The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-15
ing the foor-and finally lies down again
in the same place.
AN ANCIENT AW OFFICE


ing the fioor-and finally lies down again
in the same place.
AN ANCIENT LAW OFFICE.
"on one side of the public square is
dlngy old building. of a style of architee
ture such one sees in the quaint prints
of the principal business streets of a city
in the year ISIS. There is a very narrow
and very dusty stairway, with a gaspipe
handrail at the side leading To the hallway
on the second floor. equally dusty and
smelling like garrett accompanied by the
odor of burnt natural gas, stale cooking
and an occasional Whit from the peanut
rooster in the candy store below. Tackled
to one of the risers of the steps is long
tin sign, very much dented by the toes of
the many boots with which it has come in
contact. On this sign is-well. I'll not give
the right name, but for the sake of the
story will say Willis P. Mckinney, Law
yer At the further end of the hall is Mo
kinney's Office which consists of a small
consultation room-and another very long
room. The entrance is by the latter and
ones first impression is of an armory
rather than of a law Office. There are pos
sibly ten doors and windows in this room,
and over every one hangs a gun of some
sort, secured by small leather straps On a
blank space between the windows are
cartridges and brass shotgun shells, ar
ranged and fastened to the wall in an orna-
mental form. In another space between two
doors is a number of pistols, with a big
one in the center and smaller ones around
it, hanging on nails by the trigger guards
Over the mantel are two army sabers
placed crosswise. Around them are Shout
/ der straps, canteens, belts, belt buckles,
cartridge boxes. powder horns, shot TASKS
and knives. About three feet down from
the ceiling is a picture molding, which
/ forms a frieze around the room. In this
also extending around the room, are two
rows of old hats-two hundred of them
more; the most perfect collection of its
kind, possibly, in the world. and an ideal
| one from which to study the evolution in
! styles of twenty years past There are
/ funny little Dutch dice, with low crown,
| straight brImmed silk hat with a crown
| like joint of stovepipe, SLOUGH hats, caps,
/ OF all sorts, -brimmed farm hats, with
the edge worn off from fighting humble
! bees; last years straw hats, in short, ev-
| cry kind in various stages of antiquity,
! such one would find in a rummage sale
Mckinney is about thirty-five years old;
! tall very heavy. clean-shaved; Thin light
! straight hair, clear complexion and chin
! that expresses energy and determination
! He wears wei-made clothes-a very long
] Prince Albert coat usually-and when
standing squarely on both feet, bracing
himself back-his coat thrown open by
putting his hands in his trousers pockets.
ones first impression of him is that he is
! all stomach and watch chain. He adopted
the profession of law as a compromise, his
original ambition being that of the army.
He was appointed to West Point but for
! physical reasons failed to pass the exami-
nations. He married happily, and, incident
! ally, lot of money. The income he derives
from his practice he spends in travel. Be-
ing a man of observation, imagination and
a keen sense of the picturesque, as one
might know from the hat collection, he is
one of the best fellows in the world to be
with an hour. He never seems to mind the
petty mischances of life-that is, if it gives
him good story to tell and the opportun-
ity to tell it first. Once a burglar got in
his house. Mac wakened, saw him cropping
around the room and asked him how he
was progressing.
- Not very WELL replied the intruder.
"'Well, I'll tell you continued Mac, my
wife is the custodian of the exchequer in
this castle. and if you can find her pocket
| book. I'll give you half
"Once he ordered a suit of clothes. one
of his long Prince Albert coats, al a large
tailoring establishment here in Indianapo-
lis. Before he received them he was strick-
en- with long illness, and was much re-
| duced in flesh, about seventy-five pounds
The new clothes hung him in wrinkles
and folds, like the head of a wet base drum
First time he was in Indianapolis he went
into the tailoring establishment, wearing
the clothes and asked them if that was the
kind of a fit they gave OF course they
compared their measurement on the books
with the clothes and couldn't understand
how they got his measurement mixed up
with that of some one else They were
about to measure him for another suit
when he explained.
TRYING TO BE A BOY AGAIN
Last summer Mckinney made a long
the day. instead of crossing the river which
to the path along the side to a shallow
ford some distance below. He drove into
the middle and stepped out on the shaft
to unfasten the checkrein and while the
morse was drinking he sat in the buggy
and contemplated the scene. Evening was
on. Over the river and. before him was a
forest-the spreading branches and thick
foliage in the light of the dying day. made
the space between the tree trunks along the
bank appear like a series of darkened
chasms. To the right and further down
the stream widened, and bend in the riv-
er hid from view it's continuation and
formed for the eye a BASIN There was a
number of connected ice houses on the dis
tant bank with a derrick tower in the CEN
ter extending above. The distance and
coming darkness yelled and softened the
, crudties of these buildings and as their
gables, red shingled roofs and the tower
were reflected in the still, mirror like
water-McKinney imagined the scene TO b,
Alpine lake and castle beyond. To the
west was an open eXpanse of pasture, q
single, well-formed tree and a few grazing
cattle in the foreground were the only OBJ.
jects and they stood in clear silhouette
| against the crimson after-glow of the re
{ firing sun.
'All quiet. save the slipping of the
horse when ne drank; the chug and splash
| a frog jumped off a rock, leaving Sc
! ries of radiating circles on the smooth