The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-15
Ny NEIGHB0R.

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winding flights Of stairs carried me TO
the door Of the room ] occupied III
steeet, but. no matter for the name OF
,i,a street. no one. / am confident. viii
visit London for the express purpose oi
satisfying himself that I am 10 he de
uended upon, aud that there L house
n 20 many stories in Lambert street
Here I lived in enjoyment Of no end Of
fresh air. especially in winter and
brilliant prospect up and down the
street and over the roofs Of the houses
across the way.
was studying painting al the time,
learning 10 paint the LANDSCAPES and
fig7Ire pieces which / produce with 50
much ease and dispose Of with 80 much
difficulty.
Al the head Of the last fight Of stairs
in nv lodging house was narrow pas
$40. way. in which / was Obliged 10
sfop and recover my breath after nm
ishing. much wearied, the lS9 steps
that led 60 nay paradise, before ] could
get my key into it, lock, and into TINS
massage way opened two doors, one Of
which. of course, belonged 70 my
room. and the other to some one else's-
Rut who this one else was | was una
bic 10 find out. Was it man or wo-
ane I was persuaded il was woman,
and As a woman always used to THINK
Of her and speak Of her TO myself and
thought and spoke Of her often
enough
or course 7 could have settled the
ou.-stion Al once by knocking at her
door and asking for match or by in
curing Of my landlord, who occasion
allv honored me with friendly call,
but I scorned resorting 70 such meth
ols.
Every time heard the door shut !
resolved she should not 20 out again
without my seeing her, and I nearly
ftll into the street a. I frantieally at
temDted to reach out of my window tc
see her a. she came out at the street
door.
Was she young and pretty and good,
What did she do, and what was hel
namee Ny thoughts were perPetualil
running up those six flights and stop
ming bafiied al her close shut door
drew ideal portraits Of her in my
idle moments, introduced them into al
my pictures and would often finish on
an accidental face in study Of rocks
much to my instructors surprise ans
my fellow students amusement
The only communication | ever ha'
with people in the house was occasion
al conversation with the dust eolOre'
old woman who cleaned the window
and swept the halls.
A day came for cleaning my window
when il rained heavily, and ! coul'
not give the old woman a clear stag
by going out for a couple Of hours, bu
told her to clean away and he a. lirel,
a. she could, while | sat there ana
painted
L.odgers, she told me a she polishei
up the panes, came and went - fas
that she forgot one when another cam
and never knew any Of their names.
She had an eye for character, though
and told me the peeuliarities Of some q
them in a quaint way, mailing her sen
tenees now and then with odd, ha'
words, independently Of the genera
text
''Gentleman who's under you keep
'imself quite To 'imself," she said
Plants out queer sasSes in boxes al
the time and some Of 'em on the bal
cony itself Perhaps makes a kinde
tea Of 'em, or root drink. DeoOctifies.
"And who j. in the room beloN
that?" ] inquired, more to make hC
talk than to satisfy any curiosity / ha
on the subject.
Empty now. Two dark little gen
tlemen 'ad it for a fortnight-Jews,
fancy-and a. like one another q
two spots Of dirt on this ere pane Z
glass. Spoke hard billed kind {
tongue an was furriners, most likel
Polyanders"
/ might have asked her about m
next door neighbor, but refrained fC
fear my pretty romance would be d,
stroyed by a description OF a middl
aged spinster who wore glasses AN
wrought green roses in erewl work
When she had finished the window
and gathered up her brushes aud pail
she paused an instant 10 give a haci
ward glance at her completed tasi
The sun had broken through th
clouds and rested tenderly on the stool
ing figure of the old woman in rags
'.What a picturep | thought invo
UNFAIRLY. Then aloud l said, ''will yo
come some time and let me paint yo
Maggie"
''AIer' slr, cried startled.
'sYes, just as you are now, scrubbin
brushes and all VIII you Gomez"
cried, my enthusiasm rising.
Law, Why dye want 10 paint Il
old woman like me, Mr.. Carroll, wit
face wrinkled like peach pits VII
don't you paint pretty girl? Old w
men are painted though sometime
but only to make 'enselves look youu
agen. Ha, han'
1t was useless TO argue the point wit
her, 50 | only said:
AYES, but want you, Maggie. Wi
yoa come"
Law, if We really wanter ave m
III come, sir, cause yeu've been ver
good ter old Maggie"
The sittings began the next day, an
/ derived much amusement from Il
old wOman's conversation while
painted away with might and mai
Resolved that this picture should
hung AT the salon next spring, and N
Imagination even went - far a. to spe
ulate on the most suitable style
frame.
At first il was only Of the other lod
ers that old Maggie gossiped, but OI
day when she was looking very tired
questioned her kindly about hersel
and she finally told her story.
The old woman had evidently take
great fancy to me, and wish I cOul
remember the quaint words in whiC
she told Of her girlhoOd in London an
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