The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-17
EVENING STORY
The House Next Door.
; BY SYLVIA Frost.

of rooms on the second floor of the
old-style house on Irving place be-
/ cause they promised complete isola-
ton and security from interruption.
1t would take at least four weeks to
revise the Compendium" and he
could not afford. 10 leave town.
"Wen. there isn't a soul to disturb
| you here, sir" Mrs. O'Brien promised
| him. Sure. anybody that can get
away this kind of weather is batting
IL for the seaside. and them that's left
haven't got the strength to make any
| noise. You'll have the place to your
SELF
Fortified by her assurance he had
moved in and had found it a haven of
solitude for the first week. Then on
| the second Monday morning, just as
| he had settled himself to work in the
narrow glass-inclosed 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
clear soprano leading.
Here come three kings a'roving, arrow
| ing, arovlng.
! Here come three kinds a'roving,
With a rancy, fancy tee"
Edwards pushed back his tortoise
shell-rimmed glasses irritably and
strobe to the windows. Down in the
adjacent yard he beheld q 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 il, and one large willow
armchair. Standing up was the mans
ager of the enterprise, undoubtedly.
| She was about eighteen, with smooth
brown hair pushed back from a low,
| broad forehead, and brown eyes that
| dropped at the outer corners wistfully,
at least so he thought at first glance,
IL sv,An No rl-a
blue linen. and all during that first
morning Edwards found his thoughts
| straying from the Compendium" to
] the group N the yard below. He had
| not dreamt there could be such com
plexities to mere child training. Be
| fore he realized it he was smoking
before the windows staring down with
frank interest at the disturbers of his
peace.
"And don't that beat ALL" Mrs.
O'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 mean?"
IT know it WELL" answered Ed
wards.
well, once before In the summer
she had day nursery in her house
and all the neighbors complained
about it, and then she handed it over
to the convalescent soldiers for a
| while, and now look what she's got in
amt it?"
1T appears to be. but don't think
I shall mind it. Who is the teacher %
Mrs. O'Brien gave him a swift. sus-
picious look, knowing as she did the
susceptibilities OF the masculine mind
but Edwards went on eating placidly
and she told him what she knew. The
teacher had sent over TO borrow some
matches the first day she was there
and her name was Miss Stearns-
Eleanor stearns. that was it-and she
said she was from Dakota.
And what was she doing down
here. I asked her" added Mrs
O'Brien. land she said she'd come to
go to college, and in the summer II
was too expensive to go home, so she
was doing this work to tide her over
If they bother you. Mr.. Edwards, III
put in a quick complaint and chase
out the whole bunch"
But Edwards assured her there
would be no need. And mornings he
would watch the little class dance &c
and fro in their games like swayine
flowers in the wind, and sometimes
forget the Compendium" as he
leaned back in his arm chair. hall
doing in day dream. She had such
marvellous resources for entertain
ment. Some days they would mode
in clay, and on others colored papers
would flutter about like butterflies un-
der their fingers. Then again. they
would have story day. and gather
gravely around her under the tree, oil
else they would dig along the borders
and try to coax the nasturtiums anC
sweet peas to brace up and bloom
rightly. 1t seemed that she was living
in the house all alone except for th'
caretaker. and at night he saw Ion'
light in the second floor back room
that he knew must be hers.
Perhaps even he had not realized
how that little daily group had wover
itself into the fabric of his personal
happiness until he missed it one
day, and Mrs. O'Brien told him Mist
Stearns was i'll in the old house.
Sure she's gone and visited around
in them families. and caught some
thing, measles, 1 think it is, or maybe
it's worse. And not soul to do fol-
her. Mrs. Duplessy, the caretaker
says she can't be expected to care fol
her. and who the divil's going to, she
don't know. Old Miss Stafford's gone
to some rest place in the mountain:
and nobody knows where the girl;
folks are. She'll have to go to Belle
vue, told her. and I'm going to cal
up the ambulance now"
No, you're not, Mrs. O'Brien." Ed
wards ordered sternly. II will take
the responsibility of providing for hel
in the interests of-of-humanity.'
1t seemed a good explanation tc
himself as well as to Mrs. O'Brien
Not once did &c go into the house
next door, but he footed bills for tive
and Mrs. O'Brien acted as guardian
angel until there came a day wher
Edwards received a summons to at
tend the convalescent in the garden.
Il had to tell her everything" Mrs
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