The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-05

Observation-Disclosures
They are very peculiar people next
door," said the woman with the ex
pansive society smile. Il am sure that
/ have done all could to be neigh
borly ever since they took the house
let me see-two years ago it is now
nearly. / called on them in the first
place, although l really don't believe
in being too intimate with people just
because they happen to rent a house
next door to one; but in this case
Mrs. Glenwood spoke to me about
them. She said they were really very
nice people and SO called.
They are very nice people in some
Tespects-at least Mrs. Park is-but
very peculiar. my dear. AS say,
did my best to be nice to them and
when they were in their moving mud
die told them if there was anything
that l could do for them to be sure
and let me know. Well, they didn't
happen to want anything, l suppose,
for they didn't say SO then, but in less
than three weeks after that Mr.. Parks
came to the door and wanted to Dor.
row my stepladder. You know l al
ways keep my stepladder down in
the basement and it was quite lot
Of trouble to go down and get it, but
Mr.. Peabody happened to be at home
and he brought it up and gave it to
Mr.. Parks. / don't mind saying that
was annoyed, but am sure that !
didn't show it. And, my dear, they
kept that ladder over a day before
they brought it back and then there
was a speck Of whitewash on it that
am sure wasn't there when l lent it
to them. I'm sure | would have no
ticed il there had been. Mr. Peabody
always tells me l am SO particular
about my things, but good gracious!
II people didn't take care of things
they never would have things, would
they?
Then there was the lawn mower. l
was out moving the lawn one morn
ing. You know Mr.. Peabody isn't home
once a month hardly and | have to
NOW it myself or else get man to
do it and that is so expensive, you
know. And then men are careless
with things. Well, Mr. Parks was
sitting on his front steps and he vol
unteered to do it for me. / need the
exercise, anyway he said But do you
know, as soon as he got through with
my lawn he wheeled the mower across
the walk and moved his own, just as
| cOOlly! And as if that wasn't enough,
he took it on to the Wespers', next
door to him, and moved theirs. May
| as well trim up the neighborhood
while we are about it, he said, laugh
ing as if it was good joke. OF course
| the lawns aren't large, but just think!
And then l recommended a laun.
dress to hem and went in to give
them her address, and one time when
they were out l let the express peo-
| pie leave package for them and took
| 1t in to them myself. | assured them
that it wasn't any trouble-and it real
ly wasn't SO very much, you know
only it might occur too often
But it was about the telephone l
was going to tell you. They didn't
have a telephone put in. Mr.. Parks
said he didn't care to have one until
he made up his mind whether he
wanted to take the house for a year,
and | told them, Of course, that they
were very welcome to use mine at any
time. They said it was very kind OF
me, and so it was, think, but didn't
think they would be making a public
convenience of my house. They came
in-oh, several times. They always
apologized, but that didn't make il
any more convenient for me to be an
swering the door and letting them in
and letting them out again. Once OF
twice l was clear up to the top of the
house and had to go clear downstairs
was always Just as pleasant as could
be, but l think they understood that
1 didn't care much about it, and they
stopped coming until Mrs. Parks i'll
ness and then Mr.. Parks began com
ing again-tO call the doctor. II
seemed to me, though, that he needn't
4 nave always lCit ~ uhtll IL DcCdut al
emergency. OF course in a case o.
sickness l wouldn't think of refusing
anybody and like to be neighborly
But aren't people peculiar sometimes
We'll, thank goodness, they hat
about stopped bothering me until las
week, when there came a ring at tn,
phone and somebody said: Is thi.
Mrs. Peabody? l said Yes and ther
the woman-it was a woman-said
I'm very sorry to trouble you, bu
could you get Mrs. or Mr.. Parks t
the phone? It's something very i'm
portant.'
Il thought that was about the limit
said: No. don't see how can. In
very busy and l would have to dres
and-no, I'm sorry. but can't do it.
"'Oh, very we'll; excuse me for trou
bling YOU she said in a sarcasti
voice and the receiver was shut of.
Now, would you believe it? Ate
all the pains I've been to to be mic
to them those people are Just as COG
as can be since then. / suppose. the
, are offended. but l don't know wha
they could have expected me to do