Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-12-23
The Old Woman
Next Door
By CALVIN HENDRICKS.

isn't she. dreadful, john wills
pered Joyce, casting glance sidewise
toward the old woman next door.
!. The old woman was watering hei
rose trees, She was horrible old
woman, in outward aspect, at any r@e. ]
Poor old LADY, said John Durham.
ITO think that people can live TO be
so old as that
DO you think she was ever a young
und beautiful girl, deareSt!" asked
Joyce contentedly, nesting down into
the fold of her lovers arm.
II guess she was young all right
but l am sure she never was beautl-
full" said John.
} Joyce Lamont and John Durham
had been engaged for three months
and their wedding was to take place
that fall. John Durham was new
conner to Catesville, where he mao
opened law Office and was alreao!
securing fair measure OF business
which gave promise of comfortaDle
livelihood. AS for JOyce-well II you
have ever spent even week in cafes,
willie Won will certainly have heard
of the Lannon'S. Daniel Lamont was
one of the first American statesmen
in the time of President Buchanan
The death of JoyCeS mother, 1e"
months before, had left Joyce alone
In the old house, to which she hau
lust returned after several years OF
absence at school and abroad, ana
everybody was glad that she was 10
be married, now that she was Soie
mistress of the manor.
joyce remembered the old woman
next door in vague way. She had
gone there to live after the death OF
JOyce's father seven years previous
Nv. She had not seemed so homeIy
then so far AS Joyce could remember.
81 wish we could pay her to go
AWAY" she said to John. Shell spoiI
our happiness, just seeing her there
Why should there be ugly things IN
life, dearestf'
Joyce was not unkind, but she mac
always lived among beautiful things
She could not bear ugliness. Hell
home was superbly beautiful, Though
simple, and the hall was hung WITT
the portraits of the Lamonts-ai
handsome, dlgnitied and fine to loot
uDOn, Joyce had never dreamed tina
any human being could grow to ioo'
like the old woman next door.
She passed along the hall. LOOKING
at the portraits 1t made her YER
happy to think she had had ancestor
like thOse-from John Lamont, colo
mel In Washlngton'S army, to Fam!
her fathers beautiful cousin, who wa
supposed to have broken his heal
when he was young man by MARI!
ing an obscure and worthless French
man. who took her to his own countr
and there deserted her and to ht
father, the hero Of twenty battles an
the honored governor of his state.
Then the day came when Joyce al
John QuarreIed. No need to give IL
cause of lovers Qunrrels. They al
inevitable; but it is only when prl'
interyenes that they become impo
liant.
Days went by; they slipped in
weeks. John never came back. JOY
was he"' ''''0NT'' ,n,' ant mon II
prouu |" HP'"N TaI,o
porch, waiting hopelcSSly for John
'''"', ,...r,, n,,1o bar START -,
y ilsi'' '"o''I''' -', ''n,u,. rhnn ,
"'' l'e"' "'',''"7 ..,,,aI hor T. u,
'4'|F anu 'eii0' Hi,o,,,,
81" "oli'' ~ vas WV, ,,s,,.''. ,,,n,, :
". l"ah i'eA' ""'i' '''''''"e ''''9
poem to"''N Nv, 10 ,a,
"ei' !"""7 '"' 49, ',,a nraa+,,re
come ""cN' "'7"'' Wv, .,.''eI
I've Wa''heu I""' '''i''''us -,
WITCH Nu"" VIM w"
ne Is NM" w" We 4"''
both are sorry una DOM "ie 'o' l''
Come mere my "''H s,..,. -,
she lalu h1r SN'hnF ma W
JoyceS arm u"u' " 'ie So "a
lneh'' "pe''t" '''e W. ''' .',,t,,ai,
lhto Ine nun p'''''''e , 0' va,
portrait "l''n sic o'''U '''>'
Lamont s. ,.,
You KNOW "no 'i'''' -, ny ~
sue ">Ne"' ..',,, ,.,,,+ Innl, ',
thhl She was l. ""ui,' "" l'"" ,aa,
10 l'er otn"He'p ',ii.. ivy ,rto Tr,
the "lllhlstaA"''7 '''''''.,. 49,, D.,
beauiiIul young ""ii'"" was ''''