Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-11-11
ON THE BACK PORCH.



{ Ycopyright, 1900. Daily Story Pub. COS
The Marlborough and the Richmond
apartment buildings stood side by side
with narrow space between The win
dows of the flats in one were directly OPP
posite the windows of the flats in the
other and the people in each building
often overheard what was going on in
the other. In the third fiat in the MARI
borough lived Dorthy Malvern with her
aunt and uncle, Mr.. and Mrs. Herbert
Jerks. Dorthy was an excessively pro-
per young woman who was so. afraid
That her opposite neighbor would see
md hear what was going on in her
hunts fiat that she kept all the side
1hades drawn most of the time and en-
couraged the family to talk in whispers
Fortunately, the shades were a pale vel
low, and a good. deal Of light came
through them, and Mr.. and Mrs. jerks
Eere naturally quiet. Otherwise, life
might have been burden to them and
Dorthy.
Their opposite neighbors were not SO
particular These were two young bach
elors who laughed and joked and sang
with supreme disregard of a possible
audience. They left up their window
shades, even when the gas was burning
at full tilt, and Dorthy might have seen
many midnight card party or stag sup
per but she never peeped from behind
her own blinds. Yet the two young
men fancied that they had fair neigh
Dor, for Dorothy sang like an angel.
Fred Prichard and Stanley Green en-
joyed the frequent songs and often
speculated about the singer.
'.She must be the tall young girl with
golden hair and dark brown eyes"
said Fred one day. Flat No. next
door is vacant; fiat No. is occupied
by that young married couple with
the baby that squalls at night; fiat No.
by the fair unknown and her people.
and fiat No. by an old maid and her
parrot 'Ha, ha, how droll, ha ha, how
droll. Pretty poll, pretty poll'--the
creature is always shrieking when |
want to sleep. You see, Green, there
is no young lady in the building except
the singer. have seen golden hair
come and go Notwithstanding
with an elderly lady or old gentleman,
sometimes with both of them, often
alone. She must live in fiat No. 8 and
the old people must be her father and
mother
Freds curiosity carried him SO far as
to take him up the steps of the MARI
borough and into the vestibule, where
he inspected the card under the beia
belonging to fiat g.
'Jenks," he said, 81 don't think
much of the name. She doesn't look
like a girl who could be named
Jerks
Oddly enough there was already but
one sshe" in the world for Fred He
was in love with Dorothy;s voice and
with her hair and eyes.
by Jove,' he eXclaimedsto himself,
"if they should belong to two different
people it would be cruel don't know
which is most bewitchfng."
Fred and Stanley lived in the Rich
mond from October to the end of the
following May before Fred had
chance Of becoming acquainted with
the object of his admiration The
weather then was as warm as June.
Fred was alone one evening, for Stan
ley was out of town. He sought the
back porch of their fat with his after
out of the door, On tsn adjoining
porch was a little rocking char and in
the chair sat the girl with the golden
hair and the brown eyes. Her back
was turned to the Richmond porches
and she did not see the newcomer
Her lap was full of sewing things and
she was hemstitching dainty ruffles.
Fred tip-toed' softly back into his
orb nh a nd
sat down, throwing away his cigar.
Presently Dorothy began to sing. Fred
was delighted. Here was a proof pos
tive that the golden hair, brown eyes
and exquisite voice were united in the
same person. He longed for an oppor-
tunity to address the beautiful girl,
although it would have seemed almost
Sacreligious to him to have interrupted
the song A sudden puff of wind was
more irreverent. Catching a fluffy bit
of null, the breeze blew it out of Dor
pthy's lap over the porch railing and
down into the back yard.
The song ceased abruptly and Dor
othy gave little scream.
Pardon me" said a manly voice
from the other side of the division rail-
ing. "I'll get X for you if | may"
Dorothy turned. gathering up her
sewing materials in her little white
apron as she did so.
20, thank you, it isn't worth while.
] can't think of troubling YOU" and1
she arose from her seat.
mo trouble at ALL" said Fred, as
ne disappeared through his back door
way. IN a few minutes Dorothy saw
him in the Marlborough yard picking
up the ruffle He glanced up at the
porch with bright smile and raised
his hat. Soon the ruflle was in its
owners hands and Fred was on Dor
othy's porch. Hearing voices Mrs.
jerks came to the kitchen door and
looked inquiringly around.
"Auntie,' said Dorothy, this is Mr..