The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-20
THE EVENING STORY
Miss spriggs' Nei&hbor.
(By Donald Allen.9

as an old maid. AS a matter of fact,
and as the very best way, she didn't
try to conceal it. but owned right up
to IS years. and then aided:
$50 you can see that there is one
woman in this world who isn't ready to
jump for any man that comes along.
don't propose to be married one
month and divorced the next
Miss Spriggs was well to do. After
living for a number of years in a GER
tain village she bought rather pre-
tentious house and grounds in the sub
urbs of a town. On the day she moved
into the house she had sty come on
her right eye. It was large enough for
the eye Of an OK. Miss Spriggs, like
other old maids, carried a chip on her
shoulder, and when the sty came she
was in fighting mood.
Mr.. Alexander Smith was an old
bachelor. That is. he was 81 years old.
and when any of his friends twitted
him about it his reply was:
THE rest of you can go and make
fools of yourselves about rnatrimony,
but none for me, thank you"
And then he would smile in a pity
ing way, and shake his head to show
how sorry for them he was, and saun-
ter along prepared for a row with the
first man that trod on his coat-tails.
Mr.. Smith had lived at hi5 club. His
club got tired of his dog and cat and
mocking-bird and revolver practice,
and after few hints he bought him a
house and announced that the rest of
the world could go to some place far
away. He hadn't the slightest idea
that he was neighbor to Miss Spriggs.
Mr.. Smith and his old housekeeper
were just getting settled, and Miss
Spriggs was just developing that sty,
when the bachelor fell off 9. step-lad-
der and sprained his ankle. On the
very next day his dog took advantage
of the occasion to trot across the grass
on to the old maids property and at
tack her cat and cause her to suffer
various painful emotions, But for that
sty Miss Spriggs would have walked
over to the other house and had it out
with the master. Instead. she wrote
the following note to be handed in by
her servant:
fSir. Your dog has attacked my cat
without the slightest provocation and
nearly killed her. You must keep him
chained up or kill him. I am. sir. re-
specially yours"
ooh, you are, are you." exclaimed
Mr. Smith after reading the note
Wen see about that. I'll neither
woman's cat. Must be ar old maid or
a hot-tempered widow
And he wrote and dispatched by his
housekeeper:
Madam: Ny dog is four years old.
and never have known him to attack
d cat unless ne 1elL himself dDuSoQ OF
insultel. If you kill your cat or keep
her chained up there can be no more
trouble. Believe me, am ever yours
Miss Spriggs didn't fall down in a
faint or q fit when she read that note
There were three chairs standing
handy by, and she kicked them over,
one after the other, and thus saved her
life.
AS Mr. Smith didn't know about the
sty, he rather expected a call. Two
days passed and then his dog came
bowling home. He had been investi-
eating around Miss Sprige's back door,
and her servant had scalded him.
When Mr.. Smith got his breath back
he wrote and dispatched the following:
Madam: There is a law to punish
cruelty to animals, and as soon as I
can leave the house shall make it my
me, and SO FORTH
-'Oh, he will, will he!" exclaimed
Miss Spriggs. well, let him enforce
to his hearts content. There is also a
law against trespass, he wants to I'M
derstand, and as soon as this old sty
gets we'll I'll give him all the law he
wants."
And then she wrote and sent the fol-
lowing:
'Sir: have this day instructed my
dogs with! I am, sir, and so forth"
Three days later, while Miss Spriggs
and her servant were trying to get a
bureau upstairs, it got away from them
and went humping down to bring UP
with great crash in the hall and
SILVER the pane of glass in the front
door. Half an hour later over came
the following note from Mr.. Smith:
Madam: Let me inform you that
this is a restricted locality and that
such a row az took place in your house
short time since comes under the
10 e 7
rights and shall maintain them at all
hazards. See section %. page 432 of
the compiled laws of this state, and
govern yourself accordingly. Believe
me, if you can, and so forth
The sty prevented Miss Spriggs from
weeping, but she got the hammer and
pounded on the kitchen floor for fully
fifteen minutes to show sne was not
dismayed. Her opportunity to hit back
came three days later. Mr. Smith hob
bled to the back door and did some
shooting at a target. He had just hob
bled back to the sitting room when
over came a note reading
''Sir: Under a city ordinance it is a
misdemeanor to indulge in target prac-
tice outside of a licensed shooting gal
lery. 1 shall lay complaint against
you. Also. see section q. page 674, OF
the compiled laws, under the heading:
Restraining minors and idiots from
handling deadly weapons I am, sir.
and so on
Mrs Hastings" said the old bache-
lor to his housekeeper after reading
the note at shall have the woman next
door arrested
yes SIR
For defamation of character"
II see, sir"
Here, in her own handwriting, she !
refers TO me as an idiot
"Of course"
you can go on the stand and swear
I'm not
IT can"
sHThen that settles it. must put
that woman where she belongs. In
two or three more days I can hobble /
about, and then I'll see my lawyer"
And about the same time Miss
Spriggs was saying to her servant:
Anna, this sty is getting well, and
in two or three days I'll attend to that