The Topeka state journal., 1911-10-02
TIE EVENING STORY
Next Door.
(By Temple Bailey.)

"Dick is a dear boy" she would say
to her husband and when he would
grunt and grow, she would venture,
| Perhaps you don't understand him.
Your father is a fine man." she
would tell Richard, and when the boy
famed and fumed she would sigh,
Perhaps you are too much like him.
You both have the same high tempers,
and that is the cause of all the
trouble
| When the Chalmers came to live in
| the big house next door to the Cam
erons there was more trouble Rich
ards father wanted Richard to be nice
to them. There is plenty OF money
and influence over there, and they have
a daughter. You can't do better than
see something of her, Dick"
Il know plenty of girls" Richard
asserted, without having tie one next
door thrown at my head
who's throwing her at your head?''
the old man demanded.
''Oh, dear!' Mrs. Cameron threw
up her hands "She really seems a
siwel1, 1 don't care to know her."
Richard said. "It is bad enough to see |
her all the time. She's either sitting
on her porch or playing tennis on the I!
side lawn, and I can't get away from |
her unless 1 stay away from home al
together
He flung himself out of the room, |
and his mother looked at his father |
IF he wouldn't be so positivs about
things, but he's just like you; you
never could stand it to have anyone |
tell you what you ought to do"
well, he's an obstinate young pig"
was the explosive response. I'D like !
to see him marry that girl next door, |
Mary
..she's a nice little thing" Mrs
Cameron agreed, 'but If you want |
Dick to marry her, you've got to take |
Vxraxr he
pursuing now, Richard"
But Richard, ST., would not listen.
HE ought to be made to do the things |
we want him to do" he said
''You didn't do the things your
father wanted you 10 do" his wife
stated. "If yeu had, you wouldn't
have married me, Richard"
Her husband smiled at her.
1--WE got ahead of the old man,
didn't we?" he said.
There, you see," his wife said ear
nest1y- you like the adventure of it,
Richard, yet you're expecting your boy
to submit to prearranged marriage
That's right her husband said
suddenly. "but seriously, Mary, my
heart is set on this marriage"
His wife nodded. THE best way
will be to make Richard think you
don't want it. then he'll be crazy to
do it,
''I see" Mr.. Cameron rose and
walked through the wide windows of
the living room to the porch. Down
by the sundial in the lower part of the l.
garden Richard sat smoking and sulk-
ing. On the other side of the hedge a
young girl played at tetherbaH. She
was 1.-THE, graceful little creature with
shining hair.
AS his wife joined him, Cameron
said, Cant you suggest something,
Mary?''
Have you talked it over with Mr.
Chain ers p she asked.
'Yes, and he is pleased to death at
the idea He says Dicks Just the sort
of fellow he wants his girl to marry"
Mrs Cameron shook her head.
That's like a pair of blundering men,
she said. I'VE don't live in France,
my dear. Young Americans are in
clined to believe that marriages are
made in heaven, not in Offices
''I suppose" he hesitated, IF Dick
thought I didn't want him to do it
he'd move heaven and earth to do it.
''I think he would" she agreed.
'fWhy don't you hatch up some politi-
cal squabble with Mr.. Chalmers, and
see how Dick takes it %
II can think of something better
than that" her husband growled.
That night at the dinner table Cam
eron took a letter out of his pocket
and tossed it over to his wife to read
81 call that something of an imposi-
ticn,' was his statement.
The letter was from Chalmers. It
stated that the noise Of the automC bile
in his neighbor's garage was trying to
his nerves. 1t walked him in the MORN
ings. He requested that it be stop
ped.
HE might have put it more pleas
antly," Cameron said. At never knew
him to be cranky before
Young Richard looked UP. 'I guess
it's our auto" he said, s'and We'll make
all the noise we want
That's right said Cameron, land
will write him to that effect Out
of the correspondence grew a decided
cooIn ess between the two friends. Even
Mrs. Cameron was puzzled to know If
the trouble was a bona fide one or
merely the result of a plot.
Richard, however, had no doubts.
Father certainly has g crouch on HIS
next-door neighbor." he confided to
his mother; 'but it oughtn't to make
him rude to the girl. He snapped out
such a gruff Good morning to her
that I felt positively sorry for her."
The climax came when Cameron
chased Dulcie Chalmers white cat
across the lawn. He threw g. stone at
her, carefully sending it in the wrong ]
direction, for Cameron had q soft spot
in his heart for cats. Across the hedge
Richard apologized later for his faith I
er's act
.sT don't know what is coming over
him, Miss Chalmers. he said. "I
think he has a crouch against your
father"
'aThey were such good friends the
girl sighed. cit seems q pity doesn't
it -
TT is a pity" Dick said But it
needn't make us any less good friends,
need 1t, Miss Dulcie -
why, of course not she said.