The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-10-18
THY NEIGHBOR
BY LOIS WOOD.

lie had had suite down at the aAclt-
sive Waltermere, on Washington
square, when Aston & Co. gave him
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 nelghborhood 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
ut 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 monosony paled 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 inquis1tion.
"You stay very long?" asked Mario.
"For awhile"
"What do you do for a living?
Write? Play the music? Paint?
Sculp? No? Just professor, huhY'
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
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. 1t was his neighbor
Mario had told her he had left her
goods with Mr.. Linnelle, apartment II
Would he be kind enough to let heI
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 slim young person in rose linen
smock with curly, dark hair.
He made the discovery the next
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 bloomed profusely
( She came twice a day to water heI
S plants. Then she would stand for q
: long while looking steadfastly up al
u
r above He used to wonder If she could
g be a sunworshiper. The shaft of sun
b light just struck her windows as II
d shone aslant down the court, and she
v drank it in even as her flowers did
:. SO passed the weeks and their ac
q quaintance ripened.
d His book was nearing completion to
s ward the middle of the summer. H'
Q had dinner at a little Turkish restau
It rant on Twenty-sixth street. 1t was
# nearly nine when he put his passke.
y in the lock of his own door.
d "Ohl Mr.. Linnelle." 1t was Mar
o jorie Fraser, her face pale and anxious
Il wonder If I could ask you to COM
and look at my window. l just go
: home myself, and it looks as If some
one had entered the apartment" Lin
nellie followed her down the hall.
y In her little living room the scrin
curtains and daffodil valance lay in
crumpled heap on the floor, the uppe
window pane had a round hole through
% its center.
:, do you think anyone is here?" sh
. asked, standing in the doorway. Fo
u answer Linnelle glanced around quick
: ly and picked up a baseball that hd
rolled under the steam heater.
~ "There's your burglar" he laughe
70 and laid 1t on the table.
p "I'll be so glad when this is over,
NJ she said. I've soaked in local atmo:
y phere until I'm sick and tired of it, an
ie I want to go home. You see, Mr.. Lii
"a nellie, I'm an actress and l have pei
~ fectly dandy part in Carruthers me-
W production, Children of Clay | onl
IL came down here to live and catch tn
spirit of the East side. If 1t hadn
been for you living so near to me I
N have been scared to DEATH
''If it hadn't been for you living S
ed near to me I'd have been bored
DEATH" returned Linnelle. "Come u
to the roof I want to tell you there
And they went on up the five figh'
ia of stairs together.
nc Copyright, 1917 by the Mcclure Newsps