The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of HimFord, Paul Leicester
General
The Honorable Peter Stirling and What People Thought of Him
Ford, Paul Leicester
Labor movement -- Fiction; Love stories; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Political fiction; Tenement houses -- Fiction
“She was very much interested in the case, and asked a good many
questions about it, and about myself. Some which I would rather not
have answered, but since she asked them I could not bring myself to
dodge them. She asked me to come and see her again. It is probably
nothing but a passing interest, such as this class feel for the
moment.”—[Then Peter carefully inked out “such as this class feel for
the moment,” and reproved himself that his bitterness at—at—at one
experience, should make him condemn a whole class]—“but if she asks me
again I shall go, for there is something very sweet and noble about
her. I think she is probably some great personage.”
Later on in the letter he wrote:
“If you do not disapprove, I will put this money in the savings bank,
in a special or trustee account, and use it for any good that I can do
for the people about here. I gave the case my service, and do not think
I am entitled to take pay when the money can be so much better employed
for the benefit of the people I tried to help.”
CHAPTER XVIII.
ANOTHER CLIENT.
Peter had seen his clients on the morning following the settlement of
the cases, and told them of their good fortune. They each had a look at
Bohlmann’s check, and then were asked how they would like their shares.
“Sure,” said Dooley, “Oi shan’t know what to do wid that much money.”
“I think,” said Peter, “that your two thousand really belongs to the
children.”
“That it does,” said Mrs. Dooley, quite willing to deprive her husband
of it, for the benefit of her children.
“But what shall Oi do wid it?” asked Mr. Dooley.
“I’d like Mr. Stirling to take charge of mine,” said Blackett.
“That’s the idea,” said Dooley.
And so it was settled by all. Peter said the best thing would be to put
it in the savings bank. “Perhaps later we’ll find something better.”
They all went around to a well-known institution on the Bowery, and
Peter interviewed the cashier. It proved feasible to endorse over the
check to the bank, and credit the proper share to each.
“I shall have to ask you to give me the odd two hundred and fifty,”
Peter said, “as that is my legal fee.”
“You had better let me put that in your name, Mr. Stirling?” said the
president, who had been called into the consultation.
“Very well,” said Peter. “I shall want some of it before long, but the
rest will be very well off here.” So a book was handed him, and the
president shook him by the hand with all the warmth that eight thousand
two hundred and fifty dollars of increased assets and four new
depositors implied.
Peter did not need to draw any of the two hundred and fifty dollars,
however. In November he had another knock at his door.
It proved to be Mr. Dennis Moriarty, of whom we have incidentally
spoken in connection with the half-price drinks for the Milligan wake,
and as spokesman of the torchlight procession.
“Good-mornin’ to yez, sir,” said the visitor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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