The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-10-14
BLEAK HOUSE
BY CHARLES DICKENS
Condensation by Wilder Dwight Quint

The celebrated case of Jarndyce end
Jarndyce had droned its way through
the dusty, musty Chancery Court in
London for how many years only
few bewigged and fuzzy barristers
knew before I, Esther Summerson,
came to feel something of it's deaden-
ing touch. This scarecrow of a suit
had become so complicated that no
man alive knew what it meant. 1t
was once about an old Jarnydce will,
out was now only a question of costs
and they were eating up the original
property every day, People were
dragged into it whether they would
or no. More than one tragedy it
had occasloned / was told that
Tom Jarndyce, a despairing sutton
had said one day of Chancery: ITS
being roasted at a slow fire; it's being
stung to death by single bees; it's
being drowned by drops; it's going
mad by grains And then he went
he went and shot himself. But
Chancery brought me many strange
experiences, some bitter sorrows and
a great happiness
My childhood knew no mother. My
earliest recollection was of a kindly
woman who called herself my god
mother. Once l had asked her about
my real mother, and she had replied:
Your mother Esther, is your dis
grace, and you were hers" When
my godmother died was told by
kenge and CarbOy, great London
lawyers, that a guardian had been
appointed for me and that his name
was John Jarndyce; that he had been
KIDD to int !, ;c
Of the Chancery Court, a Young lady,
and that | WAS TO be her companion
and was TO go to Bleak House. down
in HertfOrdshire, to live. Then first
met my beautiful darling, Ada Glare.
and her handsome distant cousin,
Richard Carstone (also a ward in the
terrible Chancery), a gay, unstable
boy whose love Ada soon returned
alas-tOr in the end they were married
and Richard, chasing the will O. the
wisp Of Jarndyce and Jarrdyce, pas
sed out Of the world forever
Through my guardian, a kindly
hearted gentleman nearer 60 than 80.
perhaps, | met many people of low and
high degree. or the latter We're Sir
Leicester Dedlock, and my lady Dead
lock, great personages in rank and
fashion, with a fine town-house in
London and a superb country estate,
Chcsney Void. off in Lincolnshire
Sir Leicester had married for love.
rumor had it, a Bit beneath him. But
my lady showed no signs Of that She
vas proud, cold, naughty, they said
with beauty still, not yet in its autOm
Sir Leicester, 20 years older, was
man of worthy presence, ceremon-
iOus and stately. He had supreme
faith in two things: the British aris-
tosracy and Lady Dedlock.
My Lady was in Jarndyce and Jar
ndyce through some almost forgotten
ancestor. One afternoon in her
London Mansion Mr. Tulkinghorn,
the family lawyer, was with her.
in connection with the case Mr..
Tulknnghorn l came to know, was
a rusty, silent man, the butler of the
legal cellars of the Deadlocks; grown
rich out of aristrocratic marriage
settlements and aristocratic wills,
an oyster of the old school whom
nobody could open.
Who copied that?" cried my Lady
impulsively, as she cought sight of
some handwriting on a legal docume-
Mt before her. Why do you ask"
queried the lawyer, struck by her ami
nation and unusual tone. Any
thing to vary this detestable monot-
any" she returned, then tainted.
With Mr.. Tulkinghorn to wonder
at anything was to investigate it.
Why had my lady asked about that
handwriting? Why had she tainted?
Perhaps Snagsby, the law stationer,
who had had these papers copied,
could enlighten him. Yes, Snagsby
knew. II was the work of a gloomy
poverty-stricken recluse calling him
self Memo and lodging over one vii
famous Krook's rag and bottle shop.
Thither they go and up into the
squalid chamber. Memo is lying on
his wretched bed, his eyes staring,
his body motionless. God save US,
he is dead" exclaimed Mr. Tulking-
horn.
I heard of the inquest through Mr
Guppy. shrewd young law clerk who
made hopeless calf love TO me- The
only witness who seemed to have
known the dead man was 10, for
lorn boy crossing-sweeper. and he
knew little except e wos good to
me, e wos." But Mr.. Tulkinghorn
docketed 10 for further use-mean-
time: Il have seen the man whose
handwriting attracted your attention"
he wrote Lady Dedlock. And soon
after on visit to Chesney Void:
Il found him-dead,' he tells my lady
face to face. And whether each ever