The times., 1899-04-15
AN INCOGNiTo.

been taken out of No. 10 In the Row. The
mouse whose future tenancy had been the
s"oleet OF our hopes and fears was let at
last, and our fate, in the matter of new
neighbors, decided for good or ill.
| The Row was an old-fashioned corner
lying at the back OF b large seaside town.
one Of the reach of the yearly influx of
noise and trippers. We took no little
credit TO ourselves for our isolation. and
would have blushed to have been at any
| time discovered among the crowd parad-
| ing the sea front. Perhaps, indeed, it was
the desire TO ignore the aspect of the town
| as a pleasure resort that formed the ba
sis of sympathy ON which our little society
was founded. OF this society it was old
Mrs. sDelane, at No. 5, who was called on
/ by at least two county families and who
took daily airngs in a carriage with yellow
wheels. whom We looked up to as our head
and TO whom. we referred all questions of
| fashion and social ethics. We certainly
were, take us all in ALL highly respec-
table corner, and might be forgiven in the
absence of worthy objects of comparison
| in mistaking ourselves for the salt of the
earth. Nor is il TO be wondered at that
we were filed with alarm whenever therd
| was prospect Of a house changing hands.
aithough hitherto the character of the Row
had not suffered from any such change.
The dingy old corner made littls appeal to
| the average house-hunter. susceptible
ity TO the charm underlying the dinginess,
1 enough to make il appear desirable place
oil residence, had in most instances proved
symptomatic, and in the general run of
newcomers we had found new friends.
fu we knew that the luck must one day
turn. and the presens occasion filled more
| than one of us with vague foreboding.
No 10 had been ITO let, furnished" so
we could not hope for an introduction to
| the newcomers through the customary van
guard OF household goods. There was moth
ing for ii but TO possess our souls in pa
tience and to keep lookout for their ar
rival in the flesh. We were taking tea
at Mrs. Delane's and discussing somewhat
dolefully the probabilities OF the new ten
ancy, when the sound OF a vehicle driving
into the row sent as all to the window
with rush. Yes. there they were, A
fly, bearing a small quantity OF luggage.
drew up before the door OF No. TO- A
young man in tourist suit jumped out
and was followed up the steps by a girl
dressed rather too elaborately 10 be in ac-
cordance with High Row notions of gen.
teel elegance. The man gave a pull at
the bell and no response Immediately
forthcoming, ne and his companion each
lifted the handle Of the double knocker
and reused the echoes with a vigorous rat
tat. The effort on the girls part loosened
the clumsy knot OF hair gathered beneath
the picture hat, and great plat. in
artistically stuck with hairpins, uncoiled
itself to the length of her waist. We
could see the little stamp of evaporation
that accompanied her unskillful attempt
at readjustment, and the amused smile Of
the man watching. Then the door was
opened and both disappeared into the
house. Mrs. Delane returned to the tea
table drawing in her lips and shaking her
head, and We read in the combined action
what would be the verdict of the Row.
The result of further observation served
only to deepen first impressions. The man.
ner and extent of the pairs divergence
from High Row notions of genteel living
became the favorite subject of discussion
at all the tea parties. Each one of us was
eager 10 contribute his or her mite of evil
dence. One morning. when the little maid
of-all-work had gone out of the house, in
garments suggestive of a days holiday one
of us had seen Mrs. de Villiers (the incred-
ble high-fiown name they gave out as
their own dress herself up in the SER
wants cap and apron and dab about the
room with broom and duster for all the
world like stage soubrette Her husband
had stood by, laughing uproariously. and
the whole had concluded with an affection
ate slIirmish, in which the broom had
played an important part. The pair made
daily excursions 10 the shops. she carry
ing on her arm preposterous market bas-
ket, itself an insult 10 the dignity of the
Row.
On hot summer nights. when we sat and
stewed respectively in our front parlors.
these people would bring deck chairs on to
their doorstep and lounge there until bed
time in shameless deshabille of teagown
and smoking jacket. Hitherto the respec-
table remoteness of the High Row had
been appreciated by hawkers and street
minstrels, and they had seldom troubled
US with their visits. But now the charm
was broken. Some instinct seemed to urge
them daily in our direction, an instinct
justified by the behavior of the newcomers,
who bought shrmps and water-cresses,
and threw halfpence to the man with the
cornet. Indeed. the dark suspicion rested
upon them of having inflicted the squeak
ing vulgarity OF Punch and Judy show
upon the peace Of the High Row by delib-
crate invitation. They had certainly sat
at their window throughout the perform
ance. exhibiting marked signs of appre-
citation.
Calling on them had from the first been
out OF the question. Now when we came
across them in the Row or street our coun-
tenances were wont to put on the most
inappproachable look, whereby we hoped
they would gather the extent of their of
fence, and be induced, perhaps, to mend
their ways.
Yet | am glad 10 say, for the character
of the Row, that we were all of us shocked
at Mrs. Delane, who when little Mrs. de
Villiers stopped one morning in front of
her yeranda 10 say pretty words to the
parrot summing itself there, darted out
red and wrathfui and bore the cage back
with her through the parlor window, as
though she feared contamination for the
bird. But while We watching grew red and
white in the girls behalf. she resumed her
sauntering walk with little smiling twist
Of the mouth that expressed more OF
amusement than of annoyance.
We had become aware, and the fact lay
perhaps at the root of our hostility, that
we. the original Inhabitants formed as i'm
portant an element in the Consciousness OF
the pair as the pump at the corner OF the
rusty clumps OF shrubs that did duty for
garden in the middle of the Row. And so
they continued to stand on their heads,
metaphorically speaking, exasperatngly
Indifferent 10 the existence of an audience
trying TO frown them down into a more
conventional attitude.
Yet II was strange that they should
seem content 10 be let severely alone for
as far callers went they might have
lived on desert island; the postman rare
ly brought them letter. And as summer
merged into autumn. change like that
affecting the season came over the offend
ing household. The girls smart toilets, of
which no item was ever renewed began to
look faded and shabby. She drew the light
cloak. designed for summer weather. more