Rising in the world

by T. S. Arthur

In the meantime, the sisters had married honest and industrious mechanics, and for thus degrading him had been virtually disowned. He never even paid them the compliment of a visit, and if he met them by chance, treated them with chilling formality. Old Mr. Dunbar still kept his grocery, but the expense of sustaining his son for so many years had sapped the foundation of his business, and he now found himself involved in debts which he saw no hope of paying. Still he struggled on, without assistance or sympathy from his unnatural child, who, by the diversion of a thousand or two dollars from his own selfish projects, might have relieved his parent from a burden under which he felt himself sinking.

For some time he had been dissatisfied with the share of profit he obtained in the business of the office. Harker, who felt a pride in his old student, had taken pains, from the first, to push Dunbar forward in all important cases; and by this means gave him a prominence which, alone, he would not have gained for twenty years. This great advantage, with a fifth of the profits of the business, he had considered ample remuneration. His own expenses were very large; for both himself and family were expensive in their habits. While Dunbar, upon one-fifth of the practice, was saving at least two thousand dollars a year, he usually spent all he made, and was, in fact, notwithstanding an income of over ten thousand dollars per annum, a poor man.

"I think I can stand alone," Dunbar continued, uttering his thoughts aloud as he walked the floor of his office. "There are at least half a dozen of our clients of whom I am sure, and out of them, if I manage it right, I can get at least as much as the whole of my present income."

While thus meditating, a stranger entered, and asked if either Mr. Harker or Mr. Dunbar was in.

"My name is Dunbar," said the young attorney, bowing.

"Ah! Then you are the one I wish to see. I have a claim against a distant relative, involving a large amount of property, out of which I have for a long time been unjustly held, and for the recovery of which I have determined to appeal to the law. The terms I have to propose to counsel are a fee of ten thousand dollars if successful, and nothing if unsuccessful."

Dunbar made careful inquiries as to the nature of the claim, and took two or three days for examination into its foundation and the law bearing upon it. He was satisfied from this investigation that the claim was, to some extent, founded in justice; and there were strong points in the case, which gave hope of a successful issue.

In the course of his conference with the individual who wished to prosecute this claim, Dunbar found that he put much more confidence in his ability than he did in that of Mr. Harker, and once or twice inquired whether Mr. Harker would object to any legal advantage that it might be found necessary to take. A few days' reflection decided the mind of Dunbar, and he said to his client, whose name was Malcolm,—

"I have been for some time meditating a separation from Harker, and have, at length, determined upon taking that step. If you will defer the opening of this suit for a couple of months, I will be ready to undertake it myself, and prosecute it with undivided energy."

"Nothing could be more agreeable," returned Malcolm. "I will defer the matter as you suggest." And so it was deferred until Dunbar could arrange and settle all that appertained to his contemplated dissolution with his old preceptor, who received his proposition with astonishment. Nothing that Harker could say had any effect upon Dunbar. His mind was fully made up for a separation, and it took place accordingly.