Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-05

and stairs They looked SO uncared fol
and seem to have no bringing up. 1mag
inc what their mother must be! And
| do like nice neighbors. That's the Sc
cret of the frown-which you had ne
business to notice. Only for that I'd be
more than satisfied. But neighbors like
that would spoil any place.
We'll we'll" Mr.. Rathjen eomforted
her, never mind. Don't think about it
dear. They may possibly turn out all
right. And If you don't like them you
don't need to have anything to do with
them"
"Of course, I'll have nothing to dc
with them You can be sure I'll never
even glance that way. But 1t is annoy
ing. / didn't intend to tell you, when
we both liked the place so much. And
it's such a good neighborhood. l was
quite certain that the people would be
congenial. l don't see how these people
ever got SO far out of their element"
Its only within the last couple OF
years that this place has taken a boom.
years ago property was dirt cheap al
about here Quite likely they moved here
then and bought their own home. MI
Getz was telling me that there are quite
their own homes. But prices are tempt
ing and they are being gradually weeded
out. Cheer up! Perhaps before long you
will not be annoyed at the old biblical
text about the poor being always with
u.s.
He spoke laughingly. but Mrs Rathjen
flushed. You know I'm not like that.
You know l don't mind people being
poor. Some Of the incest people IN the
world have been and are. It's that Kind
of poverty that l hate" she SAID
what kind?"
"oh. that careless, grimy. shiftless,
dirty kind
Mrs. Rathjen kept strictly to her first
intentions. She never glanced toward
She heard their voices constantly-the
voice of the biggest girl, the voice OF
the littlest girl and the voices OF the four
or five between.
AS time went on it was not alone
their voices that obtruded themselves
upon her. Every now and then a
freckled face would be pressed in
friendly fashion against the gate; every
now and then a bright eye would twin
upon occasions the whole flock would
perch upon the fence, like inquisittve
birds, and watch her first blundering
attempts at making garden; also, VS.
ftors never came but general gather
ing of her ill-bred neighbors watched
their coming and their going. 1t got
on her nerves" in way she would
not have believed possible. She often
fed to the rose colored breakfast room
for comfort
L
to it, as if it had been a living thing.
I'D move and be done with it. But for
you, you beauty. I'll bear it as long as
can"
Her one confident was a silent and safe
one, and did not look back at her with
the amused eyes that she knew Mr..
Rathjen would turn on her did she
mention the "crumpled rose leaf to
him. But at times she thought it I'M
hearable.
Often she gave up the pleasure she
had found in gardening before she had
worked fifteen minutes And she missed
it, and was sorry, for all around beau
tiful gardens fourished and her own
bare plot looked strangely out of place.
It almost was as bad as the garden
next door. which once had been one.
but now was not
But one morning she worked with the
unusual and pleasant feeling that she
was not being watched. She could ac-
complish SO much more. She hummed
a little to herself as she plunged the
trowel into the yielding earth. and she
found herself wondering where the
little ones were. She was not left long
in doubt Voice and odor Of cooking
floated out to her. She looked at her
watch-almost eleven. Undoubtedly the
mother was preparing the midday meal.
Presently there arose smell Of burn