The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-27

/ ID
(D the name Of Bansemer.
w His office. on the top
most floor of dingy
building In the lower section of the
city, was not inviting. On leaving the
elevator one wound about through mar
row halls and finally peered with more
or less uncertainty and misgiving at
the half obliterated sign which said
that James Bansemer held forth on the
other side of the glass panel.
1t was whispered In certain circles
and openly avowed in others that Ban
semer's business was not the kind
which elevates the law. In plain
words, his methods were construed to
of the land. Once inside the door Of
his office-and a heavy spring always
closed it behind one-there was quick
evidence that the lawyer lamentably
disregarded the virtues of prosperity,
no matter how they had been courted
and won. Although his transactions
in and out of the courts OF that great
city bore the mark of dishonor, he
was known to have made money dur
ing the ten years of his career as q
member Of the bar.
Possibly he kept his Office shabby
and unclean that it might be in touch
with the transactions which had their
morbid birth inside the grimy walls.
There was no spot or corner In the
two small rooms that comprised his
chambers" to which he could point
with pride. The floors were Uttered
with papers; the walls were greasy
and bedecked with malodorous nota-
lions, documents and pictures; the win
dows were smoky and useless; the
clerks desk bore every suggestion of
dissoluteness.
But little less appalling to ones aes-
thetic sense was the clerk himself.
Squatting behind his wretched desk.
Elias broom peered across the litter
of papers and books with shaky but
polite eyes. almost as inviting as the
spider who with willy but insidious
decorum draws the guileless into his
web.
If one passed muster In the estima-
ton of the incomprehensibleD broom he
was permitted in due season to pass
through a second oppressive looking
door and into the private Office of Mr..
James Bansemer, attorney at law and
solicitor 1t may be remarked at this
early stage that, no matter how long
or how well one may have known
broom, one seldom fingered to engage
in commonplace with him His was
the most repellent personality tuagt
nable. When he smiled one was con-
scious of a shock TO the nervous sys-
tenn; when he SO far forgot himself as
to laugh aloud there was a distinct
Illustration of the word 'crunching;"
when he spoke one was almost sorry
that he had ears.
Bansemer knew but little Of this
freakish individuals history. no one
else had the temerity to inquire into
his past or to separate 1t from his fu-
ture, for that matter. Once Bansemer
ironically asked him why he had never
married. 1t was a full minute before
the other lifted his eyes from the sheet
of legal cap. and by that time he was
in full control of his passion
Look at me, Would any woman
marry a thing like me?"
This was said with such terrible ear
nestness that Bansemer took care nev-
er to breach the subject again He
saw that Droom's heart was not all
steel and brass.
broom was middle aged. His Iank
body and cadaverous face were con-
strncteu on principles not generally ac-
credited to nature as it applies to men.
When erect his body swayed as il IL
were a stubborn reed determined to
maintain its dignity in the face Of the
wind. He did not walk; he glided.
His long, square chin, rarely clean
shaver, protruded far beyond its nat
| ural orbit. Indeed, the attitude of the
chin gave one an insight to the greedy
character of the man. At first glance
| one felt that broom was reaching forth
with his lower jaw to give greeting
with his teeth instead Of his hand
His neck was long and thin. and bis
| trrpdoWp collar. was at least two sizes