Connecticut western news., 1917-03-22
The Girl
 Next Door A Sketch of Juvenile
 Love
By F. A. MITCHELL

Spring is the season of flowers and love, as has been remarked before, 1t seems, to the present writer. He does not claim originality for the remark. But it is as true now as it was when first male, some centuries ago, and all English and American poets from Chaucer to the present poet laureate have enlarged on the theme.
 Why not use it, therefore, to intro duce little tale, or sketch, rather, of very young man and a very young maid and flowers and flour?
 Billy Atherton was nearing sixteen that is, he was at an age when two things mOnopolized the limited space there was in his undeveloped brain. the first being his clothes, the second a girl. It may seem absurd to put the clothes before the girl, but such is the proper relation. There are a great many girls, but only one wardrobe, for young man, and he requires that wardrobe to be exactly in vogue.
 The first sign Billy showed of ap- preaching manhood was when he was fourteen. Then he displayed marked concern about his neckwear. Later a new complication developed; then the period for long trousers came on. The color of his neckwear must match the color "f his socks. Nothing would induce hin Iv U'aar socks that were nVL clockGd. His Ia -o'ite shade for his scarf and socks was brilliant yellow. and woe betide the talIU5 who produced d pair of trousers for him that were not short enough to display seven-eighths of his hosiery,
 When Billy was invited to his first formal dance he was confronted with the most important question thus far of his life. Should he wear a swallow tail or a tuxedo? If a tuxedo, should he wear white or black vest, a white or black tie? In Billy's time boys of his age were supposed to pass upward and onward to full dress through Il tuxedo. So, notwithstanding that he was invited to formal dance, he must wear tuxedo.
 Consultation with half a dozen other boys of his age soon cleared the way through the vest and tie problems. They were to be both black. But Billy
 
 unfortunately a division of opinion. Some of the boys ruled for a standing. some for a turndown collar. During the afternoon before the dance Billy was in fever of suspense whether if should be standing or turndown. Final. ly the matter was settled by a tele phone message from his haberdaSher. who, after consulting periodical giv- ing such fashions, assured Billy that if he wore anything except a turndown collar the bottom would drop out Of the universe. That settled the final momentous question as to how Billy should be arrayed on going to his first formal dance.
 Since Billy was to enter upon his first love affair during the evening of this dance one would suppose that the apparel of the girl he was to fall in love with should be also described. Betty Hinsdale, aged fourteen and ten months, was as much concerned about her party get up as was Billy about his apparel. A dress had been especially prepared for the occasion But If her costume were to be as mi IhlCla hGoNlLDGu Dlllg bCNh II would require a woman to do the job. This would involve two persons to write the story. Hence I can only say that when Betty was paraded before her father in her party dress he i'm. mediately ordered it heightened at botE ends. This is all the information l can give on the subject.
 The apparel of these two young per sons being the most important part of this story has necessitated its being introduced in the beginning. 1t is now necessary to mention q certain spring day when Billy had put on his base ball suit and was in his back yard stunning himself, occasionally throwing a ball against the brick wall of his home.
 Billy was standing within a few feet of the house examining a tear in the ball he had been tossing when he was surprised at fine powder settlin" all over him. He brushed it off. bu, more settled i'll it's place. He looked up to see whence 1t came. All he saw was that it had emanated from a win. dow in the house next. door.
 Billy was puzzled. Nevertheless he suspected that some one was shower ing him. Bending his head over his ball for awhile. he raised his eyes sud. denly and saw the laughing face of Il girl at a window. 1t was drawn iIi with astonishing rapidity. Billy wait ed and watched for some time, but there was no reappearance of either the girl or the flour that had whitened him.
 Be it remembered that this was springtimc. One morning when Billy was getting himself late for breakfast by painful indecision as to which cravat out of more than twenty hc should wear he cast his eyes asd2 frcln tic mirror before him-it was ,.ni... close tn q MindnM-nnd SnM n