Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-07-05
her pencils ana paper. The sirl was

| q SaIeAAS w dppoiHlueul, sue COuiu HOT
have behaved more beautifully" Miss
t Lie had taken course at home,
and she fattered herself TINT she was
REALLY good at free hand! drawing"
eNeyertheless she sighed, anxiously as
her pencil Travelled over theEpad:
Il s"AAfsr, coloFipg, her exquisite coloring
|l--howseveh anil to do Justice to that?'
TLe. hurried heavy tramp of the jani-
tor returning with the right key reused
the girl. She turned her head swiftly.
gave a look Of surprise at the open
door. one Of Indignation at Miss Lidy
and swept; forward with the determine
ton evidently of slamming the door
shut .14g}tfGt 1IiI0I
Miss, Lidy y Martineau's friends
claimed that she had the most disarm-
ing smile in, the world. 1t stood her in
good stead now. She nodded pleasant
| ~ at the girl She had been drawing.
"Oh. I'm SO sorry you. caught me at
it! Your pose was perfect. My child
you are tremendously pretty. and
hope we-will be good-friends, as we are
going to be such close neighbors-just
this little scrap of hall between u.s.
| =
"Thank YOU SAID the young lady IN
a listless manner before shutting her
own door inafquietly apologize way.
Miss Lidy declared lin later years that
If it had not been for her determination
] to finish the picture begun under such
adverse circumstances she knows she
never could have brought herself to
/ rent - A----Floor 81 IN the Ricardo for a
whole year-'such pigeonholes for
rooms, you know" 4iara9a aaal
/ 1t was on that first afternoon when
she had gone out to the nearest grocery
store and was coming back loaded to
the chin with paper bags, off which she
expected to exist for several days. that
she stopped to examine the card stuck
in the letter box of ''B-Floor s." Il !"
$50 my opposite's name is Gerault-
Colonel e. P. Gerault. That's the man
Of the family. of course, wonder
what the mother Of my beautyis like"
"Scuse me. madam-my. ledder box
b'leeve" .ndc
A thick voice sounded close in her
ear a hot yinous breath made her
draw back quickly in disgust. ma
jestic figure lowered far above her; a
wavering, unsteady hand was extend
ing tiny key toward the letter box; a
superb head. from which heavy iron
gray locks swept in untrimmed profu-
sion, was barred in respectful salutation
to her or to her sex; a pair Of mourn
fully large gray eyes regarded her vac
uously. Miss Lidy gathered her paper
bags in closer grip and almost ran
up the four flights Of steps she had
1 found SO formidable. tl9sIh hhiso( "
II fsWelly' She was safe inside her own
den. That's Colonel E. r. Gerault!
No wonder my opposite looks as If the
weight Of the universe rested on, her
4 pretty shoulders! Such a sad. young
face such exquisite, ,coloring! / wish
aDabney could see hertz 80 da5sIs 4e.
| Nert1er ner emotions, as the dear,
Sympathetic little woman she was, nor
her excitement as an artist who was
| perfectly sure she. had discovered
something LUMINOSITY novel interfered
with Miss Lidy's enjoyment of her pa
per bags. She was quite sure that
everything was going to be- perfectly
.
to her scheme-"if only" she said. look!
ing timorously around, that superb
wreck shouldn't mistake my door for
/ his own" on the strength of which
possibility Miss Lidy made nervous
tour Of inspection of her new premises
to satisfy herself that no one could get
in without her consent. ram
Miss Lidy's occupancy of "A-Floor
5" had not lasted week before she
pronounced fat life the most democrat
izing, thing in the world. She was
ashamed of her intimate knowledge of
her neighbors' affairs. She knew ex-
actly when Colonel Gerault went out
inthe morning and when he came back
in the evening. Then she excused her.
selfsto herself:
1.-The doorsis never open when he is
at home and SO long as that dear child
thinks | asked her to leave it open be-
cause am lonely she'll do it faith
fully" Gs5E iiG jla4-bR
HDMiss Gerault's amiable concession
came about in this wise: She and Miss
Lidy had been ''opposites" for three
days only when. turning her head as
she had done or. that first day. she
found her neighbours door stretched
wide open and Miss Lidy hard at work
with her pencils. The littlesartist sent
t one Of her disarming smilessacross the
hall
Its awfully. hot isn't it?'
4 Miss Gerault sent back an inconse-
/ quent apology:
{. Mother likes open doors. We've had
q the whole floor to ourselves all sum.
I mer. But now it's different"
She laid down her work and moved
toward the door. Miss Lidy guessed
her intentions.
4 "Oh. please. don't shut it,"
A \ The girl shesitated; From hidden
4 source in the. Gerault. fiat gentle voice
sounded: 4
LET the door be, daughter, Perhaps
the lady is timid in a strange, house."
Now. Miss Lidy's proudest boast was
that she WASH afraid of anything on
Fl an rth Inn she waSi u,jtn yyil)ioU IN owe