Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-03-23
ENTER THE
WIDOW
BY Annette Graham
Copyright, 1904. by I. c. Mcclure

DedlS any DOdIuluS nOuSe VIC VIC
ever struck said Remington, 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-
versation. 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 fat Dubois had
been elected to buy the furniture and
install the domestic machinery. The
other three declared that lie had
bump of domesticity that ought to be
encouraged so he had experimental
with the employment agencies, where
lie had interviewed women grave and
gay, who hailed all the way from Nor
way to Africa, and at last he had Sc
icaI japanese servant, with excellent
references.
No four children, possessed of
brnnd 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
of tah a1
appreciation of their own comfortable
position and deep commiseration for
the unfortunate individuals who board
ed across the area. Then came a day
when silence brooded over the other
fat Bare, uncurtained windows, COW
cred with dust, greeted the occupants
Of 1.-The Snuggery" when they came
home that night.
"Mova very quick" said Wyote con-
cisely. and the bachelors really felt as
IL 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
its 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
ate, who was setting the dinner table.
"No man; all ladies'" said Wyote.
"Good Lord" said Dubois, II 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
"Auntie, dear, do look; there isn't o
woman over there-tust four borrie
men with n japanese servant
"Kltty, 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
that, while In Little River 1t was your
privilege to know all about your neigh
hars' affairs, IN New York every fam
lily lives unto itself, and-and you real
ly must not display any further inter-
est in the people across the areaway,
particularly II 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
mild interest in the doings of those
-four funny bachelors" Mrs. Bron-
son also had a bump Of domesticity.
and, though woman Of means, she
managed her elegant little home, with
It's two servants and her late hus-
bands niece, In a manner economical,
yet not penurious. She loved dainty
things and gave much time to danes
tic details. 1t somstimss annoyed her
to see how Wyote wasted ap9 mis-
managed.
"It's a burning shame" she would
say to herself. What those pnfortu-
nate boys spend 10 run that house
would keep two families"
She did not mean to be impertinent,
but she could not fall to see that gas
was burned until patience ceased to
be virtue and that good wholesome
food which could have been made into
delicious entrees went down to the jan
itor. 1t vexed her housewifely soul.
Then, too. she was woman, still ap-
preciative, and the occupants of the
bachelor tat-wOll, she had seen men
she could ndmire less She had Just be-
gun to call them ''those poor boys"
when she was summoned one night
from the tiny drawing room, 10 the al
cove Of tho dinips room by her ex-
cited niece,
$40 look, auntie, He Is showing his
japanese servant how you set the ta-
BILE"
And, sure enough. at tho opposite
window stood Dubois with Wyote. He
pointed Arst 10 his own table and then
to Mrs. Bronson's. And the next even
Ing there were four silver candelabra
with silk shades and rosy candles on
their dinner table. The next lesson
across the areaway came in the morn
ing, and, after a heart to heart talk
with Wyote, Dubois turned to the ex'
pectant trio and remarked; whats
the use OF paying big price for
mahogany table II you don't see 1t once
Ia awhileY II the mother OF that pref
ty girl over there has a bare table for
breakfast bet it's the right thing"
But the next morning he was back
at the window. a puzzled expression
81 his face. Clearly there was some
thing wrong with the mahogany table,
and there was no one 10 be seen at the
respectfully expectant at his elbow.
Neither of them dreamed that Mrs
Bronson was sitting at one side of her
window and could hear what they said
and watch their reflection in the mir
For IN the sldeboard.
"Now, Wyote, ours doesn't look like
that. You must have forgotten some
thing. What the devil is itf"
It's the doilles," Gop;ea across the
areaway in 4 Musieai, half laughing
VOICE, Then appeared at the window
Mrs. Bronson, roguish, yet flushed at
her own boldness. 'Oh, / beg your
pardon! 1t was most impertinent Of
me, but my niece and I have taken
such an Interest IN your bachelor
housekeeping. especially since you have
been kind enough to take my little din
ing room as your-your'-
"As our criterion! Exactly. 1t Is such
n dear little room, don't you know.
hope you don't mind?"
"Not at ALL" said Mrs. Bronson