Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-04-21
#WW
PEOPLE ~
NEXT DOOR.

They are very peculiar people next
door" said the woman with the ex.
pansive society smile. Il am sure
that have done ali | could to be
neighborly ever since they took the
house-let me see-two years ago Ii
is now, nearly. | called on them In
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; but
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
muddle told them II there was any.
thing that | could do for them to be
sure and let me know. Well, they
didn't happen TO want anything. I SUP
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-ladder down in
the basement and 1t was quite a lot
of trouble to go down and get it. but
Mr.. Peabody happened to be at home
and he brought it up and gave 1t to
Mr.. Parks. | don't mind saying that
I wa annoyed, but | am sure that
didn't show it. And, my dear. they
kept that ladder over a day before
they brought 1t back and then there
was a speck of whitewash on it that |
am sure wasn't there when | lent 1t
TO them! I'm sure I would have no
ticed IL there had been. Mr.. Pea
body always tells me | am so partic-
ular about my things, but good grac-
ious! II people didn't take care of
things they W. would have things.
would they?
Then there was the lawn mower.
I vas out moving the lawn morn
ing. You know Mr.. Peabody isn't
home once a month hardly and I have
to NOW it myself or else get a man to
w 4 0AHA 0L0t - 81 0ARCh5AvCs 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 oon as he got through with my
lawn he wheeled the mover across the
walk and moved his own, Just as
coolly! And as If 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 it was a good joke. OF course
the lawns aren't large, but just think!
And then | recommended a laun-
dress to them and wen in 10 give
them her address, and one time when
they were out let the express people
leave a package for them and took il
in to them myself. | assured them
that it wasn't any trouble-and it re-
ally wasn't so very much, you know
only 1t might occur too often.
But 1t was about the telephone |
was going to tell you. They didn't
have a telephone put in. Mr.. Parks
said he didn't care to have one until
he made up his mind whether he want
ed to take the house for a year, and |
told them, of course. that they were
very welcome to S mine at any
time. They said it was very kind of
me, and 80 1T was, | think, but | didn't
think they would be making a public
convenience of my house. They came
in-oh, several times. They always
apologized, but that didn't make ii
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 l didn't a much about It,
and they stopped coming until Mrs.
Parks illness and then Mr.. Parks be-
gan coming again-to call the doctor.
1t seemed to me-, though, that he
needn't have always left it until ii be-
came an emergency. OF course, in a
CdSO VI 0lChBOSc 1 NObtdh L AAAAuh vi
refusing anybody and I 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 a ring at the
phone and somebody said: rs 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.
l said: mo. / don't e how | can.
I'm very busy and | would have to
dress and-no. I'm sorry, but l can't
do it.
"'Oh. very well; excuse me for
troubling you,' she said in a sarcastic
voice and the receiver was shut off.
Nov, would you believe it? After
all the pains I've been to to be nice