Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-06-26
Cupid with a Jimmy

001HEN John Trumbull fell in
w love with vivacious and
sprightly Gertrude Moore no
one would ever have suspected that he
was scholar, a thinker and a settled
man of 40. His general actions were
those of a youth of 1S undergoing his
first case of love. The upshot of it
was that when these two became en-
gagged Miss Moore pulled Mr.. Trumbull
around by his philosophical nose and
made him dance to her fiddIing as suit
ed her capricious and changing moods.
Matrimony found the same condition
of affairs. Every domestic question
was settled by Mrs. Trumbull, no mat
ter whether it was the choice of an
apartment or the selection of q new
coffee grinder. Mr.. Trumbull, being
still in a state Of binding affection and
admiration for the little girl of 20
whom he had wooed and won, let her
have her way, with the result that he
was being henpecked to the queens s
taste.
But as the years went by, as the
years have way Of doing, Mr.. Trum-
bull gradually awakened to the one
sided state of affairs. Mrs. Trumbull,
being selfish and possessing thistle
down intellect, fancied that it would
not do to let Mr.. Trumbull know that
she was at all fond Of him. Some old
lady had told her once that when a
man knows a woman loves him his af-
lection becomes chilled like whipped
cream in an ice chest. So she stuck
up her nose-it stuck up of its own ac-
cord by the way-and went her usual
pace Of bullyragging and worrying
him. She would do this, she would do
that-what John thought didn't mat
ter.
came over Johns heart. He still con-
sidered that dainty wife of his quite
the smartest, cleverest woman in the
world, but, strange to say, he was be-
coming aware of her peculiar powers
of debating and laying down the law.
John was quiet and inoffensive, and
Just the kind Of a man that's offers
splendid opportunities for the woman
with a will of her own. For long
llluc ulu AOI ObSCINS
her husbands substantial admiration
was growing thin almost to a shadow.
But when she did realize it, the blow
was something fearful. 1t had been
her opinion that even though she were
to sell her best clothes to the rag man
or burn the house up or turn his hair
white with her everlasting criticisms
John would ever remain the same
faithful, adoring, enduring.
+ One morning John didn't kiss his
wife when he went downtown to busi-
ness. She moped and wept and scold-
ed the baby and the kitchen maid, and
then decided she didn't care. From
that time on things went from bad to
worse and from worse to even worse
than that. Once in great while when
Johns old-time vision of love for his
wife came up he would take her in his
arms and tell her that she was the
prettiest thing in the world. Follow
ing her old-time tactics, Mrs. John
would in turn comment on his bad
choice of a necktie or let loose the
pleasant information that his collar
was soiled on the edge. Johns heart
would sink and he'd tramp off to work
feeling like an, orphan asylum in a
derby hat and creased trousers.
AS it was not Johns nature to war
against anyone, he simply kept himself
out of Mrs. Johns way. Sunday after
moons he went out for a walk. Some
times he went over to the North Side
to see an old college chum of his. These
trips were his only dissipations.
One Sunday afternoon, when he and
his old friend were discussing some
particular exciting college scrimmage
that had taken place fifteen years back,
the telephone bell rang, and a woman's
voice begged to speak to Mr.. Trumbull.
He went to the phone.
'Is that you, Gertrude?"
! Eyes, John. And won't you come
home, please. 1 let Sadie take baby
over to your mothers and everybody
In the building is out and I'm having
the f1dgets. / don't know what I'm
scared about. but I'm just nervous"