The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-07-23
Her Secluded Life

The hancony just over the entrance is
occupied by stout woman in purple,
who sits in a creaky rocking chair, and
ner caller, a meek and nonassertive
person in sallow green. The woman
in purple is speaking.
The only objection to living in an
apartment house is that there are GER
taili to be some disagreeable people
there and of course you can't always
avoid them. l told my husband when
we moved in that should make It
point to keen 20 myself and not let
anybody get IA chance to pry into my
affairs. Some women are so curiousl
suppose the poor things have nothing
to do but attend to other peoples bust.
ness and | shouldnN judge them
harshly.
"As for myself simply detest any
thing like gossip and talebearing. OF
course, Believe in taking a human
interest In ones fellow creatures and
lending a helping hand and all that
but 90 no farther.
Now, IL was like that Mrs.
Adams on the next floor I'd just go
crazy considering myself That woman
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 morningl She said Il kept
them from sleeping. I'D 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 it ourselves
and anyhow, think 1t is lovely way
to begin the day-sort OF inspiring, you
know, to hear good music. just sent
back word that the graphophone had
cost lot of money and she ought to
consider herself lucky TO have the
chance to hear It!
THAT woman below us said, when
told her about It, that the music didn't
bother her at all and that Johnnie was
dear little fellow But, do you know,
can't help being suspicious of a wom-
an who so openly tries TO please you
and get friendly with you. There is
such a 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 loyeliest clothes.
II wouldn't say anything against her
for the world, but when person is
secreiye about herself you can't help
wondering. And she never even OBJ
jected when watered the back win
dow-box and 1t dripped water all over
her hammock and pillows below. II
looks to me as though she was afraid
to call attention to herself.
"Oh, look, quick! 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 1t scandal
Gus 10 waste all ones time trying to
look pretty I'm sure never was
guilty OF it and | think I've got along
as well as the next one. Did you ever
see such waved hair in your life2
"she lives upstairs with her married
brother and walks through the halls
as though she owned the building.
spoke to her pleasantly one morning
and thought I'd Lot 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
/ mad such a number of admirers as kbe
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 IL 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. II 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 on feeding that suffer
} ing child Wiskem's because she says
he likes il and is getting fat on II. AS
though fve-months-old baby knew
what was best for IT, And. as | 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 inde-
pendent, assertiye creatures.
"she never gets nervous for fear the
baby may die sometimes as used tc
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 s
thermometer and takes its tempera
ture and then says nothing is the mat
ter with IL and lets II cry. | call such
conduct scandalousi No. the baby
looks red and healthy, but Tou eau
tell
There goes that man on the fourth
floor TO work. He never leaves this
house till noon and I don't see wha
business he can be in that is respect
able. He must be a gambler or some
thing like that. I'm sure OF IL, becaus.
his wife has so many diamonds.
think It vulgar to wear so many rings
Must you gog I'm sorry, for IL
half an hour it's more than likely tha
handsome man will be here. He comes
nearly every day at this hour ana
can't hnd out who Il IS he calls on. In
sure he doesn't live here and II looks
'Ye-e-es, never thought OF that
lie may be a doctor, but doubt Il.
aIl..