Kilo

onel was having an interesting conversation with Attorney

full faith in Richard Toole, and intended to be a political power in the land. He could not be much of anything in Franklin, for that town was hard and fast Democratic, and Toole was a Republican. The first step to political preferment is to be electe

ongressional district, in a Republican State that formed part of a Republican nation. He selected Kilo, after considering othe

y officeholders, some of whom get as much as one hundred dollars a year in salary, know that their offices are not life positions. When Attorney Toole descended on Kilo, the

amusing. In law a man is considered innocent until he has been proved guilty; in Kilo Attorney Toole considered everything amusing until it had been proved serious, and he considered the Colonel and Skinner, and the whole Citizens' Party they had been i

on the floor. Out of his small sharp eyes ignorance and cunning peered, and the mass o

a gruff "mornin'," "I jest dropped up, sort of friendly-like, thinkin' you might have nothin' to do

aid he

, and didn't have much to do at it, and I sort of run across a case I thought might amuse you, like, when you ain't got nothin' to do. Folks don't seem to have much faith in young lawyers, and you can't blame 'em; old ones don't know mu

ind of you,

case I was tellin' you about is a mighty good one for a young lawyer to study over. Soon as I heard

as this, anxious to get all the advice he can wit

dlin' lightnin' rods and pain killer and land knows what all. Well, he was a rascal. He took board off of Sally Briggs four weeks, and then he cleared out, and she nor

out of his vest pocket, and

ilo is no good. Sorry I can't square up, but I le

xhibit No. 1," s

o her to keep that paper, and it might come handy. Mebby you hear

," said Toole. "Bee

is time and married, if that Skinner hadn't come crowdin' in where he wasn't wanted. What right has a man lik

sked Toole, reaching for a large

ses, when she only orders flank steak, like he was wrappin' up love and affection into every steak? He's got mighty proud since he set out to build that there Kilo Opery House of his. He's a fool to spend money on an opery house in this town. He's a beefy, puffy ol

n his hand with a bang

id you call Miss Briggs?

Skinner. He's lookin' for to pay for that opery house with Pap Brigg's money that he'll git if he marries Sally. But he won't git it! I

retain me as your attorney in case y

lonel

ant no fees to pay. You get that clear in your mind. If I did,

just drop down again, Colonel,"

up to do you a favor, and you git mad about it! I don't call

id Toole, leaning back in his chair

se for board, an' how he skipped off, an' she showed me the note he left on the pin cushion, an' then she come down to business. 'Colonel,' she sa

I. 'That's the q

ge box,' say

rse if it was a small box, Miss Sall

o large. Besides anything very large it would be smal

tryin' to say. 'Medium large,' I says, 'yes, I know just abou

e says, 'just

have been much in it; and if it had been a big heavy box I'd have told her she'd better leave it alone; for there wouldn't be any tellin' whether she had any right

I don't know what to say about a box that is medium size and medium heavy. You'd ought to get the law on that subject befor

way to git popular quicker than by doin' little favors, an' he ought to be glad to do a favor for you, for you're almost an orphan. Your ma's dead, an' Pap Briggs ain't overly strong, an' you're liable to be an orphan almost any minute. I can tell by the looks of Attorney Toole,' I says, 'that he's got a good heart, and if

se." He put his hand over his mouth to hide the s

raid there might be somethin' wrong about it somewheres. But

uld not take a case involving a medium-sized, medium-heavy box; a box left for board by a man from parts unknown, now departed to parts unknown; a box that may contai

" exclaimed the

only in the presence of an attorney-at-law. That is legal advice and worth five dollars,

ed," said the C

the MODUS OPERANDI, as we lawyers say. Has

lonel

had searched his brain; "seems like she ought to

payment of default of a board bill should always be opened, if possible, with a hatchet not the

bulky volume, and ran

all box-medium box.

the book, but the atto

is more legal. Hatchets for small boxes, axes for mediu

he ax," agree

ouse in half an hour

lonel

ously, and when the attorney had once more assured him there would be none, h