Evening star., 1922-01-29
~ HE story IS familiar to you:
we'll. perhaps so. 1t is the
story Of the eternal triangle


we'll. perhaps so. 1t is the
story Of the eternal triangle.
Il the most useful of geometrical
forms in the construction of ro-
mantle pattern. =
The trouble, with human trianSles
is that they are never eauiiateral;
two sides together are invariably
greater than the third side. jim,
Canning was the third side of a rri-
angle, and he got fiattened out. In
fact, his wife used to fatten him out
on every possible occasion. She was
bigger than he, and she was aided
by the tertium quid, Ted Wooflams'
who was nothing more or less than q
professional pugiiist.
What was Jim to do? In every
well conducted epic the hero performs
physical feats which leave you
breathless. He IS always tall and
strong and a bit too quick with the
rapier for any villain who crosses ms
path. But what about a hero who Is
small and elderly. of poor physique.
short-sighted, asthmatical? You may
say that he has no place in the heroic
arena He should clear out and go
and get on with hts job and leave
heroism to people who know how to
manage the stuff. And yet there was
something heroic in the heart OF Jim
Canning quick sympathy and an
instinct Of self-sacrifice.
He used to keep second hand
furniture shop. which, you must un-
derstand, is a very different thing
from an antique shop. Ji,n's furni-
ture had no determinate character,
such as that which goes by the name
of Chippendale, Sheraton OF Heppel-
white. 1t was just furniture.
well-worn sofas, broken chairs and
tables, mattresses with the stuthns
exuding from holes. rusty brass beds
with the knobs missing, broken pots
and mirrors and dumbbells; even
clothes and screws, false teeth and
bird cages and ancient umbrellas
But his speciality was old iron trays
and trays and baskets filled with
scraps OF old iron.
His establishment used to be known
in Camden Town as 'The Muckshop.
At odd times of the day you might
observe his small. pathetic figure
trundling a barrow laden with the
spoils of some hard-pressed inhabit'
ant, What a tale the little shop
seemed to tell. Struggle and poverty
homes broken up, drink, ugly pas
sions, desperate sacrifices-a battered
array of the symbols Of distress. And
somemhow In his person these stories
seemed to be embodied. One felt that
he was sorry for the people whose
property he bought. He was always
known as fair dealer. He paid
fair price and never took advantage
Of ignorance.
*
Its marriage was failure from the
IL very first. She was a big, strap
ping woman. the daughter OF local
green grocer. Twelve years younger
than Jim, vain, frivolous, empty
headed and quarrelsome- Her rea-
sons for marrying him were obscure.
Probably she had arrived at the time
when she wanted to marry, and Jim
was regarded as successful shop
keeper who could keep her in luxury.
He was blinded by her physical at
fractions and tried his utmost to be-
1ieve his wife was everything to be
desired. Disirusionment came with
In the first month Of their married
life, at the moment, indeed, when
Clara realized that her husbands
business was not thriving Is she
had been led to beJieve. She imme-
dtately accused him OF deceiving her.
Then she began to sulk and neglect
him. She despised his manner OF
conducting business-hiS conscien-
cieusness and sense Of fair dealing.
"If you'd put some ginger into it,
she once remarked, "and not always
be thinking about the feelings OF the
tribe you buy from. We might have
a house in the Camden road and
couple Of servants"
This had never been Jim's ambi-
tion. Many years ago he had at
tended a sale at Shorwel1 Green, on
the borders Of Sussex, glorious spot
near the down. amid lime trees
and little running streams 1t had
been the dream Of his life that one
day he would retire there with the
woman he loved-and her children.
When he put the matter to Clara, she
laughed him to scorn.
Not faif!- she said. Catch me
living among butterflies and blinking
cows! The Camden road is my game
Jim sighed and went on trundling
his barrow. Well, there it was: If
rrtA 4
he must do what she wanted. In any
case it was necessary to begin to
save. But with Clara he found it
exceedingly difficult to begin to save.
She idled her day away. bought trink-
cts. neglected her domestic offices,
went to the pictures and sucked
sweets. Amy attempt to point out the
folly of her ways only led to bitter
recriminations, tears and savage dis
plays Of temper, even physical vio-
lence to her husband.
Then there came a day when Jim
lfondly believed that the conditions Of
their married life would be ameli-
grated. A child was born. girl.
and they called her Annie. Annie be-
came the apple Of his eye. He would
hurry back from the shop to attend
at Annie's bath. He would creep in
at night and kiss the warm skin of
her little skull. He would think Of
her as he pottered around amid his
broken chairs and tables and utter
little croons of anticipatory pleasure.
Annie! She would grow up and be
the mainstay of his life. He would
work and struggle for her. Her life