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was tried there and we were beaten.
Then we appealed to the Supreme Court, and it has lain there three or four years. We were heard fully, and the Supreme Court has decided against us.”
“You must have left out something in your statement of your case,” I said.
“The county lived on and owned the lands and knew as much about them as you did. The claim of false pretences cannot be sustained for a moment.”
“I have told you the case exactly as it is,” said he.
“Very well; has anything else happened?”
“Yes; we moved for a rehearing in the Supreme Court, and that has been decided against us.”
“Has anything else happened to your case?”
“Yes; they moved to have a mandate upon which the money was to be accounted for sent down in advance of the usual time.
We had a hearing upon that, and that was also decided against us last Monday.”
“Now, then,” I said, “the patient being dead and buried, and the sexton having gone home to supper, you come to me for resurrection.
I must say that I see no earthly opportunity; the rule of the Supreme Court is that it will have but one rehearing in a case.”
“But,” said he, “it is much to us; we have got seventeen more just such cases with other counties in Iowa or elsewhere, and they will all bring suits.”
“Well,” said I, “when they bring another suit I will endeavor to do something for you if I can, but it is no use for me to look into this record, this case is a by-gone.”
“Well, all the same I want you to look into the record of this case and tell me what is your charge?”
“ I ought not to charge anything, for it will do you no good.
But I do not read such records for fun; but if you insist upon it, after what I have told you, I will examine it, and give you my opinion, and charge you $500 for so doing.”
He wrote his check for the amount, threw his record down on the table, and said: “Whenever you want to see me, send for me, but spare no expense to put this right.”
I took the record with me to my house.
The next morning, after having finished my New England Sunday breakfast of baked beans and fish-balls, being curious, I opened the record and read it carefully
A. M. Thayer and Co. 1892.
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