The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-06-09

vAlhEN JOnn l"ruInDuli fell IN
Wv love with yivacious and spright-
-1y Gertrude Moore no one would ever
have suspected that he was a scholar,
n thinker and Il settled man of 40.
His general actions were those of a
youth of Is undergoing his first case
of love. The upshot of it was that
when these two became engaged Miss
Moore pulled Mr.. Trumbull around
by his philosophical nose and made
him dance to her fiddling as suited
her capricious and changing moods.
Matrimony found the same condition
of affairs. Every domestic question
was decided by Mrs. Trumbull. no
matter whether it was the choice of
an apartment or the selection of 4
new coffee grinder. Mr.. Trumbull be-
ing still in a state of binding affec-
ton and admiration for the 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 taste.
But as the years vent by. as the
years have Il way of doing. Mr.. Trum-
bull gradually awakened to the one
sided state of affairs. Mrs. TrumbulI
being selfish and possessing a thistle
down intellect, fancied that il 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
affection becomes chilled like whipped
cream in an ice chest. So she stuck
up her nose-it stuck up of its own
accord. by the way-and went her
usual pace of bullyragging and wor-
rying him. She would do this. she
would do that-what John thought
didn't matter.
But. as said before. n change final
ly came over Johns heart. He still
considered hat dainty wife of his
quite the snlartest. cleverest woman
in the world. but. strange to say. he
was becoming aware of her powers Of
dicta1ing and laying down the law.
John was quiet and inotfensive, and
Just the kind of Il man hat offers
splendid opportunities for 4 woman
WIN - Will vi itI own. IL" a ohS
time Mrs. John did not observe that
her hrsband's substantial admiration
Wa growing thin almost TO a shadow.
But when she did realize if. the blow
was something fearful. 1t had been
her. opinion that even though she
Were TO sell his best clothes to the
rag man or burn the house up or
49, - H. -, al L., 900
lasting criticisms John would ever re-
main the same-faithful. adorin~. en-
during.
One morning John didn't kiss his
wife when he went downtown 10 bust
ness. She moped and wept and sccld-
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 worsc TO even
worse than that. Once in a 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. Following her old-time tao
tics. Mrs. John would in return
comment on his bad choice of Il neck
tie or let loose the pleasant informa-
ton 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 4 derby hat and
creased trousers.
As it was not Johns nature to war
against " he simply kept out of
Mrs. Johns way. Sunday afternoons
he went out for Il walk. Sometimes
he went over to the North side to
see an old college chum of his. Those
trips were his only designations.
One Sunday afternoon. when he and
his old friend were discussing some
particularly exciting college scrim-
mage that had taken place Is years
back, the telephone bell rang and a
,yoman's voice begged to speak to Mr..
'Trumbull. He went to the phone.
rs that you, Gertrude?"
.sYes. John. And won't YOU come
home. please. l let Sadie take baby
over to your mothers, and everybody
in the building is out and I'm having
the fdyets. l don't know what I'm
scared about, but I'm just nervous"
"All right, DEAR" said John, and
home he went, n stopping long
enough to finish up the recollections
OF the college fight.
At home he found his wife sitting
curled up on a little settee looking
very much as she had looked when
five wears before he had begged and
,entreated and kissed her into saying
YVES" Che vas twisting bar hand |