, 1890-01-11
THEIR NEW NEIGHBOR.

'Girisr" cried Margery Kearney, i've
seen him!-Clive Sterling-our new
neighbour"
In quite a whirl of excitement Mar
gerry had dashed into the coy room
where her three sisters were sitting.
She was shining with rain, from the
o of her silver gray gossamer to the
very tips of her rubbers. The fluffy
brow curls across her forehead were
sprinkled with bright drops, and her
checks were glowing from her rapid
walk.
you did" interrogatively chorused
three eager voices.
81 really did!'
"Is he handsome?' asked Janet, who
appreciated all beauty as intensely as
only a plain looking person can.
intellectual lookingT' inquired Clio
n professed to adore Ruskin.
Jolly queried little BERTHE, who was
Mt the g when jolly people seemed
created for her especial amusement.
"No-no-no!' laughed Margery.
"Not-handsome. Or learned looking, or
even jolly. He is simply the most awk-
ward looking mortal l ever beheldr'
And she broke into a peal of heartiest
laughter at the recollection of her en-.
counter with their new neighbor.
You see it was this way, girls" jerk
ing off her gossamer, and disclosing a
form attired N a dress of chocolate cash
mere-a form that was trim, slim and
willowy as that of sweet II is apt to
be. Il was running home in great
hurry-for it's chillier out than you folks
imagine-and just as came opposite the
gate of The Oaks / stopped very sud
denly. For right there was the most ire
mendous black dog l ever saw. 1 said:
GO wayr and he didn't bulge. 1 shook
my umbrella at him. He wasn't n bit
afraid. l said: IF you don't get out of
the way I'll hit your and he actually
grinned. There wa nothing to do but
step out in the street-it was so muddy,
too-and walk around him. But lust
them suppose my dilemma was APP
parent from the house-down the path
ne came running. Oh, he looked SO
ridiculous! He is about as tall as Jacks
bean stalk, lean as a lath, and brown as
an Indian"
"Well," exclaimed Junet, "he must be
charmingl''
"oh!" cried Margery, going off into a
fresh paroxysm of laughter. "What,
with his glasses and his coattails flying
straight out as he rushed to my rescue
he looked like some great curious, com
ical birdl'
birds don't wear glasses" corrected
BERTHE. WAS his oat a swallow tail?"
The appealfor information was ignored,
"Well, he called off the dog, and apollo
gized for the monster, and-that's all"
81 wish he'd offer me the use of his L.
brary," sighed Clotilde.
"They say The Oaks is a perfect pal
ace as far as furnishing goes, I" murmured
Janet.
81 think I'll ask him to loan me the
lovely white pony" decided BERTHE.
But this rash resolution was rushlessly
crushed.
THE Oaks had been shut up SO long
ever since the Kearneys had come to
live in the gray green cottage near by. Its
owner had gone abroad on the death of
his mother, three years ago, leaving his
handsome house in the care of q couple of
servants. But now that the news of his
return had spread, curiosity was rife in
eiS SuOul VI hlNeINleW. ANA
not the least interested were Give Ster-
ling's near neighbors.
n pleasant room this in which the sis
tiers sat; a homelike room, even if the
carpet was threadbare, the chairs venera-
bic, the damask curtains darned-per-
haps all the more homelike for these sug-
gestions of social service and experience.
Janet went on with her task of re-
modelling an old dress. Clotilde went
over to the window and looked w~istfully
through the drizzling rain to the red
brick chimneys which rose above the
house which held the coveted books.
hargery, obeying a sudden impulse, had
snatched up her ever ready sketch book
from the table and was scratching Wig
orously away. An ecstatic giggle from
BERTHE, who was peeping over her shout
der, called the attention of the others to
her work.
"What is it2' asked Janet.
Margery looked up with a nod and a
smile.
wait n moment"
On her brisk pencil flew, the dimples
in her pretty cheeks deepening rs her
mischievous smile grew.
"Therey'
She held up the open book. The others
hocked sround her.
"Oh, Margeryl"
He can't look like that
"What a caricatureT'
Indeed, comical and grotesque was the
drawing of the long, lank figure, with
the spidery ~extremities, the flying coat
tails, the tremendous goggles.
oh, just a trifle northumberland
quite u caricature, " she said laughingly.
as she scrawled under the picture the
Mnrle. ..Onr Nam NaiuLln