Honestly now, Captain Bangs, tell me--what do you think of the idea?"
The captain seemed rather dubious.
"Humph!" he grunted. "Well, I don't know, John. East Wellmouth ain't a
very big place."
"I know that. Of course I shouldn't hope to do much in East Wellmouth
alone. But it seemed to me I might do as other country lawyers have
done, have an office--or a desk--in several other towns and be in those
towns on certain days in the week. I think I should like to live in East
Wellmouth, though. It is--not to be sentimental but just truthful--the
one place I remember where I was really happy. And, as I remember too,
there used to be no lawyer there."
Captain Obed's forehead puckered.
"That's just it, John," he said. "There is a lawyer here now. Good deal
of a lawyer, too--if you ask HIM. Name's Heman Daniels. You used to know
him as a boy, didn't you?"
Kendrick nodded assent.
"I think I did," he said. "Yes, I remember him. He was one of the big
boys when I was a little one, and he used to bully us small chaps."
"That's the feller. He ain't changed his habits so much, neither. But
he's our lawyer and I cal'late he's doin' well."
"Is he? Well, that's encouraging, at any rate. And he's the only lawyer
you have? Only one lawyer in a whole town. Why in New York I couldn't
throw a cigar stump from my office window without running the risk of
hitting at least two and starting two damage suits."
The captain chuckled.
"I presume likely you didn't throw many," he observed.
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