Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
But when he meets me face to face he beats a hasty retreat."
As he spoke, Colby tightened a string and began strumming it to get it
tuned. Uncle John sat down on the one other chair in the room and
thought a moment.
"You've been admitted to the bar?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. Graduate of the Penn Law School."
"Then you know enough to defend an innocent man from an unjust
accusation?"
Colby laid down the guitar.
"Ah!" said he, "this grows interesting. I really believe you have half a
mind to give me your case. Sir, I know enough, I hope, to defend an
innocent man; but I can't promise, offhand, to save him, even from an
unjust accusation."
"Why not? Doesn't law stand for justice?"
"Perhaps; in the abstract. Anyhow, there's a pretty fable to that effect.
But law in the abstract, and law as it is interpreted and applied, are
not even second cousins. To be quite frank, I'd rather defend a guilty
person than an innocent one. The chances are I'd win more easily. Are you
sure your man is innocent?"
Uncle John scowled.
"Perhaps I'd better find another lawyer who is more optimistic," he said.
"Oh, I'm full of optimism, sir. My fault is that I'm not well known in
the courts and have no arrangement to divide my fees with the powers that
be. But I've been observing and I know the tricks of the trade as well as
any lawyer in California. My chief recommendation, however, is that I'm
eager to get a case, for my rent is sadly overdue. Why not try me, just
to see what I'm able to do? I'd like to find that out myself."
"This is a very important matter," asserted Mr. Merrick.
"Very. If I'm evicted for lack of rent-money my career is crippled."
"I mean the case is a serious one."
"Are you willing to pay for success?"
"Liberally."
"Then I'll win it for you. Don't judge my ability by my present
condition, sir. Tell me your story and I'll get to work at once."
Uncle John rose with sudden decision.
"Put on your coat," he said, and while Colby obeyed with alacrity he gave
him a brief outline of the accusation brought against Jones.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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