The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-04
Jim PENNYs EYE.

jim TGNNI y cIEs
Scarlet fever stretched a curtain over
Jim Penny's left eye a spiteful remind
er that it had not been completely van
pushed when it departed without his life
The film shut out the world from that
once mildly blue orb and the sequential
panorama OF years passed with their
wonders, smoothing the dark side of his
face into the pitiful wistful Darkness
characteristic to those whose souls fiut-
ter ard pant and struggle for light be-
hind the barred windows OF their unsta-
bic dwellings. Sue Smith said it remind
ed her of the front of the Widow Dumb
gems house, shut up, windows down and
quiet, likes if they was somebody "a
layin' dead
Jim Penny was sensitive on the matter
of his eye. The new minister. taking
diner with Jim Penny's parents one Sun
day, remarked
Il see, madam, that your son is blind
in one eye
Jim Penny's mother was also tender on
the subject of the cataract. She felt that
people alluded to it out of an iniquitous
desire TO glaot over her family misfor-
tunes. She colored to the forehead and
nodded.
Too bad too bad" sal dthe preacher
Then he turned in ponderous sympathy
toward Jim Penny. with the household s
best fork grasped tightly in his left hand
and the households best knife encircled
by his right, the tines of one and the
blade of the other pointing toward the
ceiling, their respective handles resting
on the table on each side OF his plate, and
asked Entirely blind. hey?''
Yes Jim Penny answered, 'in-tirely
blind, but i kin see DANCED sight more
out'n it n some people kin out'n two"
And he was right. Intuitiyely Jim
Penny was sharp as barbed wire. But
his blind eye went against him with the
girls. Some who had kept company with
him told others that Jim Penny's Efeless
organ, expressionless as bunghole in a
cider key. gave them the shivers. Sue
Smith had apparently become accustom-
ed to it. however, and people said it was
all cut and dried between them. They
were shorely a-goin' to hitch up Sues
mother twitted her about it.
IF you marry Jim Penny" she said,
you kin slip up on the bin side of i'm
an throw the lariat round his neck if
he gets too rambunctious."
One night after revival meeting when
Sue and Jim Penny sat on the stile. he
asked her to help him tote the grain
sack of life. Sue sat silently thoughtful
for a minute, then raised her head and
said:
Il don't want to hurt your feelin's. Jim
Penny, an 1 wouldnt for the world, but
Sue placed her hand on his head and
turned it gently around SO the eyeless
portion was yelled in the shadow thrown
by the mon-'Im a-goin TO tell you the
plain truth. l could marry this size of
you, Jim Penny, but l don't believe 1
never could sit used to the other
Jim Penny went to the city next day.
He had read of wonderful feats in sur
gerry and thought perhaps he might find
doctor who could remove the cataract
and make that side of his face so Sue
could marry il.
1T wouldn't DO any good to operate on
it," he said. you couldn't see"
Jim Penny was disappointed. THAT side
of my face is dead" said he. KANT
you do nothin 10 tighten it up?"
You might get an artificial eye" the
doctor suggested. 1T would relieve the
blank expression to a great degree
Sue Smith held up her hands in amaze
ment when she answered knock at the
Penny.
why, Jim Penny" she said. what
ever have you been doin' to your eye?"
Jim Penny STEPPED proudly back on the
porch so the full light of the waning day
fell into his face. II got il done today"
said he. II wanted to git fixed SOS you
could treat both sides o. me alike"
Sue hid her face in the crok of her ell
bow, leaned against the dor jamb and sob
bed. Jim Penny tiptoed UP to her and
touched her shoulder.
Don't you like il, SueT' he asked.
Don't she match?'
1T matches well e-e-e-nough." said Sue.
but you amt the same with it. l won't
never have you less you git it fixed like
il ust to be-
''Ge-mo-nee" said Jim Penny, that's
easy. 1t slides right out; it amt nothin'
but chainey ware. But | KANT see what
you find fault with now. Last night you
didn't want me without no eye an to-
night you don't want me with one. Lori
Gals is hard to suit