The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-09
MY NEW NEIGHBOR.
She Was e Quiet Little Body for
Ten Years.
People would Gossip Until the Husband
Returned and Cleared Away the Mys-
terry That Had Surrounded His
Little Family.

! When Mrs Croswald moved into the
| "big house on Pervost street opposite
my own humble dwelling | was ex-
: tremely anxious to know all about her
AFFAIR." Ny sister Cora, who was visit
ing me, sat in the window half the
forenoon watching the drayman I'M
load. 1t was she who discovered the
name 'Croswald" on the piano box.
Piece after piece of brand-new furni-
ture disappear ed through the WIDE hall
door, eliciting little envious comments
from Cora. who had begun housekeep-
ing on the second hand scale a few
weeks before. Pervost street was so
quiet that if family moved in or out
it was an event. There was nothing
absolutely nothing-in which we could
interest ourselves that would afford so
much variety and pleasure as did the
affairs of our neighbors. The bump of
curiosity-one of the predominant fea-
lures of woman-was fully developed
in my sister and myself. though
hated to have anybody know the lat
ter fact. twas noon before we got our
morning work done. So far we had seen
no tenants-only the drayman and fur
niture.
About four o'clock Cora called me
from the kitchen. l leaned over her
shoulder and saw a lady alight from a
carriage; two boys and a little girl had
preceded her to the house. We stretched
our necks this way and that to catch a
glimpse of man, but no Mr.. Oroswaid
did we see. We looked just as long as
there was any light: we swept off our
clean porch a dozen times; we became
deeply concerned about the gate, that
had been the plaything of the winter
wind for many months. Cora took a
hammer and gave the broken hinge a
couple of infantile taps. then thought
Tom" could fix it better than she.
Daylight didn't last any longer than
the time prescribed inithe almanac. and.
after one long, lingering lock at the
house across the street, we drew our
curtains and sat down to talk about
Mrs. Croswald's nice furniture. We
wondered where she came from: if she
was widow or grass widow. We
imagined as much evil as one woman
could imagine about another.
The next morning we had callers who
came to ascertain what we had found
out. Mrs. O'Searly rolled her eyes and
shrugged her shoulders as she came 10
the walk. | knew the signal it meant:
open your ears, my friend. I've heard
something You ought to know" She
took chair just inside the door.
''Thems nice children, she said, as the
three children scampered about the
lawn in the opposite yard. I've found
out their names, Mrs. Mitchell Hev
you bin over yit?n Without waiting for
nv reply she went on: Il hain't seen
nothin' of MIN, yit, hev yew Them S
nice things she's got. | watched ont of
my side winder an saw every bit OF
the furnitur' that was took in They
hain't no man about the house ez / kin
see, SO she must be a widder," and Mrs.
O'Searly stopped to wipe her heated
face with her apron | wouldn't for the
world let Mrs. O'Searly know that had
made my neck lame trying to see
the cobwebby curtains across
the street. | was beginning 10 despise
myself heartily, and mentally declared
that whatever / should find out in fu-
ture l should keep to myself. l felt
like a martyr. though, when | made the
resolve, but knew II was better late
than never TO begin to mind ones own
business. Mrs 0'Searly took her leave,
and few minutes later Mrs Bromfield
called to borrow basque pattern She
lived four or FIVE blocks up the street |
and was duite out Of breath with her
long walk Her next-door neighbor !
was a dressmaker. told her nv pat +!
tern was loaned and watched in vain !
for the look OF disappointment 10 clothe /
ner features. Well. Mrs. Bromfeld took i
her departure after repaired iniunc- /
tons 70 me about becoming too init !
-Iate with strange people- -Onr sus- \
oicionS NAV be ali wrong. but do be +
sareful; now do. dea-. and nv friend
who made me distrust every body for /
en- blocks around left me n no pleas
Ant frame of mind
I wanted 20 tell Cora what Mrs. Brocn- i
ield had told me. but, afser second +
bought, concluded 10 wait develop
r4ents in the case. Presently orr gate
licked and Mrs Croswald-s younger
on came to the door Mamma would
ike to borrow Saw, II you please, be
aid. dofinc his cap Cora got the arti-
K. aud Archer CroSwald trUtted back -
- mother. He told rs his name was
Archie
she kEows how 80 bring up her ehil-
ren. SAID Cora giving m knowing
COX Ny :oEr boys we're tae plague Of
heir auutie's life. with their a,isehies-
rs praut> and ugs.ooath nlsune->-
Time passed 81, and Ms Croswal5-
.ad lived opposite Is ten year> Yes.
iye-l u spite * the s.d-esise giznees -
lrs Bromfseld and Tic open ssseers q
irs o'Seariy. She ssas the t~-st neixfs-
'ar J ever hs3. tisough -ae ssortl1r Mr..
.rouGs-li conlsint 4sr vGzt ! lIset4
taszt BIER, and Mrs.. oS~ar.r zaeEr
here was some t's1sgls3aggerv going ~
bat folks krew refining ahout There
r2s 2 reSs-we abou- Mr. C~sssyvr Il ts44s
.zz.e1 - no- q Liza a