Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1912-08-01
Didn't Know HIS
Own House
By EDITH v. ROSS
Copyright by American Press Asso-
~ citation, 1911.

Vedder. Katrina Notwithstanding tina
the beauty Of her form was. obstructed
by dozen petticoats and her shapely
feet were covered with wooden sabots
was really a comedy grlso comely
that when AIRY Van schoorhoven pass
ed her house one day padding on the
canal he quite fell In love with her.
Not long after this AIRY met the girl
at a dance where the sound of the
wooden shoes on the floor was like the
hammering in carpenters shop. The
couple danced together AIRY whirled
Katrina around like top. .
Whether so much whirling turned
the young peoples brains or whatever
the cause, they fell violently in love
But in Holland young girls cannot
marry without dowry, and Katri.
ma had no dowry. Old Van Schoon-
hoven, who sold cheeses, was well off
and could have set the couple up very
readily, but he would not He told his
son that II he chose to marry a dotless
girl he might do so, but they would get
nothing from him. m
The old man, though he was an al
derman and much respected on ae-
count of his position, was given to
tipling. There was a place near his
house where he used to drink schnapps
till late mt night, then go home and to
bed. He lived in row of dwellings,
all precisely alike and each built with
Its gable end ON the street
One night AIRY determined to play a
prank on his father. He had no object
In doing so except fun, but before he
he got through there was a more i'm
portant result than mere fun.
Van SchoonhOven when he came from |
The taproom was used to counting the !
houses till he came to the sixth, which |
was his own. Since they were all alike
he had no other way of determining
lis own domicie. The door was one
If those double ones cut in the middle.
)ne night when the cheese merchant
vent home full of schnapps he count
ID the houses, rs usual, and when he
cached the sixth endeavorcd to put
rs key in the lock and open the door.
But he was a long time finding the
eyhole. md when he did the key
idn't fit it. Then he noticed that
nstead of his own double door the
ne he was trying to open was single
ne. While he was standing stupidity
rying to get through his Dutch noddle
ow he could have m;rle mistake in
Is count an upper window sash was
ifsed and n head in nightcap put
ut Then cracked voice called: ;
WHO Is trying to break into my
Ouse?"
Il beg pardon" said the man below i
thought this was my house"
"And who are you?"
I'm Van Schoonhoven, the alder I
an" G
and a pretty alderman You are to Z
, breaking the peace at night, prowl- :
e around breaking into peoples
uses. have a mind to. call the
atch and have you taken in"
Pray don't do that. I've only mis-.
ken this house for my own"
do you mean to tell me that YOU
40 have been born and lived ever
ice in the same house. don't know
lere you live?"
L seem to have been mistaken"
You mean that you have been so
lg at the taproom tonight and have
unk so many bottles of schnapps
1t you are fuddled"
Can't you direct me to my hotlser'
Not /. Do you suppose that am
ng to dress myself and 90 down and
Tx you, an alderman of this respect ne
e city, to your own houseT' IN
his loud talking aroused those living III
It door, and up went their sashes de
out went their heads to learn who
$ disturbing the peace. 1t was AIRY III
t had been talking to his father an
had taken the double door off the
ges and put on another one Then,
tching for his father when the old
n came, he had lectured him in a
med voice. Those living next door,
ig perfectly sober, had recognized
IS voice and entered heartily into
joke.
know who you are" said a wo- Z
Is voice next door. ''You are Van u
oonhoven, with but one son, who r
he'd TO marry Katrina Vedder, q
far too good for such father-in- If
You who are an alderman should A
an example to others instead of
Ing drunk and breaking the peace
be town Mt midnight" Al
ere an idea entered Ary's head. a.
'es; that is right. You are keeping III
lovers apart, and tomorrow you
be paid for your meanness. This
ter will be the talk of the town a.,
tell You what will do l will =,
you bed here till morning and =" 90. .
~ will then promise to mend your &C,
) We will keep your secret" -
Is brought the old man around. ~.
son threw him key, with which - ns
pened the door, and, mounting the
S, found himself in his own room
e next morning AIRY went down
and changed the door The wo. Hi
who had done q part of the talk 1001t
came In and told him that II he Com