The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-01
HIS BABY FACE.
It's Disagreement Brought Happi-
ness to James Ellis

Jimmy Ellis is indeed funny boy,
laughed Julia Costello to friend.
''They say he is head over heels in
love with you-follows you, is to be
found somewhere near you most of his
time. They tell me you have complete
ly bewitched the boy" rejoined the
| friend.
Il must confess he seems to act very
foolishly. No matter what do or say,
or ignore him, can't scare him away.
I have never done the slightest thing
to encourage him." Julia soberly re-
piled.
whats the matter with the boy.
then, that he hangs around you so
much?" the friend asked.
81 don't know" Julia slowly said,
and added in a w1stful manner, Il won
der whether Jimmie will ever be man
will ever look like man"
Hes pretty boy, anyhow" laughed
The friend.
Pretty as a baby" said Julia, join
ing in the laugh.
The subject of this conversation was
not boy, but a man of thirty years.
A man of full stature, yet with the ex-
pressionless face of baby. 1t was
round and full. The skin was of soft
pink color, with a tinge of darker color
in the cheeks. The eyes were large
and of light blue, and opened in an
innocent surprise when their owner
was spoken to. He had little chubby
nose and a small mouth. There were
no lines or shadows on his face.
He was pretty man; SO pretty that
his face was repulsive to man and to
womankind There was nothing about
the face to counterfeit the Sc emingly
expressionless vacuity there. Strangers
continually asked: "Who is the man
with the baby face?" The reply was
always Jimmy Ellis The man James
Ellis was swallowed up in the boy
Jimmy.
Another characteristic heightened
the effect of this boyishness. His voice
was pitched an octave higher than is
usual in men. He spoke in light,
chattering tone that went off into a
screech. He talked and laughed like
woman. All his male associates as he
became older grew away from him, de-
riding the man with baby face and
woman's voice. Womankind seemed
ever to be making sport of him.
James Ellis was extremely sensitive
in respect to these characteristics. He
was conscious of the fun and sport
Others were having at his expense. In
consequence he gave humanity wide
berth. While he did &c, he hated that
big baby face of his. 1t made life mis-
cradle to him. 1t angercd him at times
to hear his own voice. He had tried in
vain to coax growth Of whiskers to
hide the face. A tuft of yellow hair
here and there was all that made its
appearance. In despair he had given
up any further attempts in this direc-
ton.
Notwithstanding these outward signs,
James Ellis was man of true, honest
and honorable instincts and aspira-
tons. He delighted in the pleasures of
a robust manhood. He was an all-round
athlete. There was not better horse
back rider in the town in which he
lived. His mother had died when he
was child. His father died when he
reached his majority. leaving him
home in the Pennsylvania town of
b and two farms lying near the vii
lage. An aunt had been installed as
housekeeper over the home.
James Ellis was better manager of
the farms than his father had been be-
fore him. He gave them his constant
attention. There was no part of the
work on the farm he could not do. |
Those under him knew what he expect
ed from them. James Ellis not only
knew how to manage the farms better !
than his father, but knew how to live !
and enjoy life and that which he made |
better.
There was not better library in
the town than his; he had collected it !
himself. He was lover Of art James
Ellis was a talented man. His large
hunting dog heard many a soliloquy
that for originality and brightness
would have rivaled the mental caliber
of by far the greater number of his
|
James Ellis life had been, however, a
failure, as he looked at it-an unhappy
fail,-re-a miserable existence, caused
by baby face and a woman's voice
His greatest happiness, and at the
same time his greatest unhappiness,
was his love for Julia Costello. He was
not content unless near her. He wor-
SHIPPED her. 1t was the love of strong
man; the only love of a lonely life He
had known her from childhood and
had always loved her. He loved her
because he could not conceive how life
could be complete without her. Be-
cause he believed that with woman
the best gift to man-this woman.
could he alone reach the great bless
ings of existence-home. love, happ;-
ness He was miserable because he
had been and was no more to Julia
than Jimmy" He felt that, with his
baby face and woman's voice. he had
failed to awaken the chords of love. to
sound the depths Of her heart. She
liked him. respected him, but he was
only Jimmy" her boy playmate.
Shortly after the conversation be-
tween Julia and her friend, James Ellis
succeeded in gaining a long looked for
Taking Julia's hand in
ais. he said. in his squeaky voice:
Julia. darling. l love thee, 1 love
.hee. This love is the sweetest, the
'nly thing on earth that makes life
worth the living to me. Be mine. Love
ne-marry me-"
Julia could not help but see the ride
llous in the voice. in the face, and in
errupted him several times as he
poke, saying:
'0h, don't, Jimmy! Don't, Jimmy!"