The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1891-06-21
NEXT DOOR N EIGHB0RS
They Waged a Bitter, Warfare Over Politics
Which Ended in an Elopement.
ny AUGUSTA LARNED.
copsriahs iso1-AA Rights Reserved.

den, and our cook throws them back,
with the addition Of broken crockery,
bottles and old boots"
ssThat is not the worst of it, said
Mrs. Spoford with sigh, taking up her
embroidery again. 1T is almost tho
same as If Kitty and Aunt Sophy and
Uncle Ben were all dead and buried.
Your father and have agreed never to
speak Of them, to ignore the place just
as if it did not exist. but we can't sit on
our veranda when they are on theirs, for
every word is plainly overheard, or If
we do we are forced to speak in whis-
pers. We have heard Uncle Ben say
odious things about US when our backs
were turned, and some Of the warmest
days have closeted myself and nearly
stifed because it was so painful to sit
there and see my old friend Mrs. Chill
ders looking thin and pale and worn. |
know it weighs on her, too, poor woman!
She has been i'll lately, and it has gone
to my heart to know she is so poorly
without being able to say kind word.
Uncle Ben's nature seems quite changed.
He tries to irritate your father in every
way. The pipes broke some weeks ago
ana hooded the cellar, and now he has
begun a suit against rs for damages.
Something about the connecting drains.
don't understand it at all, and dare
not ask your father to explain; it makes
him look so apathetic. | sometimes
think this quarrel will shorten his days.
/ would gladly sell the house and move
away, but your father never will give
in, 1t would look too much as if he
were the under dog in the fight. Why,
its almost like living in perpetual state
of siege. You never know when your
enemy viii make a breach in the wall;
and then to remember that you have
once loved the enemy so dearly, and that
now it is your dnty to hate him, distorts
things horribly"
Mark had gone back to his low chair,
and sat with his elbows on his knees,
and his big hands thrust through his
thick chestnut locks. As he raised his
eyes from the carpet his glance passed
through the open window, and there in
plain sight was the wall of Kitty's
home, brick and gray stone wall over
run with wisteria vine, that clambered
about the drawing room window, screened
by a lace curtain, with a large bowl Of
geraniums which Kitty's hands had ar
ranged.
Mark knew that his own bedroom win
dow was exactly opposite Kitty's, on
the second story, across pretty piece of
greensward, shaded by clumpof droop-
ing elms. But Kitty's window ON that
side was always closed with shutters and
blinds. There were two other windows
opening from her room on the garden,
and the prospect of her ever appearing
on the Spofford side of the house seemed
quite hopeless. However, poor Mark
was not absolutely without some sign Of
her existence. At that very moment
the sound of Kitty's piano came stealing
across from the other house He could
in fancy see his Kitty sitting there on
the stool, lingering the white keys with
her little dinpled hands, the rings of
golden hair curling like tendrils about
her forehead, and behind her ear, that
pretty ear itself pearly and pink like q
shell, and the gentle, suave turn of her
neck, and her smile that seemed to flash
out on him bewilderingly, for no one
ever had SO sunny smile as Kitty. 1t
irradiated her whole face, flooded her
blue eyes, touched the gracious curve of
her forehead, dinpled her cheek and
made her both captivating and arch.
The thought of Kitty's smile maddened
Mark. He got up and prowled about
the room, disarranged the bric-a-brac ON
the chimney piece, overset inkstand,
broke flower vase and turned his moth
er's work basket upside down, and at
last that much enduring lady lost all
patience.
s'You are worse than bull in q china
shop, Mark. Do go and subdue yourself
by practicing with Indian clubs or swing
ing dumb bells. would suggest ten
mile walk, or the breaking of wild
pony-anything to work off your super
fuous strength before you have broken
everything within doors"
"Ill tell you, nanny dear, I've a
mind to go and knock a hole in the gar
den wall
ssBetter not, Mark. Tom keeps ter
rible Siberian mastif named Grip that
even the family are afraid Of He came
near tearing the butchers boy in pieces
the other day, and if you We're to venture
upon him when he is unclaimed there
would be nothing left of you but the
buttons"
Mark went cut bareheaded into the
garden and strolled around the paths in
his slippers. He crammed his little
black students pipe full of tobacco, and
began putting away meditatively as he
cast his weather eye up at Kitty's win
dow on the garden side. With a great
head and mighty shock Of curling an
bum hair, Mark had good deal of in
ventive genius slowed away in the cham
beers OF his capacious brain. He had
given himself to the study of electricity
with ardor, and had devised one or two
little improvements that had brought
him patent rights and some fame among
the fraternity of electricians. But what
was the use of being an inventor, with
the thunderbolts Of Jove in his posses
sion, If be was walled in the dungeon of
some genii'g old Castle Dolorous, with
Kitty in the extinguisher tower, and he
unable to communicate with her by
word or look, by telephone or phono-
graph, or any other means under heayeni
He thought Of setting himself up with q