The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-04-27

SPRING
LOVE
Not In Heroics. but as Il
Really Occurred
By F. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

clHtlOI1 1911
When the poet said that In the spring
a young mans fancy turns to love he
should have added that In the spring a
girl becomes frivolous.
The Buddingtons on May moved
into one of block of houses fronting
on a small park. Grace Buddington
watched from Il second story front
window the delicate spring leaves come
out on the trees under the warm sun
shine. Whether her heart budded at
the same time Is not known. but an In.
cident occurred that burst a blossom
of mischief into a full blown flower.
Grace had caught glimpse of q
young man who lived next door. He
was nineteen or twenty. while she was
seventeen and half, being very par
ticular that the half should be put on
when her age was mentioned. The fact
of this gentleman. who was very good
looking, who wore buff CATERS over his
boots, whose clothes were cut by the
eorrectest pattern and whose white
cuffs always protruded exactly two
inches below his sleeyes-I say. the
fact of his being next door neighbor
excited profound interest in the
young lady's heart. They were to i've
no one knew how long. side by side
They might become bosom friends. pos
sibly like brother and sister, possibly
lovers This may be" is decidedly
pleasanter to contemplate than might
have been" The first is the bud the
last the decaying flower Oh, blessed
age when there are no sad memories!
Nevertheless youth is peculiar. One
would suppose that. harboring such
rainbow fancies, Miss Buddington
would act In a way calculated to bring
them about: that she would look for
ward to a conventional meeting with
her neighbor which would grow into
friendliness and from friendliness ex-
pand In some one of the channels that
had been dug for 1t by her imagination.
She did the very opposite.
While she was watching the nurses
in the park hating their baby car
rlages for a brief bit of chat. the
fountain sparkle in the sun, while she
listened to the chirp of birds and
distant confused noise of many We
hicles on street beyond, the door of
the next house opened. and the young
gentleman of whom she was dream
ing came out on the stoop. His boots.
a stickpin In his neckwear and his
silk hat all glistened in the sun. He
stood swinging his cane In his hand,
looking out OH the pleasant scene be-
fore him evidently very well satisfied
with himself. Then. noticing that not
quite enough of his cuffs showed be-
low his sleeves. he adjusted first one
and then the other. But in doing so
he noticed a spot on his right cuff
and. taking out a snowy cambria hand
kerchief. endeavored to obliterate it,
/ During all this time Miss Budding
ton was watching him from the win
dow some dozen feet above him and
! two or three feet to one side. While
he was endeavoring to remove the
/ spot from his cuff she disappeared
/ for few moments and when she re-
turned held in her hand pitcher Of
water. Extending her arm. she held
the pitcher directly over the reflected
streak Of sunlight crossing the top of
his silk hat
But she refrained. Whether this
was on account of pangs of conscience
or n desire to enjoy the situation by
prolonging the climax or from a dread
of making an enemy instead of q
friend Of her immaculate neighbor
there is no record The sensation was
certainly delicious. But the most del
lowed at last. and presently, tipping
the pitcher, she poured a stream down
on her unsuspecting neighbor.
When Mr.. Tippler-that was The
young mans name. T. Pemberton Tip
pler-felt the water resounding as on
drumhead upon the top of his hat
md spattering fountain-llke all over
him his first impulse was to stand
from under, the second to look up to
see whence II came. He was too late
to see more than the pitcher and a
shapely wrist disappearing within the
window. But he had before seen the
young lady who had recently come
to live next door and was especially
got up with a view to disporting him
self that she might see and admire
him. Love scorned turns to hate
Mr.. Tippler having come out to be
admired and having been treated, as
he considered It. CONTEMPORARY, he
was quite sure, by the girl next door
he swore a great oath Of revenge.
few days later Mr. Tippler while
walking home saw Miss Buddington
coming from the other direction. He
involuntarily quickened his pace. then
suddenly slowed up. He looked to the
right and to the left and up at the sky
The stoops of their respective homes
were side by side or. rather, there was
but one stoop with a stone division
At first Mr.. Tippler wished to meet
Miss Buddington at the bottom Of the
steps that he might show his supreme
Indifference to her by turning his back
upon her. Then he was afraid he
would meet her. He took out his hand
kerchlef and blew his nose. He car
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