The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of Him Part 42

Peter had had some rough experiences two or three times in his fall campaign, and Dennis, who had insisted on escorting him, took him to task about his "physical culture."

"It's thirty pounds yez are too heavy, sir," he told Peter. "An' it's too little intirely yez afther knowin' av hittin'."

Peter asked his advice, bought Indian clubs, dumb-bells, and boxing-gloves, and under Dennis's tutelage began to learn the art of self-defence. He was rather surprised, at the end of two months, to find how much flesh he had taken off, how much more easily he moved, how much more he was eating, and how much more he was able to do, both mentally and physically.

"It seems as if somebody had oiled my body and brain," he told Dennis.

Dennis let him into another thing, by persuading him to join the militia regiment most patronized by the "sixth," and in which Dennis was already a sergeant. Peter received a warm welcome from the regiment, for Dennis, who was extremely popular, had heralded his fame, and Peter's physical strength and friendly way did the rest. Ogden Ogden laughed at him for joining a "Mick" regiment, and wanted to put Peter into the Seventh.

Peter only said that he thought his place was where he was.

Society did not see much of Peter this winter. He called on his friends dutifully, but his long visits to Albany, his evenings with Dennis, and his drill nights, interfered badly with his acceptance of the invitations sent him. He had, too, made many friends in his commission work and politics, so that he had relatively less time to give to his older ones. The absence of Miss De Voe and Lispenard somewhat reduced his social obligations it is true, but the demands on his time were multiplying fast.

One of these demands was actual law work. The first real case to come to him was from the contractor who had served on the tenement-commission.

He was also employed by the Health Board as special counsel in a number of prosecutions, to enforce clauses of his Food Bill. The papers said it was because of his familiarity with the subject, but Peter knew it was the influence of Green, who had become a member of that Board. Then he began to get cases from the "district," and though there was not much money in each case, before long the number of them made a very respectable total.

The growth of his practice was well proven by a suggestion from Dummer that they should join forces. "Mr. Bohlmann wants to give you some of his work, and it's easier to go into partnership than to divide his practice."

Peter knew that Dummer had a very lucrative business of a certain kind, but he declined the offer.

"I have decided never to take a case which has not right on its side."

"A lawyer is just as much bound to try a case as a physician is bound to take a patient."

"That is what lawyers say outside, but they know better."

"Well, have your scruples. We'll make the firm cases only such as you choose. I'll manage the others."

"I should like to," said Peter. "I'm very grateful for the offer--but we could hardly do that successfully. If the firm was good for anything, we should be known as belonging to it, and the public could not well discriminate."

So that chance of success was pa.s.sed. But every now and then Bohlmann sent him something to do, and Dummer helped him to a joint case occasionally.

So, though friends grew steadily in numbers, society saw less and less of Peter. Those who cared to study his tastes came to recognize that to force formal entertaining on him was no kindness, and left it to Peter to drop in when he chose, making him welcome when he came.

He was pleased to get a letter from Lispenard during the winter, from j.a.pan. It was long, but only the first paragraph need be quoted, for the rest related merely to his travels:

"The breezes of the Pacific have blown away all my bad temper," he wrote, "and I want to say that I was wrong, and regret my original fault, as well as what it later led me into. You are quite right.

We must continue friends."

Peter wrote a reply, which led to a regular correspondence. He sent Miss De Voe, also, a line of Christmas greetings, and received a long letter from her at Nice, which told him something of Watts and Helen:

"She is now well again, but having been six years in Europe, she and her husband have become wedded to the life. I question if they ever return. I spoke of you, and they both inquired with great warmth about you."

Peter replied, sending his "remembrance to Mr. and Mrs. D'Alloi in case you again meet them." From that time on Miss De Voe and he corresponded, she telling him of her Italian, Greek and Egyptian wanderings, and he writing of his doings, especially in regard to a certain savings bank fund standing in the name of "Peter Stirling, trustee" to which Miss De Voe had, the winter before, arranged to contribute a thousand dollars yearly.

As his practice increased he began to indulge himself a little. Through the instrumentality of Mr. Pell, he was put first into one and later into a second of the New York clubs, and his dinners became far less simple in consequence. He used these comforters of men, indeed, almost wholly for dining, and, though by no means a club-man in other senses, it was still a tendency to the luxurious. To counteract this danger he asked Mr. Costell to pick him up a saddle-horse, whereupon that friend promptly presented him with one. He went regularly now to a good tailor, which conduct ought to have ruined him with the "b'ys," but it didn't.

He still smoked a pipe occasionally in the saloons or on the doorsteps of the district, yet candor compels us to add that he now had in his room a box of cigars labelled "Habana." These were creature pleasures, however, which he only allowed himself on rare occasions. And most of these luxuries did not appear till his practice had broadened beyond the point already noted.

Broaden it did. In time many city cases were thrown in his way. As he became more and more a factor in politics, the judges began to send him very profitable referee cases. Presently a great local corporation, with many damage suits, asked him to accept its work on a yearly salary.

"Of course we shall want you to look out for us at Albany," it was added.

"I'll do what I can to prevent unfair legislation. That must be all, though. As for the practice, you must let me settle every case where I think the right is with the plaintiff." This caused demur at first, but eventually he was employed, and it was found that money was saved in the long run, for Peter was very successful in getting people to settle out of court.

Then the savings bank, for which Peter had done his best (not merely as recorded, but at other times), turned over its law business to him, giving him many real estate transactions to look into, besides papers to draw. "He brings us a good many depositors," Mr. Lapham told his trustees, "and is getting to be a large depositor himself."

Peter began to find help necessary, and took a partner. He did this at the suggestion of Ogden Ogden, who had concluded his clerkship, and who said to Peter:

"I have a lot of friends who promise me their work. I don't know how much it will be, but I should like to try it with you. Of course, yours is the bigger practice, but we can arrange that."

So after considerable discussion, the sign on Peter's door became "Stirling and Ogden," and the firm blossomed out with an office boy--one of Peter's original "angle" friends, now six years older than when Peter and he had first met.

Ogden's friends did materialize, and brought good paying cases. As the city, referee, corporation and bank work increased, their joint practice needed more help, and Ray Rivington was, on Ogden's request, taken in.

"He doesn't get on with his law studies, though he pretends to work over them hard. In fact he'll never be a good lawyer. He hasn't a legal mind.

But he'll bring cases, for he's very popular in society, and he'll do all the palavering and running round very well. He's just the fellow to please people." This was what Ogden urged, adding, "I might as well tell you that I'm interested for another reason, too. He and Dorothy will marry, if he can ever get to the marrying point. This, of course, is to be between us."

"I'll be very glad to have him, both for his own sake, and for what you've just told me," said Peter.

Thus it was that the firm again changed its name, becoming "Stirling, Ogden and Rivington," and actually spread into two other rooms, Peter's original little "ten by twelve" being left to the possession of the office boy. That functionary gazed long hours at the map of Italy on the blank wall, but it did not trouble him. He only whistled and sang street songs at it. As for Peter, he was too busy to need blank walls. He had fought two great opponents. The world and himself. He had conquered them both.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

A RENEWAL.

If the American people had anglicized themselves as thoroughly into liking three-volume stories, as they have in other things, it would be a pleasure to trace the next ten years of Peter's life; for his growing reputation makes this period a far easier matter to chronicle than the more obscure beginnings already recorded. If his own life did not supply enough material we could multiply our characters, as did d.i.c.kens, or journey sideways, into little essays, as did Thackeray. His life and his biographer's pen might fail to give interest to such devices, but the plea is now for "realism," which most writers take to mean microscopical examination of minutia. If the physical and psychical emotions of a heroine as she drinks a gla.s.s of water can properly be elaborated so as to fill two printed pages, Peter's life could be extended endlessly.

There were big cases, political fights, globe trottings, and new friends, all of which have unlimited potentialities for numerous chapters. But Americans are peculiar people, and do not buy a pound of sugar any the quicker because its bulk has been raised by a skilful admixture of moisture and sand. So it seems best partly to take the advice of the Bellman, in the "Hunting of the Snark," to skip sundry years. In resuming, it is to find Peter at his desk, reading a letter.

He has a very curious look on his face, due to the letter, the contents of which are as follows:

MARCH 22.

DEAR OLD CHUM--

Here is the wretched old sixpence, just as bad as ever--if not worse--come back after all these years.

And as of yore, the sixpence is in a dreadful pickle, and appeals to the old chum, who always used to pull him out of his sc.r.a.pes, to do it once more. Please come and see me as quickly as possible, for every moment is important. You see I feel sure that I do not appeal in vain. "Changeless as the pyramids" ought to be your motto.

Helen and our dear little girl will be delighted to see you, as will

Yours affectionately,

WATTS.

Peter opened a drawer and put the letter into it. Then he examined his diary calendar. After this he went to a door, and, opening it, said: