Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-04-05
DADDY jim.

you would never have thought OF calling
,s ADaddy," for lie didn't look more than
q Years old In fact, when he first told me
i was married man ! thought he was
bkng
a. desk was near mine we had become quite
friendly. although not intimately acquainted
ttis odd isn't it, how men can sit and
wr,,e aide by side or shoulder to shoulder
DIV after day, each knowing nothing of the
,tber,s life or interests and but little Of his
pstes and disposition.
al hurry through work like 50 many au-
,ma,ons, then rush each in his own direc
ton. rarely stopping for an exchange of
words and never for an exchange of thoughts
Writing writing, all day long. Little won
der they have few ideas when night comes
teyoud catching the first car, burying them
elves in a newspaper an,- doing away to
sard their homes
Now. a,u -s.ilhle sort of creature.
hist the beast Dit Inquisitive, too. catch
myself listening to'conversations in the street
car and wondering where the people live and
what they are like in their homes In other
words, haven't yet got to regarding men as
mere mas hines and confess 70 a good whole
some curiosity about them and their affairs,
When first came to live IN the city was
extremely Interested in every one about me,
and when to my well meant advances | got
short but not unpleasant responses, thought
people took me for "a meidling sort OF fell
bw, and rather drew back into my shell
and kept to myself But now understand
better, and wien a man is what ! used to
term cranky | set him down as dead tired
and let him alone, and that's how it happened
that after working for nearly year in the
zane rcom with dozen men James Murray
vas about the only one with whom had
even common acquaintance.
Somehow took fancy to the young fell
nw from the very first. He was tall and
ihin, smooth fcced, with regular, clean cut
features and dark eyes and hair; boyish look
ing but dgnified and very quiet
| had done him few friendly turns. such
smeD working together often get chance
70 doone another. and we had become pretty
well acquainted At least he must have
known me aud my family history pretty
vel, but he was rather reticent, and beyond
telling me he ,as IMAM of family as he
expressed it, he had never talked of his own
Affairs and had often wondered what his
family might consist Of
One night he invited me home to dinner
With him, and, as you may imagine, | accept
Ell with great promptness,
His home was at the outskirts of the great
city, not in one of the pretty suburbs, but in
athinly settled, bleak looking neighborhood,
where there were many vacant lots, with
here and there a fair looking apartment
house or block of flats, but no houses that
boxed like permanent homes.
Tie buildings all had that cherries look
seen IN the aeghborhoods where renters
easlse often, sort OF transient air, as
though the houses themselves might be port
sAe; and one would hardly be surprised to
see Tie great furniture vans, that are ALWAYS
coming and going with immense loads to and
nom these localities, carry away houses and
all
NY friend apologized for the distance. say
ms that cheaper rent had taken him so far
0ut, because now his family needed more
nom than he could afford to pay for nearer
town
MS family again, we'll, in a few min
e'es should see for myself. A ring at the
9oor OF an upper fat brought neat little
mad servant To the door, and She showed MS
mo coy little parlor, empty for a mo-
msat, tnen filled, 1t seemed to me, by a lively
n''s TOT OF two or three years Daddy Jim.
palay Jim, lie called, as he climbed on him
anu over him, and hung on his coat; and
,Sen the pretty girl mother entered. and
paudy jim proudly presented me to his fam
lily.
ne mad merry meal Everybody talked.
wen the baby They both ratified away. aud
sl s'oh Knew all about them. Her name was
Allie, oaby's was Ned She called her hus.
ol'a Daddy Jim, because baby had begun
y and 1t sounded so funny. Both were
upnans-he was - and she was 10. She had
STARTLED at 10, because her mother had died
.eu ana left her alone, aud Jim wanted to
~Ae care OF her. They had been engaged
'et since they We're children; and 50 as
aeaiu 1nelr story became more and more
.a'Sses'ed IN them, and | resolved then and
' Ae.e 10 oe sort of a father to them. Not
s as was so awfully old tmy hair has always
~ nin this way-early badness runs in
W. ,anlliy), but they seemed such infants TO
v ali alone in the world
'aihS they must have liked me. too. for
an invitation TO dine with them on
,n became so much a matter of course
should have felt hurt had il been
-,''ea became their confidential friend.
, a was consulted in so many of their plans
Va telt myself quite important. | assure
~ helped Kittie select Jims birthday
81 - CHRISTMAS gifts, and l gave Jim the ben
Tia VI my experience in shopping when Kit
$50 ssul MN for purchases at the great dry
SrSNs stores, In fact, began TO consider
seH one of the family.
Nv, ~" there was employed in our office as
s, writer Mrs. Wyman. very hand
~, woman of about IS years of age. A
rsn ",e OF one of the firm, her story was
ShaA SHOWN among the men in the Office.
~, uaa been left an orphan with consider
~ money and at the age of IL had mar
hoShas a'nSt the advice of her friends; her
n,s a' !s had abused her, spent her httle for
slt "@NhS her 10 support her
b,tas was, as have said, beautiful, but very
on a ana sarcastic, and feeling that she
mar sHe world grudge, She was not apt to
sfrsla one. think the men We're rather
on ~. OF her sharp tongue. and she was not
ssc ~. UTc,uiarly good terms with any Of them
d. ~ ses jim and from the first day She came
sS'sl'eo TO take fancy to him.
lac vas not bad hearted woman, and. as
was warts found out, she didn't know Jim
lsor, =. arrled man: but she seemed TO have
IA M =. fascination for him which caused
Al ! u''ie anxiety. Not that Jim was at
'9'e with her, or likely to forget Kit