Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-09-26
mrs WYNAN.


I was extremely interested in every
one about me. and when 10 my we'll
meant advances got short but not
unpleasant. responses, thought poe
pie took me for meddling sort OF
fe How, and / rather drew back into
my shell and kept TO myself. but now
Il understand better. and when a man
] Is what used to term cranky. set him
down rs dead tired and let him alone.
and that's how it happened that after
working for nearly a year in the same
room with dozen men James Murray
was.aboat the only one with whom l
had even common acquaintance
Some how / took fancy 10 the
young fellow from the very first He
was tall and thin. smoothed faced.
with regular, clean-cut features and
dark eyes and hair; boyish. looking.
but digni6ed and very quiet.
had done him few friendly turns
such as men working together often
get chance to do one another and we
had become pretty well acquainted.
AT least he must have known me and
my family history pretty well; but he
was rather reticent and beyond telling
me he was ..man OF family. as ne
expressed il. he had never talked of
his own affairs and had often Won
dered what his family might consist OF.
One night. he invited me home TO
dinner with him, and. as you may
imagine. accepted with great prompt
ness
His home was althe outskirts OF the
great eity-not in one of the pretty
suburbs, but in thinly settled, bleak
looking neighborhood. where there
were many vacant lots. with here and
there fair-looking apartment house
or block OF fats. but no houses that
looked like permanent homes.
The buildings all had that cherries
look seen in the neighborhood where
renters change often; a sort Of transient
air. as though the houses themselves
might be portable; aud one would
hardly be surprised to see the great
furniture vans that are always coming
and going with immense loads to and
from these localities carry away houses
ard all
My friend apologized for the distance,
saving that cheaper rent had taken
him so far out, because now his family
needed more room than he could afford
TO pay for nearer town.
..His family again-well. in a few
minutes / should see for myself
ring at the door of an upper fat brought
a neat little maid servant to the door,
and she showed Us into cosy little
parlor empty for moment, then
filled it seemed to me. by a lively little
tot of two or three years. Daddy
Jim. Daddy Jim.n he called as he
climbed on him and over him and hung
on his Goa; and then the pretty CIR
mother entered and Daddy Jim proudly
presented me to his family.
We had a merry meal. Everybody
talked, even the baby. They both
ratified away, and l soon knew al
about them. Her name was Kittie
baby's was Ned. She called her hus
band Daddy jim" because baby haC
begun it and it sounded funny. Bott
were orphans he was % and she wa:
10. She had married at 16, becaus,
mother had died then and left he
alone, and Jim wanted to take care o
her. They had been engaged always
every since they were children; ant
so as heard their story became more
and more interested in them, and re
solved then and there to be sort Of
father to them. Not that I was so aw
fully old Cmy hair has always bee
thin this way early badness runs i
our family, but they seemed such IN
fants to all alone in the world.
/ think they must have liked me
too, for soon an invitation to dine with
them on Sunday became so much
matter of course that / should bav
felt hurt had 1t been omitted. be
came their confidential friend and wa
consulted in so many OF their plan
that / felt myself quite important.
assure you. / helped Kittie seleC
Jim's birthday and Christmas gifts
and gave Jim the benefit of my ex
perience in shopping when Kittie sen
him for Rarchases at the great Dir!
goods stoxes. In fact began to con
slider myself one OF the family.
Now there was employed in our O
flee as typewriter a Mrs. Wyrnan,
very handsome woman OF about thirty
five yearssof age. A relative OF on
of the firm, her story was well know
among the men in the Office. She ha
been ieftsan orphan with considerabl
money, and At the age OF sixteen ha
married against the advice Of he
friends; her husband had abused hel
spent her little fortune. then died lea,
ing her to support herself.
She WAS. as ! have said. beautiful
but very bitter and sarcastic. and fee
ing thatshe owed the world grudg,
she was not apt to spare any one.