The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-03-08
ENTER THE
WIDOW
BY Annsffs Graham
Copyright. 1904, by t. c. Mcclure

Great, isn't it," asked Dubois.
Couldn't be betterr' said Marshall.
you've certainly done wondersw
said the infant.
Beats any boarding house we've
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
it's 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 fiat. 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
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
tcal Japanese servant, with excellent
references.
No four children, possessed or
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
position and deep commiseration for
the unfortunate individuals who board
ed across the area. Then came a day
when silence brooded over the other
fiat. Bare, uncurtained windows, COW
cred with dust, greeted the occupants
of THE Snuggery' when they came
home that night.
'sMova 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.
Il a
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
ote, who was setting the dinner table.
NO man; all ladies' said Wyote.
Good Lord" said Dubois. ~ hope
it's not 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
woman over there-just four horr1d
men with a Japanese servant!
kitty. Kitty" said Mrs. Bronson as
she hastily drew down the shade, a
/ can see very plainly that this is nc
/ place for you. You must remember
| that. while in Little River it was your
privilege to know all about your neigh
bors' 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 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 u
mild interest in the doings of those
s'four funny bachelors" Mrs. Bron-
son also had a bump OF domesuclty'
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
vet not penurious. She loved dainty
things and gave much time to domes-
tic details. 1t sometimes annoyed hel
to see how Wyote wasted and mis-
managed.
"It's a burning shame" she would
saw to herself What those unfortu
nate boys spend to run that house
would keep two families"
| She did not mean to be impertinent
but she could not fail to see that gas
was burned until patience ceased to
| be a 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, stlll ap
| preciative, and the occupants OF the
bachelor fiat-well, she had seen mel
she could admire less. She had just be
/ gun to call them ''those poor boys
| when she was summoned one night
from the tiny drawing room to the al
cove of the dining room by her ex'
cited niece.
do look. auntie! He is showing his
Japanese servant how you set the IA
BILE"
And. sure enough. at the opposite
window stood Dubois with Wyote. He
pointed first to his own table and then
/ to Mrs. Bronson's. And the next even
ing there were four silver candelabrs
with silk shades and rosy candles or
I their dinner table The next lesson
across the areaway came in the morn
| ing. and. after heart to heart talk
| with Wyote. Dubois turned to the ex
| pectant trio and remarked: WHATS
the use OF paying a big price for
mahogany table if you don't see it onct
in awhile? If the mother of that pref
ty girl over there has bare table fol
breakfast | bet it's the right thing"
But the next morning he was bach
/ at the window. puzzled expression
ON his face. Clearly there was some
thing wrong with the mahogany table,
and there was no one to be seen ut the
table across the areayay. Wyote stood
respectfully expectant at his elbow.
/ Neither of them dreamed that Mrs.
Bronson was sitting mt one side Of her
window and could hear what they said
and watch their reflection in the mir
ror i'm the sitlebOnrd.
| ..NnNr WNnte ours doesn't look like