proof of my statement
that they are here to spy on you is in their plan to camp near your
cottage and cultivate an intimate acquaintance with your family,
particularly your two daughters. Two of them were up here looking over
the lay of the ground; maybe they’re here yet. Undoubtedly you’ll see
something of them tomorrow or the next day.”
Mrs. Graham’s eyes flashed dangerously. Langford saw the menace in her
look and manner.
“As I am now in your employ as counsel,” he said, “I’ll begin giving
advice at once. Cut out this hate business. It’s your worst enemy. Just
be all smiles and dimples and give them the sweetest con game welcome
imaginable. Pretend to be delighted to meet the bunch of Camp Fire
Girls. Tell them you had long held their organization in the highest
esteem. Take your two daughters into your fullest confidence. Tell them
they must play their part, too, and play it well. They must be eager to
become Camp Fire Girls and seek to be chummy with the spies.
“And as for the boy, in whom they are specially interested, you must
treat him as if you regard him the dearest little darling on earth.”
(Mrs. Graham’s face soured at this suggestion,) “No, none of that, or
you’ll spoil the whole game. Mrs. Hutchins means business, and all she
needs to do is to prove a few acts of cruelty and neglect, and any court
in the land will give her speedy custody of the child, in view of the
provisions of his father’s will, which, you know, are very exacting of
you and very friendly toward Mrs. Hutchins and her late husband. By the
way, where are the child and the other members of your family?”
“My husband is in Baltimore working at his regular employment,” Mrs.
Graham answered. “I expect him here next week; his vacation begins then.
My son, James, Jr., went up the lakes this morning with some friends of
his. Addie, my oldest daughter, went to Twin Lakes to do some shopping,
and the other girl, Olga, is in the next room with Glen.”
“By the way, Mrs. Graham, how well is the boy supplied with clothing?”
Langford inquired.
“He has some good suits,” Mrs. Graham replied slowly as if going over
Glen’s wardrobe piece by piece, in her mind.
“Dress him up in his best and get some more for special occasions. You
might be working on some article of clothing for him also. That would
indicate strongly that you are interested in his welfare.
“Now, if you don’t mind, I will take my check and go. I’ll be back
again, but don’t think it advisable to come often. I have prepared a
short telephone cipher code by which we can carry on a commonplace
conversation over the wire and let each other know if all is well or if
trouble is brewing or has already broken. Here is a copy of it.”
Mrs. Graham wrote the lawyer a check for $35, and he arose to depart.
“Remember,” he said as he stood facing the woman schemer at the doorway;
“the success of this little plan of ours rests in the ability of
yourself and other members of the family to play the most spontaneously
genteel game the cleverest persons ever planned. If you fall down on
this, undoubtedly you’ll lose your handsome side-issue income of $3,500
a year.”
Then he went out, cranked his rented automobile, and drove away.
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