Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-07-14
Her Secluded Life


apartment building the tiny balconies
are stuck like burs. one 10 each nat.
The bancony just over the entrance Is
occupied by a stout woman in purple
who sits in a creaky rocking chair. anF
her caller. a meek and nonassertive
person In sallow green. The womaf
in purple Is speaking.
The only objection to living in an
apartment house Is that there are GER
tain to be some disagreeable people
there and OF course you can't always
avoid them. | told my husband when
we moved In that I should make II q
point to keep TO myself and rot let
anybody get a chance to pry into my
Affairs. Some women are so curious!
/ suppose the poor things have nothing
to do but attend To- other peoples busl-
ness and | shouldn't Judge them
harshly.
"As for myself, I simply detest any
thing like gossip and talehearing. OF
course, | believe In taking a human
interest in ones fellow creatures and
lending a helping hand and all that,
but I go no farther.
Now. IL | was like that Mrs,
Adams on the next fool I'd Just go
crazy considering myself! That oma
actually had the nerve TO send down
and say that my little boy should not
be allowed to play his graphophone so
early in the morning! She said It kept
them from sleeping. Id like to know
what she supposes the poor child Is
going to do to amuse himself when he
wakes up at $40. We have to get up
early, so we don't mind Il ourselves
and anyhow, | think II is a lovely way
to begin the day-sort OF inspiring. You
know, to hear good music. / just sent
back word that the graphophone had
cost a lot of money and she ought to
consider herself lucky to have the
chance to hear It!
THAT below us said. when !
told her about 1t. that the music didn't
bother her at all and that Johnnie was
a deal little fellow, But. do you know,
I can't help being suspicious of a WON
an who SO openly tries to please you
and get friendly with you. There +
such d thing as going too far. And
this Mrs. Johnson is always so dread
fully smiling and sweet. Yet In all the
months I've been here I've never seen
her husband. 1t looks odd to me. She
wears the loveliest clothes.
81 wouldn't say anything against her
for the world. hut when a person Is
secretive about herself 0 can't help
wondering. And she never even OBJ
jected when | watered the back win
, dow-box and It dripped water all over
her hammock and pillows below. 1t
looks to me as though she was afraid
TO call attention 70 herself.
ooh, look, quickl There goes that
girl | was mentioning. You'd know TO
look at her that she doesn't do a thing
but primp and dress. | call It scandal
GUS to waste all ones time trying 70
look pretty. I'm sure never wal
guilty OF IL and | think I've got alonl
as well as the next one. Did you ever
see such waved hair in your iife2
"She lives upstairs with her marie
brother and walks through the hall
as though she owned the bull ing. ,
spoke TO her pleasantly one mornin.
and thought I'd let her see that ! took
a friendly interest in her. Besides, !
wanted to know the name of the dark
young man who takes her out so often
but that saucy creature just looked me
over In the coolest way and barely
nodded. You'd have thought she didn't
care to know me.
I'm sure In my day any girl who
had such a number OF admirers as she
has would have been thought unlady-
like at the least. These giddy girls
will always bear watching and you can
better believe that I'm keeping my eye
on her. | think 1t no more than my
duty, for her brother and his wife don't
seem to mind her goings-on In the
least.
Here comes Mrs. Grant and her
baby. If she ever raises that child IL
will be a wonder, for she has the most
| ridiculous notions. I've told her time
and time again that the only food to
bring up a baby on was Riskem's and
she goes right OF feeding that suffer
ing child Wiskem's because she says
he likes 1t and is getting fat on It. AS
| though a ~ive-months-old baby knew
| what was best for 1t, And, as I told
| her, fat is almost always unhealthy.
But she didn't seem worried. | don't
believe she really cares much for the
child, for she is one Of these indie
pendent. assertive creatures.
"She never gets nervous for fear the
baby may die sometimes as | used to
do when | had my first baby. And I'm
| sure no one could be a better mother
than I've been. She just gets out a
| thermometer and takes It's tempera-
| ture and then says nothing Is the mat
ter with it and let's 1t cry. | call such
| conduct ~scandalous! No, the baby
looks red and healthy, but you can't
tell.
There goes that mar on the fourth
floor TO work. He never leaves the
house til noon and | don't see what