The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-09-16
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The House Next Door.
By SYLVIA FROST.

.
suite Of rooms on the second
floor Of the old style house on
irving place because they promised
complete isolation from interruption
II would take at least four weeks to-
revise the Compendium" and he could
not afford TO leave town.
wen, there isn't soul to disturb
you here's IT." Mrs. o'Brien promised
ltm. Sure, anybody that can get
away this kind Of weather is batting
Il forsthe seaside and them that's left
ihayen,t got the strength to make any
noise. You'll have the place to your
seifl
Fortified by her assurance he had
moved in and had found 1t haven OF
eolitqde for the first week. Then on
Inc. second Monday morning. Just as
he had settled himself to work in the
narrow glass Enclosed porch that ran
across the back of the room, he heard
an amazing sound. High and shrilly
sweet ii arose from the yard next door
and above the small voices there was
g clear soprano leading.
aHefe come three kings a'roytng, a
rowing, a'rovng,
Here come three kings a'roving,
& With a rancy, fancy, tee"
Edward pushed back his tortoise
shell-rimmed glasses irritably and he
strobe to the windows. Down in the
adjacent yard he beheld ring OF
about eight youngsters holding hands
and dancing back and forth as they
sang A green table stood under the
sumac tree with eight small painted
chairs around it, and one large willow
armchair. Standing up was the man
ager of the enterprise, undoubtedly.
She was about eighteen, with smooth
brown hair pushed back from low,
broad forehead, and brown eyes that
, dropped at the outer corners wistfully,
at least so he thought at first glance
and It softened his intent. She wore
blue linen, and all during that first
morning Edwards found his thoughts
straying from the Compendium" to
the group In the yard below. He new
er thought there could be such COM
plexities to mere child training. Be-
fore he realized 1t he was smoking
before the windows, staring down with
frank interest at the disturbers OF his
peace. =,
Brien exclaimed, when she brought up
his MONDAY tray, and witnessed the
invasion. "The house belongs to old
Miss Stafford and she goes in for
this social settlement work. You know
what I mean?"
"I know 1t WE'LL" answered EDWARDS
"Well, once befoSe in the summer
she had a day nu. lery in her house
and all the neighbors complained
about it, and then she handed 1T over
TO canvalescent soldiers for a while,
and now look what she's got here. us
a backyard kindergarten, amt 1t
at appears to be, but don't thin NIX
L shall mind it. Who is the teacher"'
Mrs. o'Brien gave him a swift sus-
.centfble .look,v knowing as she dla
the susceptibilities of the masculine
mind, but Edwards went on eating
placidly and she told him what she
knew. The teacher had sent over 10
borrow some matches the first DAY
she was there, and her name was MISS
Eleanor Stearns-and she said she
was from Dakota.
"And what was she doing down mere
asked her." added Mrs. o'Brien.
aAnd she said she'd come to so to
college, and in the summer 1t was too
extensive to go home so she was DO
ing This work to tide her over. II they
bother YOU. Mr.. Edwards, I'll put IN a
nnicl1 complaint and chase out the
whole bunch" d..
would be no need. And morning he
would watch the little class dance to
and fro in their games like swaying
towers in the wind, and sometimes ne
would forget the Compendium" as ne
loaned back in his arm chair, hall
DOING in the day dream. She had
snch marvellous resources for enter
+ainment. Some days they would mod
eli in clay, and on others colored pa
pers would flutter about little butter
flies under their fingers. Then again
ti,ey. would have story day and gath
or arayelv under the tree, or else they
would dig along the borders and try to
conx the nasturtiums and sweet peas
ia brace up and bloom rightly. IL
seemed that she was living In the
house ali alone except for the caretak-
er. and at night he saw a lone light in
tue second floor back room that lie
knew must be hers.
perhaps even he had not realized
how that little daily group had woven
tseN into the fabriI Cf his personal
happiness until he missed It one DAY
and Mrs. o'Brien told him Miss Steam
was III in the old huuse.
esure she's gone ind visited around
n them families and caught some-
thinz; measles, think it is, OF maybe
If,s worse. And not soul to do foY
her. Mrs. Duplessy the caretakcr,
SAYS she can't be expected to care for
herl ard who the divil's going 10, she
6on,t know Old Miss stafforil's gone
fo some rcst place in the mountains
and nobody knows where tho girIs
folks are. She'll have to go to Bell
vut / told her, and I'm going tc cali
10 the ambulance now "
you're not, Mrs. O'Brien,' Ed
WaTtls ordered steraly IL will take
lila responsibility Of providing for her
j IA the interests of-of-humanity.'
Il seemed a good explanation 10
mFen as well as to Mrs. o'Br!eu,
Not once did he go inn the house next
fs,sr. but he footed bills for two rrai?-
eIsiuIscs, doctor and COOK, and