Judge, 1923-03-24 · page 7 of 36
Judge — March 24, 1923 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page contains two distinct pieces: **The Cartoon** (top): A simple joke about a girl named "Cissie Jones" who apparently walks far away from her annoying big sister when they go out together. The punchline suggests Cissie's poor eyesight (hence the glasses) explains the distance—she can't see her sister properly to stay close. **The Story** (main content): "The Parting" by M. H. Leonard is a sentimental domestic drama about a married couple separating. The wife sits alone contemplating their failed relationship while her husband packs to leave. When he comes downstairs, a brief emotional exchange occurs—she reminds him of his pipe, they nearly reconcile through a charged moment of hand-holding and near-kiss, but ultimately the separation proceeds. The story explores themes of lost love, regret, and the pain of marital dissolution—serious melodrama typical of early 20th-century magazine fiction, treating emotional rupture as tragedy worthy of extended narrative treatment.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Gipert WILKINSON Annoying Big Sister—Is that ’ow far away yer walks when yer goes out with Cissie Jones? No wonder she wears glasses. THE PARTING by M. H. Leonard I (Treated for fiction purposes) ney had loved each other once. They had married and love died. They had agreed to separate. Even now he was packing his bag, and he would come downstairs presently and go out. She wondered if he would speak to her. good-by or would he go out sullenly silent? How tired she was. She sank down in a cl upon the table, resting her head upon her arm. Sitting thus her thoughts wandered back over her ried life. How happy she had been, and how proud of this same little sitting- room that now ned_so like a prison. She raised her head to glance around i It had not changed. The curtains at the windows we and crisp as ever. The fireplace with its gas logs, rir drawn up before it seemed somehow more inv ad for months. n Jack's favorite pipe, well caked and evil smelling, lying upon the smoking-stand, didn’t seem out of place now, though she had been continually scolding him about leaving it the 1 wearily and dropped her head upon her a sently she heard Jack’s footsteps on the ; sat up hurriedly, her fingers rearranging the little wavy tufts of her dusky hair. It would never do for him to see her moping. Would he say air and leaned The man came down the stairs slowly. He paused for several moments at the entrance to the sitting-room to look at the girl, who was sitting very straight in her chair, her eyes fixed upon the table. Then he turned He walked to the strect door, opened it, but paused « the girl spoke. “Don’t you want to take your pipe?” she said. “You'll miss it this evening.” The man turned, setting down the bag and closing the door at the same time. He strode back to the sitting-room door. The girl was still looking at the table, her fingers tracing the pattern in the embroidered scarf. “Thank you, Nan,” he said quietly. He eros picked up the pipe and stood fingering it ab turned toward the girl and said h let's at friends.” He walked to her, 3ood-by.” He could sc “Won't you shake hanc but still kept her to go? Look at me. Do you “Don’t you want to?” her words were hardly audible. “Will you kiss me good-by, She rose, pushing back her chair and turning slowly from him. But he still held her hand and drew her gently back until she faced him. Her eyes were wet with tears. (Continued on page 32) d the room, Finally he She extended her hand fan, do you really want me, comicbooks.com