The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1906-12-27

| pump landlady who keeps the Doaro'
Ing house next door.
Three times a week, including Sun
day, is the extent of the favor vouch-
safed me by the only girl, but Mike
is at the house next door every one of
those times, and | am told that he is
there the rest of the nights, too. Mike
is caretaker of the mystic halls and
portals Of lodge No Al. 1t is only
fair to say that his duties detain him
from opening his evenings siege until
after 10 o'clock.
Sitting on the doorsteps of the
only girls house, the only girl and l
would see Mike carefully close the
| inner doors after turning down the
lights In the lodgerooms. Then he
| would come running across the street
and stand bowling, hat in hand, at the
loot of the steps next door.
Good evening" he would calculate
cheerfully. His greeting would be re-
turned by the not plump landlady,
who then hastily vanished into her
house, and emerged soon, bearing a
large water pitcher. This Mike seized
eagerly, ran back to the lodgerooms
and presently returned with it full Of
mineral water and clinking ice from
the lodge tank. This was the invari
able opening of the evenings siege.
Then Mike would seat himself on one
of the steps of the house next door,
as close to the landlady as decorum
would permit. From that time on con-
versation would flow in an uninter
rupted stream-wonderful converse
ton Of trips on the lake, happenings
at amusement parks, the days news,
the price of board and of rent Es-
pecially naive snatches compelled our
attention, and the insistent burden Of
it was forever crashing into our lower
toned talk.
Sometimes Mike would lead the
landlady to the corner drugstore,
where we suspected that ice cream
sodas created rather than filed gaps
in the conversation. On one mem
orable occasion Mike had a holiday
and took the landlady and the land
lady's niece, who was visiting her,
were the only breaks in the regular
programme. Weeks flew along. AS
often as / sat on the only girls front
steps the tinkling water pitcher was
borne from across the street to the
house next door, and always when l
iuh t,,r
face resolutely down the street, there
sat Mike upon the steps next door.
There came an evening when a
stranger sat upon the steps of the
house next door. He was big and
cumbersome. His face was weather.
worn and scanned, and his voice was
brusque and incisive. In due time
Mike came running across the street.
There was faint introduction by the
not plump landlady and Mike and the
stranger shook hands suspiciously
Mike received the pitcher and, as
usual, returned with it filled. The
strangers eyes followed him. For
once conversation did not flourish and
for once Mike did not outstay me.
when he was gone the brusque, in
cisive voice asked some questions
in tones which shattered the silence
and overbore our half-hearted at
tempts at dialogue. There were low,
monosyllabic answers and then sobs.
by special privilege | came again
the next night. The stranger again
occupied the steps next door. The
landlady from time to time shot fur
tive chances toward the door of the
lodgerooms. On time Mike appeared,
closing the inner doors behind him.
Looking across the street he must
have caught a warning signal, for he
closed the outer doors also, locked
them, removed his hat in an ineffect-
i've bow and then sauntered down the
street.
"All was silence, if not peace. next
door The stranger seemed to lack
the powers of entertainment of the
gifted Mike. | suggested a stroll to-
ward the park, and found, as ] had
hoped, that the only girl had made in
qulrleS TO some purpose. Inc
stranger, it appeared had wooed
and won the not plump landlady when
she was not landlady and had gone
west to win his way. There he sue
ceeded, as he thought. He had re-
turned to claim his reward and had
found a landlady who appreciated
offerings of ice water from across the
street.
The end is not yet. The stranger
still hangs around, trying to regain his
claim. Mike has returned to the field
and brings his tinkling offerings as
before. Our sympathies generally
20 out to the hero of romance who
goes away to fight obstacles and
achieves success. But there is some
thing very human about Mike. | dare
say he thinks 1t would be convenient
TO board so near to the scene Of his
| watchful care. STILL the bringing
! of ice water to the not plump landlady
is a delicate attention, and can't
! help admiring Mike. He is again
staying later, much later, than | dare. "
Chicago Daily News.