The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-13

But suddenly change like transfgur-
alton came over him He began by hav-
ing MS beard trimmed and hiring 4 jsni-
/ tor. Then he bought a suit Of clothes and
new hat He began to grin. like a
1 sick ape. at the children. The boys Who
/ dared to venture into the vacant lot were
/ left unmolested The barb-wire fence
was taken down by a hired workman.
Ard then the wonder grew. Koontz
and his TRANSPORTATION became the topic
/ of the flats. He actually Quit dunning
his tenants. and when they chose cream
I coIored kalsomining he ordered 1t so. in
stead of putting on pale blue. lie let the
/ Perkinses so two weeks without asking
/ them for their rent, and then he simply
sent around q bill by the janitor. Ev-
( erybodv visited everybody else and asked
I Did YOU notice it?" Yes, they all had
noticed except Mrs. Bingham. the
Widow Bingham. She hadn't noticed
anything.
He always seemed a very nice old
gentleman to me- she said. Whereat all
the women in the building began 10
smell a mouse
Koontz was an old bachelor (Gaibraith
called him a "hermitical old troglodite'),
but anyhow, nobody ever suspected him
/ Of any human qualities until Mrs. Bing-
! ham. The widow. refused TO join IN the
/ otherwise unanimous knock. Then the
1 DAltI Woutn began 10 u0liCF IudE tlu
( koontz was getting into the habit Of
dropping in on the Binghams after
4 dark about twice n week. Just as a
flyer" Mrs. Perkins began to make up
to" the widow and feel her out" eau
tlously on the Koontz question.
You know Pm having my fat pa
pered." said the willy Mrs. Perkins to
/ the astute Widow Bingham one night,
but 1 just know old Noontz VIII put
{ cheap patterns on the parlor. I'm just
dying for solid maroon ingram but I'm
efraid 70 ask him. Hes sO-er-what
you might call contrary"
That's all that was said. but when the
paper went on it was solid maroon in
grain. and Mrs Perkins knew what she
had set ont TO learn. After that every
tenant IN the fat made friends with the
F Bingham widow. OF course. they all
mated her for setting her cap AZ old
/ koontz. the nasty old ghoui but n they
warted anything Il was only necessary
+ to let her know
+ tt was early in April when the cata-
clysm came Most Of the tenarts. under
/ the joint reign o. the kooutz- Bingham
( Dynasty. were rather pleased with their
surroundings They were all solid with
tie widow. and tha- included the comrIa-
Cencv Of the unclawed tyrant. L was
+ carly one sunday afternoon VIXEN q ter
( rinle commotion took place in he Bing-
heard loud shrieks and falling furn itUre.
and ran out into the han in time 20 see
/ cid koontz come falling down the stairs
with the widow IN hot pursuit she had
I q broom swinging aloft. ard every time
{ the old Uutchmars LEGS faifered the
s broom came whack On his head She
chased him out into the street. and great
was the scandal thereat
Mrs Bingham. silnpsree TIE adroit
Mrs. Perkins next DAY. about TIE ie-ss-
+ You know orr lease runs out May I.
and were all puzzled about staying OF
+ moving We'd IKE 60 stey. = if-that -
F Il you are soins 10 STAY we feel"
Never n2ird how SOC feel Z don {
{ cara You've All teen playing ne fo- q
I so-hetw.en between sou and that dirty.
i nasty hateful. brl1-o9-0e-o-' And rtsn
-ste began 20 cry. That relieved tie as-
{ uoenhsre considerably. ara Wacl TIRE
t widow rszainea her cornTeszFe afrs. Per
F k.rs was stroklng her hana-
4 doat Tnind telling Jog. dear. Nss
{ Bingham vas sotainz. as PLAY u
kind a este on tie hatelr e!4 waSF
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