The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-02-27
HER CURIOSITY.
The Notifying Situation into
Which e Led Mrs. Pryam.

itv. She was always wanting to know
things it did not concern her to know.
She spent much time in useless won
derings about this and about that. Sne
wondered what her neighbors had In the
bundles she saw them carrying home.
She wondered what they had for dinner
and how much their clothes cost, now
much Mr.. Smiths salary was year and
whether or not the Browns had paN ior
their handsome furniture.
Mrs. Pryam was also woman OF ideas.
She had an idea that Mr.. and Mrs. Jones
didn't live happily together. She didn't
know. but she s.rather thought that the
Greens were behind with their rent and
that the Blacks lived beyond their
means.
The arrival OF q stranger in the neigh
borhood gave Mrs. Pryam rich 1000 LOT
wonderment, and she spent much OF ner
time wondering who he was, where he
came from, where he was going, what
he wanted and II he had family. II
nothing definite could be learned she
was apt to fancy that he was fugitive
from justice.
IL follows from all this that Mrs
Pryam was not popular woman ana
that her neighbors did not take her into
their fullest confidence.
A large and handsome house across
the street from Mrs. Pryam's having
become vacant, Mrs. Pryam began won
derinp who its next occupants would be,
and when after a few weeks the house
was rented by q strange family Mrs.
Pryam gave herself up to wondering
about her new neighbors.
It was not many days before she knew
that the name VI the family was Marcy
| and that its members were Mr.. and Mrs.
Marcy, an elderly couple, and their four
sons and daughters. all OF whom were
grown to manhood and womanhood.
When she called, which she did before
the family had been two weeks In the
house, Mrs. Pryam found the Marcys TO
be agreeable people and pleasant addi-
ton to the society of the neighborhood.
Other people formed the same opinion
of the Marcys and it was not long before
they became decidedly popular.
/ They were kindly, cordial and intel
ligent family, as even suspicious Mrs.
Pryam admitted, and it was some time
before she found any thing to criticise
in their daily life, although she found
much to wonder about.
~ WONDER" she said one day to .
neighbor, "why the Marcys always keep
the shutters Of that pleasant little Sec
ond-story room in the west wing OF the
house closed?"
N never noticed that the shutters
were not kept open" was the reply.
Haven't your" said Mrs. Pryam, in
tone Of surprise. .Why, noticed 1t the
; first day they moved in, and ! couldn''
: help thinking it . little strange. When
the Percys lived there Mrs. Percy used
that room for little sitting-room OF hel
: own, and Two heard her say that she
thought 1t was the pleasantest room IN
, the house. should think tho Marcy:
would need it, large as their family is
It looks 50 odd to see the shutters O
e that room always closed and the Others
: ALWAYS open-even to the attic shutters
a They've never been open since the Mar
II cys took the house. Isn't it stranger
II Mrs. Pryam had found SO many natur
al things strange" that she could no
arouse her neighbours interest in tn
very remarkable circumstance that
Il certain window was not used as sh
n thought it ought to be.
II But as the weeks passed there was OF
r portunity for Mrs. Pryam's wonder
grow, for the blinds Of that window wer
still always closed.
!. Two seen little streaks Of ligl
J. streaming through at night sometimes
4 Mrs. Pryam said one day to her hu
L band.
e. We'll, what II you have. my dear
Dr. he said, laughingly. do You suppo'
the Marcys are another tribe OF Bender
and that they entico strangers into tn
room and murder them?'
- sYou know DON'T replied MI
Pryam. responsibility. Il simply wo
Of der why they don't mako any use
e, such desirable room as that when J.
"a heard Mrs. Marcy say that they we
e. really crowded for room, large as I
. house Is.
&c :. When the Marcys had lived about /
ha months in their new home they gave
4 large party to which all their neighb
nm were invited. The invitation gave NJ
Pryam great satisfaction. live of
le. wondered said she, ''f they had
upstairs rooms as handsomely furnish
ia as those downstairs, and now ] Oh
- have chance to find out"
h The Pyrams were late in arriving
.es the party, and as the parlors were
- ready filled with guests, Mrs. Pry
=, found that she could .look around
-" Ito upstairs" before going down after |
had taken off her wraps. She peel
ed slyly into three or four rooms, menta
as commenting on their appearance, :
ate while doing SO began to wonder ;
es. wonder" what there could be in the re
an with the closed shutters.
~ She knew the exact location of
room, and had taken step or two
eir ward IL when Mr.. Pryam stepped II
ed the gentlemen's dressing-room and
Zoe terfered with her plans. But she
sed not abandoned her purpose. All
evening she was on the watch TO
no chance to satisfy her curiosity. She
- purposely left her handkerchief in
JILL ladies' dressing-room, and when
could do SO without attracting attent
she slipped out of the parlor and "
upstairs.
IN, All the upper rooms and halls v
;Iy deserted. The door Of the room v
he the closed shutters was shut, W
rs. all the other doors on that floor v
i've open wide. fact that increased ]
20 Pryam's curiosity,