Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-02-25
PEOPLE .
NEXT DOOR.

pepiiStfS SOCleky smile. II ann sure
that | have done adj could TO be
neighborly ever since they took the
house-let me see--two years ago il
Is now, nearly | called on them ia
the first place, although really don't
believe in being too intimate with
people just because they happen to
rent a house next door TO one: bus
in this case Mrs. Glenwood spoke to
me about them She said they were
really very nice people and SO
called.
They are very nice people in
some respects-at least Mrs. Parks is
but very peculiar, my dear AS
say, did my best to be nice to them
and when they were In their moving
mtddle ted them If there was any
thing that could do for them to be
sure and let me know. WELL they
didn't happen to want nything. | snp-
pose, for they didn't say so then, but
less than three weeks after that Mr..
Parks came to the door and wanted
TO borrow my step ladder. You know
| always keep my step-lad1er down In
the basement and 1t was quite a lot
OF trouble to go down and get II, bu,
Mr.. Peabody happened to be al e
and he brought 1t up and gave Il To.
Mr.. Parks, don't mind saying that
| was Annoyed, but | am sure that
didn't show IL. Aud. my dear, they
kept that ladder over a day before
they brought it back and then there
was speek of whitewash on 1t that /
am sure wasn't there when lent 1t
TO them. I'm sure | would have no
ticed If there had been. Mr.. Pea
body always tells me am so partic-
uIar about my things, but good grac.
ious! II people didn't take care Of
things they never would have things,
would they?
Then there was the lawn mower
was out moving the lawn one morn
ing. You know Mr.. Peabody isn't
home once a month hardly and have
to NOV 1t myself or else get man to
do it and that Is so expensive. you
know. And then men are careless with
things. Well. Mr.. Parks was sitting
on his front steps and he volunteered
to do 1t for me. I need the exercise,
anyway he said. But do you know,
as soon as he got through with my
lawn he wheeled the mover across the
walk and moved his own, just as
coolly! And as IL that wasn't enough,
he took 1t on to the Wespers', next
door to him and moved theirs May
as well trim up the neighborhood
while we are about it, he said. laugh
ing as If 1t was good joke, OF course
the Lawns aren't large, but just thinkl
And then | recommended a laun-
dress to them and went in to give
them her address, and one time when
they were out let the express people
leave a package for them and took 1t
that 1t wasn't any trouble-and 1t re-
ally wasn't so very much, you know
only 1t might occur too often.
But it was about the telephone |
was going TO tell you They didn't
have a telephone put in. Mr. Paris
Oh1i ltC 0ihh Cdi w nave OhC Until
he made up his mind whether he want
ed to take the house for year, and
told them, of course, that they were
very welcome to use mine at any
time. They said 1t was very kind Of
me, and so 1t was, think, but didn't
think they would be making public
convenience of my house, They came
in-oh, several times. They always
apologized, but that didn't make it
any more convenient for me to be an
swering the door and letting them in
and letting them out again. Once or
twice l was clear up to the top OF
the house and had TO go clear down
stairs. / was always just as pleasant
as could be, but / think they under
stood that / didn't care much about 1t,
and they stopped coming until Mrs.
Parks illness and then Mr.. Parks be-
gan coming again-to call the doctor
II seemed to me, though, that he
needn't have always left 1t until 1t be-
came an emergency. OF course. in
case of sickness wouldn't think of
refusing anybody and like to be
neighborly. But aren't people pecu-
liar sometimes?
"Well. thank goodness, they had
about stopped bothering me until last
week, when there came ring at the
phone and somebody said: as this
Mrs. Peabody | said Yes and then
the woman--it was a woman-said:
I'm very sorry to trouble you. but
could you get Mrs. and Mr.. Parks
to the phone. It's something very
important
Il thought that was about the limit.
said: mo, I don't see how can.
I'm very busy and would have to
dress and-no. I'm sorry. but can't
do It,
"'Oh, very we'll; excuse me for
troubling YOU she said in sarcastic
voice and the receiver was shut Off
Now. would you believe it? After
all the pains I've been to to be nice
TO them those people are just as cool
as can be since then. ! suppose they
Il. IaI