The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1909-11-03


that ladys standing In the commun-
fty.
Mrs. Armitage herself received plac-
idly the tidings, brought to her in
that haste 70 convey the unwelcome
which distinguished Mrs. Stone, but
OF which she has, unluckily, NO mon
opoly.
Everybody thinks it a perfect
shame-you and Susan alone here, and
to have that family pumped down
under your very nose. Mrs. Swett had
them next door for year, and she
says she'd as soon have wild Indians
for neighbors. She says the boys are
regular little thieves, stole her toma-
toes and her apples; and the girl-well,
she never saw her take the roses, but
she missed them and she saw her with
some on"
Indeed" said Mary Armitage, plac-
Idly still.
"She says of all troublesome neigh
bors-and slipshod It's bad enough
to have such people in town at all, but
when it comes TO their moving right
into the neighborhood, | do think"
Mrs. Stone was unable to get out her
thought, which appeared to choke
her.
81 suppose" mused Mrs. Armitage,
at must because of the cottage having
stood vacant so long; only poor ten
ants would take it. 1t can't bring in
much. To tell the truth, had almost
forgotten it was there"
"Well, you won't be able to forget it
now. They ought to have pulled it
down long ago; it leans right up
against your fence"
"Oh, the trees shut it out pretty
we'll"
"You never can tell. If were you,
Mary Armitage, I'd put up fresh barbed
wire on my fence-top, right at the first
that's what Mrs Brown did.-She
had them next door the year before
Mrs. SWEET. She said she let them see
at the outset that she didn't mean to
have those young ones swarming over
her place. And you don't want them
swarming over yours either, tramp
ling your garden and robbing your
fruit trees, and like as not your chick
en-yard."
mo" said Mrs. Armitage, with a
shade of disturbance, 81 certainly don't.
Are there many of them?"
"Oh, millions. There's the father,
Mrs. SWEET says she believes he
drinks-and there's shiftless woman,
and girl, and those limbs of boys, and
believe baby or two"
Dear, dear!" murmured Mrs. Armit-
age. at does sound rather formidable.
should think they'd have to overflow
on somebody's grounds-that cottage
hasn't more than four rooms"
"Oh, guess you'll find that they
are troublesome neighbors, all right"
concluded Mrs. Stone, cheerfully. "You
take my advice and attend to that
barbed wire-and I'd get dog
Mrs. Armitage only smiled; she did
not commit herself.
Mary Armitage's world was ordered
in peace and amity;, she loved quiet
and order; her trees were ancestral
trees, her garden the delight Of her
heart, and her poultry and other liv-
ting appendages, down to the last
Matched chick, were her pets.
Dear me, dear mel" she repeated to
herself, with . mixture Of humor and
dismay as the vision Of maraudins
boys and annoying girls, involving still
more annoying after relations with her
neighbors, passed through her mind
and registered itself in varying ex-
pressions on her nne face. Even rs
she meditated upon the problem, noisy
voices were borne distinctly to her.
and two tousled heads popped sudden
above the fence-line, eviently for pur-
pocs of preliminary survey.
Mrs. Armitage's reflections crystal
lized with suddenness.
Emily is right; must be before
band with them"
The boys we're still on the fence, un-
certain on which side of it to drop,
when the sight of a lady advancing
caused them to decide instantly in fav-
or of the side farthest from her. The
lady passed down the walk, out Of the
entrance, and opening their sagging
gate, reappeared on their own weedy
path-beholding which they fed to the
rear Of the house.
Mrs. Armitage, taking in with dis
cerning eye all the shabby neglected
ness of the narrow lot and the still
shabbier, well-night painless cottage,
advanced up the steps to the rickety
porch and knocked, after vain search
Cor a bell.
A discouraged-looking woman in
worn dress opened the door and stood
wiping her hands on her faded apron.
while she surveyed her visitor with the
Indifferent wonder of one who feels
sure that whatever 1t is, 1t will be
nothing good.
'T am your next-door neighbor," said
Mrs. Armitage. with one Of those
smiles which the doctor declared worth
any tonic in his pharmacopeia. II
Aeard you were moving in today. and
Z know what that mcanR-r've moved