The Winslow mail., 1917-12-14
THY NEIGHB0R
BY LOIS WOOD.


the order for a book. 1t was to deal
with New York life on the group sys-
TEN, showing how the city was divided
into little neighborhood villages, es-
pecially among the poor.
Young Alston had suggested that he
move over to the East side and study
conditions among the submerged tenth
at first hand. 1t had not appealed to
Linnelle. He was not of the tramp
poet variety. Even while he liked to
be denizen of the old Greenwich viii
lage, still his quarters were on the
north side of the square. But it
came to pass that he became an in
mate-he would not call it resident
of the Diggs apartments.
At some time Mr.. Diggs had felt the
weight of millions preying upon his
mind and had placed model apart
ments for the deserving poor in their
midst on the East side.
After the third day in his new lodg-
ings the monotony palled on him. He
had prowled around the neighborhood
and made the alarming discovery that
instead of being in the midst of thugs
and night hawks he was in the midst
of highly respectable old settlers. In
stead of their being peculiar to their
kind, they regarded him as rara avis.
He was buying green peppers and
fresh tomatoes from the little Greek
Mario at the corner and answering his
questions idly, when he became aware
of another customer who seemed high
ly amused at his inquisition.
"You stay very long?" asked Mario.
''For awhile"
"What do you do for living?
Write? Play the music? Paint?
Sculp? No? Just professor, huh?"
Linnelle felt his face redden as the
girl smiled.
'Must one give an excuse for living
here?" he asked.
And Mario let it pass. Hearing the
girl give her address for the delivery
of goods, Linnelle realized that he had
a neighbor. He caught one swift
glance from big gray eyes that smiled
at him as he passed on. When his
own goods were delivered via the dumb
waiter there was another basket there
on. Just as he was starting to write
down a new idea, his telephone bell
started to ring. It was his neighbor.
Mario had told her he had left her
goods with Mr.. Linnelle, apartment IL.
Would he be kind enough to let her
have them?
Linnelle smoked savagely on his re-
turn. She had been smiling at him
again in that cool, appraising, amused
way. He plunged at his work with
avidity, trying to Danish the memory
Of a slim young person in rose linen
smock with curly, dark hair.
He made the discovery the next
morning that from his windows on tn
inner court he could look over at he |
windows. Quite against his instino /
of good taste he found himself doin,l
so constantly. She had window boxes
where spring bulbs bloomed profusely.'
She came twice day to water her
plants. Then she would stand for a
long while looking steadfastly up at
the square patch of sky five stories
above. He used to wonder If she could
be sunworshiper. The shaft of sun
light just struck her windows as it
shone aslant down the court, and she
drank it in even as her flowers did.
SO passed the weeks and their ac-
quaintance ripened.
His book was nearing completion to.
ward the middle of the summer. Na
mad dinner at little Turkish restau-
rant on Twenty-sixth street. It was
nearly nine when he put his passkey
in the lock of his own door.
"Oh Mr.. Linnelle." It was Mar
Jorie Fraser, her face pale and anxious.
Il wonder if I could ask you to come
and look at my window. I Just got
home myself, and it looks as If some
one had entered the apartment" Lin
nellie followed her down the hall.
In her little living room the scrim
curtains and daffodil valance Law in a
crumpled heap on the floor, the upper
window pane had a round hole through
it's center.
DO you think anyone is here?" she
asked, standing in the doorway. For
answer Linnelle glanced around quick
iy and picked up baseball that had |
rolled under the steam heater.
There's your burglar" he laughed |
and laid it on the table.
'Tll be so glad when this is over"
she said. "Ive soaked In local atmos-
phere until I'm sick and tired of 1t, and
L want to go home. You see, Mr.. Lin
nellie, I'm an actress and I have a per-
fectly dandy part in Carruthers' new
production, Children of Clay I only
came down here to live and catch th@
spirit of the East side. If 1t hadnv
been for you living so near to me I'd
have been scared to DEATH"
IF it hadn't been for you living 90
roy to me I'd have been bored 20
death," returned Linnelle "Come nm