Smyrna times., 1904-12-28
ENTER THE
WIDOW
BY Annette Graham
Copyright, 1904, by T. C. Mcclure


couldn't be better" said Marshall
you've certainly done wondersY
said the infant.
Beats any boarding house we've
ever struck said Remmington. and
he glanced significantly through the
window across the court.
The court" was really nothing but
an air shaft, and on the other side the
window opened into the dining room
of a typical city boarding house, with
its clatter of dishes and forced con-
versaton. Listening to it all, the four
bachelors in their own cozy quarters
smoked on in cOntented silence.
They had stuck together for four
years. trailing from hotel to boarding
house, boarding house to bachelor
apartments. bachelor apartments to
restaurants, until in despair they had
decided to furnish a Hat. Dubois had
been elected to buy the furniture and
install the domestic machinery. The
other three declared that he had a
bump of dOmesticity that ought to be
encouraged. SO he had experimental
with the employment agencies, where
he had interviewed women grave and
gay, who hailed all the way from Nor
way to Africa, and at last he had Sc
cured the services of Wyote, a typ
ical Japanese servant, with excellent
references.
No four children, possessed of
brand new pals and shOvels on
sandy beach. ever experienced more
pleasure than these four grown men
with their new toy, which they had
dubbed The Snuggery." Every night
as they sat at table they expressed
appreciation of their own comfortable
4 position and deep cOmmiseratiOn for
\ the unfortunate individuals who board
ed across the area. Then came a day
4 when silence brOOded over the other
q fat Bare, uncurtained windows, COW
cred with dust. greeted the occupants
\ of The Snuggery" when they came
X home that night.
Nova very quick" said Wyote con-
cisely. and the bachelors really felt as
N if something had gone out of their lives
when they could no longer pity their
next door neighbors.
For a week the opposite fiat was
empty Then came decorators. The
staring windows were cleaned, and one
night Dubois. coming home earlier
than the others. saw a pretty girlish
face at the opposite window. 1t was
rather a high bred face, too, though
I is owner could not be more than six
teen, and it was framed on either side
by hangings of some soft green mate
rial. Dubois turned away from the
window and looked inquiringly at Wy
Ote. who was setting the dinner table.
"NO man: all ladies'" said WyOte.
N "Good Lord" said Dubois. 81 hope
it's not a young ladies' seminary
And the rest of the fellows echoed his
wish Half an hour later the pretty
girl, otherwise Kittie Bronson, eXclaim-
ed
"Aunte. dear. do look; there isn't a
woman over there-just four horrld
men with a Japanese servant
kitty. Kitty" said Mrs. Bronson as
she hastily drew down the shade, 81
can see very plainly that this is no
/ place for you. You must remember
L that. while in Little River it was your
privilege to know all about your neigh
[ bors' affairs. in New York every fam
n lily lives unto itself. and-and you real
ly must not display any further inter
est in the people across the areaway,
PARTICULARLY if they are all men,"
Kitty Bronson did not mean to be
disobedient, but the window across
the areaway possessed fascination for
her. and even her aunt had to admit a
mild interest in the dOings of those
-four funny bachelors" Mrs. Bron-
son also had a bump Of dOmesticity,
and, though a woman of means, she
managed her elegant little home, with
its two servants and her late hus-
bands niece, in a manner economical,
yet not penurious. She loved dainty
things and gave much time to domes-
tic details. 1t sometimes annoyed her
TO see how Wyote wasted and mis-
managed.
It's a burning shame" she would
say to herself what those unfortu
nate bows spend to run that house
would keep two families.
H She did not mean to be impertlneht
bat she could not fail to see that gas
yas burned until patience ceased tC
be viRtue and that good Wholesome
food which could have been made lnt'
delicious entrees went down to the jan
itor. 1t vexed her housewifely soul
Then. too. she was a woman, stlll ap
preciative, and the occupants OF th'
bachelor flat-well, she had seen mei
she could admire less. She had just De
gun to call them ''thOse poor Doys
when she was summoned one nlgh
from the tiny drawing room to the al
cove of the dining room by her eN
cited niece.
do look, auntie! He is showing III
Japanese servant how you set the ta
ble"
And, sure enough, at the opposlt
window stood Dubois with Wyote. IL