Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-02-27

he said.
Il can't raise the rent on you til
your lease expires, said.
Il knew that was the game Yo1
are growing a regular Shylock," grow
ed Tubby, and he rolled away.
1t was no wonder that Number Il
was beginning to get on my nerves. IT.
tenant seemed to have shut 1t up ant
gone away for long holiday at tn,
very moment at which it wanted paint
ing badly. Some of the flowers, too, il
the window boxes had died, and the
rest were struggling all over the place
in a disgustingly untidy way. With it,
grimy windows and blstering paint
and little primeval forests under eacf
window on the ground floor and the
first floor, it was a perfect eyesore
spelling the look of the whole Of the
side of the triangle in which it stood
! Perhaps should not have minded il
much if it had not been next door but
one to my own house. AS it was
could not go out or in without being an
noyed or, to be exact, Infatuated by the
sight of it.
found that three years before my
uncle had let it to Senior Pedro Vicenti
a South American merchant on lease
of seven, fourteen, or twenty-one years.
Plainly had this Internal foreigner,
with his dirty house, spelling the look
of the Gardens, for at any rate the next
four years. Then I'd clear him out,
if money or law could do it. Till then
had to stick it out. could not con-
ceive what had induced my uncle to let
the house to foreigner.
wrote letter after letter to Viventi,
some to his bankers, some to Number
It,, on the chance Of their being for
warded to him by the postof11ce, asking
him to clean and paint his house and
have the window boxes refilled The
first letters were firm. the later ones
were frmer. | got no answer to any of
them. 1t locked as if Vicenti had bur
led himself for the time being in some
out of the way part of South America
where there were no postoffices and
nothing could be done till he came out
of it and struck civilization again.
Number 16 would remain an eyesore
until his return, 1t would have aggra-
waited the ordinary house agent beyond
endurance, but was landlord as well.
1t was infuriating.
One afternoon | came out into the
central garden to smoke a cigar and
talk to the children. There I found
Alice Devine and the angel child. The
angel child was in great feather be-
cause she was finding Lord Cantelune's
new nurse quite satisfactory. | did not
Join in her satisfaction, for as l came
into the garden | had unfortunately
looked back and had had full view OF
the disgusting appearance of Number
16.
Presently Alice said: Whats. the
You seem quite depressed"
II think he's very disagreeable
oct niggish," said the angel child
frankly.
It's that beastly house Number
16 - it makes me positively sick. I'm
to see rich crop of thistles
in those window boxes before long,
said grumpily.
"Whv don't you have them cut?"
said Alice
''Pve no right to interfere with my
window boxes" said.
''If only did tso things had right
to do, l should find it dull" said the
angel child.
l
ever know; and If he did, he would
be much obliged to yon.' said
Alice. after ell he's in South Ansrica.
"Ry jove! That's an idea" l said.
1t was an idea that did not want any
hin king about The thing to do was to
act.
Come along, let's find gardner ana
nave II done at once" ] said.
They came along briskly: the mere !,
'act that I was going to do a forbidden
hing seemed TO make it quite attrac
i've to the angel child.
OF course the frs. gardner We found
vas Frederick told him to get lad /
Ter and come and trim the window ,
,oxes at Number 16. | was impatient ,
o see 1t done and went with him He !
seemed to think he had got three days !
Iuiet work before him. | did not see
t in that way aud hustled him along I
hard - in fact got hustle on him. as |
hey used 10 say in the states when ] |,
vas there. In ten minutes had him
clipping away at the boxes on the first |
loor. I stood on the steps Of the house |
his labors: and Alice and the .
nigel child stood by my side. The an
eel child made suggestions. Frederick
lid not seem to be able to do anything
luite to her liking.
Frederick had clipped the boxes in
he two side windows of the drawing
Dom when all of sudden he gave an
.wful YELL came tnmbling down the
adder and hit his head laundering
rack on the pavement.
The angel child laughed, and Alice
nd | ran to him. He seemed stunned.
propped him up against the steps ran
o my own house and fetched Richards.
We carried Frederick into my office
nd set him very gently on sofa
llice and Miss Wishart BUSTED about
nd wrapped wet cloths round his heal
nd footman ran for doctor Fred
rick began to groan; and there was
ump as big as hens egg on the top
f his head We waited anxious,v for
he doctor and ] saw that the angel
bid was beginning to look really
frightened
Then Frederick came to himself and
aid: ''Workmen's Compensation Act"
] was relieved, though Frederick
roaned louder than ever Then the
octor came and examined him.
When he had done the doctor said ,
You're all right. my man-only
umD on the head"