The Press., 1900-08-30
Cupid WITH A JIMMY.
BY HELEN FOLLETT.
How q Husband Discovered Her
Worth to His Wife.


/ BY HELEN FOILETT. /
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When John Trumbull fell in love
with vivacious and sprightly Gertrude
Moore, no one would ever have sus-
pected that he was a scholar, thinker
and a settled man of 40 His general
actions were those of a youth of Is un-
dergoing his first case of love. The
upshot of 1t was that when these two
became engaged Miss Moore pulled
Mr.. Trumbun around by his philo-
sophical 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 Sc
lection of a 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 taste.
y
years have a way of doing. Mr.. Trum-
bull gradually awakened to the one
sided state of affairs. Mrs. Trumbull.
being selfish and possessing a 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 woman loves him his az
lection 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 worrying him. She
would do this. she would do that
what John thought didn't matter.
But, as said before. change finally
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 offers
splendid opportunities for the woman
with a will Of her own. For long
time Mrs. John did not observe that
her husbands substantial admiration
was growing thin almost to a shadow.
But when she did realize 1t 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 turn his hair
white with her everlasting criticisms
Tohr IN fhn
faithful, adoring. enduring.
One morning John didn't kiss his
wife when he went down town to bust
ness. She moped and wept and scolded
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 a great while when
Johns old vision Of love for his wife
and tell her that she was the prettiest
thing in the world. Following her old
time tactics, Mrs. John would in return
comment on his bad choice of 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 Or
phan asylum in derby hat and creas-
ed trousers.
AS it was not Johns nature to war
against any one he simply kept himself
out of Mrs. Johns way. Sunday after
moons he went over to the North Side
to see an old college chum of his. These
trips We're his only designations.
One Sunday afternoon when he and
his old friend were discussing some
particularly exciting college scrimmage
telephone bell rang. and a woman's
voice begged to speak to Mr.. Trumbull
He went to the phone.
lis that you. GertrudeY
Yes, John. And won't you come
home, please? let Sadie take baby
over to your mothers. and everybody
in the building is out. and I'm having
the fidgets. l don't know what I'm
scared about. but I'm just nervous"
"An right, dear" said John, and
home he went. not stopping long
enough to finish up the recoIections 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 years before he had begged and en-
treated and kissed her into saying
yes" She was twisting her hand.
ker.hief into little wads and ropes,
and he knew by that that she was dis
tracted about something.
Il know you think I'm a silly to feel
this way when it's not even twilight
yet. But know positively that some
body tried the kitchen windows while
was lying down, and l just couldn't
get over 1t. l always was afraid Of
burglars and ghosts" And then she
had a nervous chill.
John said nothing. He took out a
copy of Spencer and lighted a cigar
After time the baby was brought
home and put to bed. Mrs. Trumbull
had recovered from her nervousness
and was peeking out from behind a
window shade listening to conversa-
ton that was going on In the court.
The servant employed by the family
in the apartment just below the Trum-
bulls abode was In the fat opposite
telling the occupants Of that place that
she was unable to get into the house.
II can't turn the key, and If you
don't mind, mann, I'll go through your
window"
The people didn't mind at all. They
even held the girls parasol and pocket
book while she clambered from one
window sill to the other.
Then came q crash. It was terrific
crash. Had the girl fallen into the