The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-09
COMMON PLACE JIM.

| eff Jim wasn't 50 hopelessly common
place" sighed Mary Partridge, as she
| leaned over the garden gate and watched
her husbands clumsy figure move heavily
down the village street And it does
seem as though he grew more homely
and awkward every day OF his life" NUT
tered she.
\ step on the gravel walk aroused her
| from her discOnted musing, and turning,
she met the smiling face and handsome
dark eyes Of the young dry goods clerk
| who boarded next door.
Don't look so disconsolate. Mrs. Par
| fridge" said he. gayly, disclosing his
I white teeth in a hooking smile. Jim is
coming home to dinner isn't her
"Of course. Mr.. Blake answered Mary,
the color deepening in her face as she
| moved back a step. The young fellow
the gate.
II was only thinking a bit" contin-
ued Mary. forcing a smile.
| Arthur Blake laughed as he glanced in
| 70 the rosy, shrinking face with bold
| look in his dark eyes.
Come, Mary, tell me all about It,
! said he. rs marriage q failure, or IS II
not?"
Mary gase a slight toss Of her head
| and without a word turned and walked
swiftly toward the house
/ A commonplace smile curved the young
mans lips as he proceeded on his way.
THAT girl is about as much in love
/ with her middle-aged husband as 1 am.
I muttered he.
Indeed. that was the whole truth Of
/ the matter Mary Partridge was not
/ In love with her husband and never had
! been. Like many another village maiden,
! she had grown weary with the struggle
] Tor self-maintenance and had accepted
/ her first good offer of marriage. Jim
.14rf r.~f-
/ ing, steady and industrious, earning the
J good wages of a mechanic and the owner
! Of a pretty cottage house. To Mary this
/ seemed almost wealth, and smothering
! her desire for a more romantic attach
( ment. she had gladly accepted the good
/ fortune that had come to her. year
! had passed and with it the novelty Of
! her comfortable surroundings, and a
| feeling of discomfort had crep into Mays
| heart.
Jim's quiet, good nature, his simple,
1 unpretending manners and homely lomes-
tic ways had begun TO pail upon her.
! UnconscioUsly she began to compare him
with her gOOd-looking young neighbOr,
who for reasons of his own never lost
an opportunity of chatting with the rosy
checked Mary. Her face burned and her
| heart beat uncOmfortabiy as she hasten
ed into the house with Arthur Blake's
words ringing in her ears,
rs marriage a failure Mary or is it
not?"
over and over again Mary asked her
self this question as she busted herself
about the sunny kitchen, busted her pref
| ty parlor and arranged the china and
silver upon the snowy cloth OF the dinner
table. Mechanically she performed her
accustomed tesks, taking no pleasure in
| the dainty appointments that for a time
had been such joy TO her Suddenly
the answer came with swift conviction,
and Mary clasped her hands together IN
mute despair. 1t was failure, a misera-
| bic failure, she thought bitterly. What
a fool she had been to tie herself for
life to a dull. commonplace creature like
jim. To give up forever her freedom, her
liberty of action her every chance in
life, for what? Mary's eyes glanced
around the room and answered for her
Yes, she had a pretty home, and jim
was kind to her and loved her more than
she deserved, and yet. ali, her life was
simply unbearable. With this thought
came an uncomfortable desire to escape
from the bonds that held her, TO snap the
chains that she herself had wrought and
to 80 away, somewhere, anywhere, only
to go, go! A. il driven by some invisible
power. Mary snatched a hat from it's
nail and rushed from the house. Across
/ the well-kept grass plot at the rear Of
the cottage Mary sped, out through the
gate and over the wide pasture lot that
| lay between the lawn and the dusty high
way
The sun shone. the birds sang, the grass
was strewn with buttercups and dali
sizes, and the air was fragrant with sum-
mer's sweetest perfume. but Mary heed
cd them not. Breathless and painting
she reached the long stretch of country
road just as the village clock struck u
Jim would be coming home to dinner and
sometimes he came that way, thought
Mary. and again. that feeling that she
must fee from him, from the pretty home
the hateful marriage bonds. urged her
| footsteps The cleaning railroad track
! lay across the road a short distance
ahead. The throbbing OF her brain. the
beating Of her heart, deafened her ears
to the approaching train, and swiftly she
crossed the track. AS she gained the
other side she saw Jim's familiar figure
coming toward her. Again that curious
desire 70 fly from him took possession
OF her and she turned back
Mary! What are you aboutP' cried
a mans voice. and two strong arms push
ed her from the track and she fell for
ward upon her face in the dusty road
while the train Numbered on. Stunned
for few moments, Mary did not move
then with an effort she rose to her feet
wondering al the strange silence about
her.
Where was jim? Her dazed ewes
glanced Up and down the road and fell
II last upon a silent form that lay hud-
died against the track.
''Oh. Jim. have I killed your she cried
IN agony as she bent over him. Gathering
his head and shoulders within her strong
arms, Mary dragged him into the cool
grass beneath the shade OF a huge maple
that stood by the roadside With his
farH Eev- Oh rr-af
preach Of a team.
Save for the slow rise and fan Of that
broad chest Jim Partridge lay as one
dead. and Nfarys repentant tears and
the touch Of her trembling fingers fell
UNDECIDED upon that pale face.
Il was but n few minutes, but Il seem
ed hours 10 Mary in her suspense and
remorse before help arrived and her
husband was carried slowly and careful
~ back 70 his cottage home Through the
/ long night hours. while two physicians
were working over Jim's poor. bruised
I body, there awoke in the heart Of Mary
Partridge revelation. With horror and
disgust she looked hack upon her Wild
impulse OF the morning.
II jim dies. he VIII have given his life
Tor nine" she uurmured through her
sobs. Ard no man can do more than
that. What am I that I should scorn
such a love CT call II commonplace?
ADlr l1SaaE4 VIII I'VE re las d1AeA
20 see you" said che physicians voice,
ard Mary FASTENED 20 his bedside.
"A pretty close shave. wasn't it?''
whispered Jim as his wife leaned tenderiy
over him. But whatever possessed YOU
70 come 20 meet me this noon. Gary1
IT cannot ten. jim. dear" answered
Mary. as she bent and kissed hin--Bos-
ton Post.
a Literary Note.