Daily camera., 1901-05-31
MY TWO NEGHBoRS

IT WAS In June. vas wosidAl
hard from early morning till lAtl
q night nnishing my medical studies
l had Just moved into . modsst lodg
ing. situated ON the nth story, In
the rear. Across the way. In Anothss
building. facing the same yard. q
window opposite mine Attracted my
attention. This window opened ear.
ly In the morning. closed at . quar-.
ter to nine and opened again regular
~ between twelve and one At night
Who was the occupant of the
room? am very nesr-sightsd and
cannot distinguish anything at . few
yards without my glasses.
One morning. ssAtsd at ~ table
writing (witA my Eyeglasses. Of
eourss) saw at the opposite via
dow an elderly woman. armed with .
feather broom and . dasting cloth.
cleaning the room carefully. She
wore . clean. cheap calico wrapper.
and over II . large. blue checked cot
ton apron. with . bib. The rather
wide sleeves. turned up 70 he elbow.
displayed hne. white arms; On her
hands she had old KID Gioves-an In
nocent eoqustry. thought to my
self.
Stin. she seemed vssy alsrt going
TO and fro, In what I took for .
small kitchen.
examined her more closely.
Alas. her head. covered with few
scanty gray locka. revealed oaly too
well the rsvA9es OF yesrs- I could
not distinguish plainly the features
OF my neighbor. Was her face wrin-
kled and faded? At . distance she
looked rather fresh and rosy.
Still l must not forget . detail: IL
u that she seemed 70 be - near
sighted -. u not more % than. my
ssH. for abe constantly wore spsc-
tacies.
The roon eisaned. my nsiGhbor
warmed up several things on gas
stove and went IN another room. ear
yyin9 them osa . large tray.
Then precisely At . quarter 70 nine
another woman. still young. from 20
20 IS 1T most. cams 70 close the
kitchen window.
This woman was correctly dressed.
even with . certain sIeeanee-a black
skirt. we'll Atting silk waist. IRE
proeehabSe nsekweAf Of muslin and
lace. and . sApots trimmed with
beads and violsts. and with . we'll
adjusted veil on her very blonde hair
too blonde. ~ Il suggested at once
some bleaching compound.
A. much ss nay sight would allow
me TO Judge her complexion was rosy
and velvety. aud her hands the most
beautiful ever saw.
Evidently she was the daughter Of
the other. for she rsssmblsd her ~
one resembles another with . differ
ence Of 70 years.
And nearsightsd also.
Only, instead Of speetseles like her
mother. she wore under her veil very
light eyeglasses. hardly visible from
where was.
Decidedly coquetry was b the fam
lily ~ well ~ short-sightednsss.
II.
/ sona had other proof Of It.
Once armed with my opera giass-
you can zee l was getting greatly In
terested In my neighbors-I took .
notion 70 watch her ~ she crossed
the yard with . light and graceful
step.
She had on Q tailor-made eApe.
gloves that seemed very fresh; and
her dress was held up carefully over
an elegant psttieoat and displayed
dainty shoes; everything. even TO her
parasol, was in the best style.
But how IL It, / thought on thst
day, that one never sees the mother
and daughter togethsr7
Asother thing struck M.
.Why does the daughter Issye ali
the drudgery 70 the inother while
she herself lies IN bed7 she has 70
sleep in the morning to make up for
her nights outing, ~ she returns
only sitter twelve at night" sid 70
myself half aloud In ny burst g IN.
dienstion.
.wAere dos ~ 9 fst9 -. niss
breakfast, - hlsk sttke49e I.wsat
on. "Not "a Workshop: Il = too
late. Who're doss ale 60 whiie her
pooe Cd mothor sloves q he0sf
Who knows u sAe docs not even loci
her ia whsa ~ leaves.
Stories Of ssquestratioa came bael
70 my memory. 6till the nnotAel
doss not seem 70 suller. lad 70 &C
knowIsdse. She worked chseSfuiiy
hsmming snatehss Of song that
heard sometimss scross t1s Nay.
Aotlpsa ~ - ~ fr.y froe
when = aEse.S 1rSel TIT =
indiscrsst eye wssavstching her.
On The contrary when the deueA
Ter opsnsd Il, returning at night, -
lsansd on H. HiNdowssn 4 Ane uAuye
eosorsd dsstA III. ~ bh(tl3u arm,
.ss.. s..:s = :.::sae ssia ~ E'.s s =, E
rovesis. Then she closed ~ Saos
meat end III was still.
III.
o. nigAt was awsksnsl - y
psatsd Knocks at my doos.
who y thsrsf' I asked. 4
''It , !. Nass. Antoine" c.
Aeteiee = ~ .eonsiergs) I oge'
II 49,. D E
nr1b. asoas qaiekly." 49,
(e8 4n. III ont q heea1hs5
q netter1"
I'D 9sross ~ yasd @ -
.hfaA looe q mi, ~ Il