Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1917-10-27
TtE CHICAGO EAGLE
THY MElGH30R
BY LOIS WOOD.

IL.
lie had had suite down ut the cxclu.
SiVe Waltelmerc, on Washington
square. when Aston X Co. gave him
the order for book. 1t was to deal
with New York life on the group sys.
TEN, showing how the city was divided
into little ncighborhood villages. es.
pecially among the poor.
Young Aston 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
he denizen of the old Greenwich vii
lage, still his quarters were on the
north side Of the square. But 1t
came to pass that he became an i'm.
mate-he would not call IL resident
of the Diggs apartments.
AT some time Mr. Diggs had felt the
weight of millions prcying 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
lad prowled around the ncighborhoOd
and made the alarming discovery that
instead of being I'm the midst of thugs
and night hawks he was i'm the midst
of highly respectable old settlers. In
stead of their being peculiar to their
kind, they regarded him as u 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 ut his inquisition.
"lou stay very long?" asked Mario.
"FOr awhile"
"What do you do for living?
Write? Play the music? Paint?
Sculp? No? Just professor, huh?"
Linncllc felt his face redden as the
girl smiled.
Must one give an excuse for living
hcre?' he asked.
And Mario let it pass. Hearing the
girl give her address for the delivery
of goods, Linnclle realized that he had
u neighbor. He caught one swift
glance from big gray eyes that smiled
ut him as he passed on. When his
own goods were delivered via the dumb.
waiter there was another basket there.
ON. Just rs he was starting to write
down Il new idea his telephone bell
started to ring. II was his neighbor.
Mario had told her he had left her
goods with Mr.. Linnellc, apartment II.
Would he he kind enough to let her
have them?
Linncllc smoked savagcly on his re.
turn. She had been smiling ut him
again In that cool, appraising, amused
way. He plunged ut his work with
avidity, trying to Danish the memory
of n slim young person in rose linen
smock with curly, dark hair.
lie made the discovery the next
morning that from his windows on the
inner court he could look over at her
windows. Quite against his instinct
of good taste he found himself doing
so constantly. She had window boxes
where spring bulbs bloomcd profusely.
She came twice II day to water her
plants. Then she would stand for u
long while looking steadfastly up at
the square patch of sky five stories
above. lie used to wonder IL she could
be sunworshiper. The shaft of sun.
light just struck her windows as II
shone aslant down the court, and she
drank II In even as her flowers did
So passed the weeks and their nc.
quaintancc ripened.
His book was nearing completion to.
ward the middle of the summer. He
had dinner ut little Turkish restau.
rant ON Twenty-slXth street. 1t was
nearly nine when he put his passkey
in the lock Of his own door.
"Oh! Mr.. Linnelle." 1t was Mar.
tOrie Fraser, her face pale and anxious,
II wonder II could ask you to come
and look ut my window. l just got
home myself, and 1t looks as il some.
one had entered the apartment" Lin.
nellie followed her down the hall.
In her little living room the scrim
curtains and daifOdil valance lay In u
crNmpled heap on the floor, the upper
window pane had u round hole through
Its center.
"Do you think anyone Is here?" she
asked, standing In the doorway. For
answer Linnelle glanced around quick.
ly and picked up n baseball that had
rolled under the steam heater.
"There's your burglar" he laughed
and laid 1t on the table.
"Ill be so glad when this Is over"
she said. "Fve soaked In local atmOs.
phere until I'm sick and tired of It, and
! want to 60 home. You see, Mr.. Lin.
nellie, I'm an actress and have per.
fectly dandy part in Carruthers' new
production, Children of Clay | only
came down here to live and catch the
spirit of the East side. If 1t hadn't
been for you living so near to me I'd
have been scared to DEATH"
"If 1t hadn't been for you living so
near to me I'd have been bored to
DEATH" returned Linnelle. "Come up
to the roof. want to tell you there"
And they went on up the five flights
of stairs together.