CURIOUS BREACH OF PROMISE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1156, 27 April 1894, Page 9

CURIOUS BREACH OF PROMISE.

THE LADY BAKBER AND THE BARRISTER. From Our Own Correspondent. London, March 2. For some time past one of the fairest operators at the famous lady barber's shop in Chancery lane has been conspicuous only by absence. Tender inquiries revealed the fact that the young lady had " met with an accident," but its nature did not transpire till yesterday, when Miss Chettle appeared as plaintiff in a breach of promise case, the defendant boing one Wicks, a barrister:— Mr Abinger, in opening the case for the plaintiff, said that his client was a native of Swansea, and in August, 1892, came up to London and commenced her duties as a lady barber. (Laughter.) This arrangement continued in operation until April last year, when the defendant appeared upon tho scene. He said that he was a barrister. Perhaps he was at the Bar, but at all events he was constantly in Chancery lane, and in the lady barber's shop in that thoroughfare. The plaintiff was there in the service of Mrs Groser, and there the defendant paid her a considerable amount of attention. He asked Mrs Groser who she was; he sought permission to call upon her; and after she had shaved him—(laughter)—he asked if he might be allowed to walk out with her. (Renewed laughter.) In June he suggested that they should have an afternoon and an evening at the Crystal Palace. On the 15th of June Mrs Groser was asked to let the plaintiff leave earlier than usual because the defendant wanted to take her to the Crystal Palace, and the fireworks or something else at that place seemed so to have influenced Mr Wicks that he took the opportunity to ask the lady if she would consent to bo his wife. She said that she certainly had an affection for him, but sho would like to know more about him, and she referred to the fact that, whilst he was a member of the Bar, she was in the humble but honourable occupation of a lady shaver. (Loud laughter.) He said that he did not care for that. He was earning large sums of money in his practice; he had a rich father, and an income of L9OO a year. It was under these circumstances that the plaintiff accepted him. The first question that arose afterwards was as to the day of marriage. She wanted the day put off, and he wanted it to be as early as possible. It was finally appointed to take place in August, and the defendant had committed an account of what had taken place at the Crystal Palace to paper, in what he called a poem. It said:— Onoe I met in London town, Totally unexpected, A little girl of no renown, With whom I got connected. She sang no song of ancient race, Of pride, great wealth, of glory; But all day long she shaved the fact Of Liberal or Tory, —-(Laughter)