Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-01-09
TODAY'S EVENING STORY
THE MISSING NEIGHBOR
COPYRIGHT BY w. WERNER

aWOke she found her windows sheet
edA with ice and the house cold as a
BARN. She found the water-pipe froZ-
en- And had to thaw it out, a difficult
job even when one has every neces-
sary appliance ready at hand. Netty
had to use hot flat-irons, and she
was busy the whole morning.
This was the morning on which
Mrs. Pelham would open her eyes on
roses and hooking birds. Netty.
smiled bitterly at the thought. II
was queer how some people had
everything in life without lifting a
hand for it. Not that she negrudged
her neighbor. No. Netty was too
good for that-but she couldn't help
drawing d comparison, especially
when the ice in the water pipe SEEM
ed to be getting harder each moment
instead of thawing out as it should.
Toward noon the ice gave up and
the pipe proceeded to do business
Netty was thankful that it had not
burst and deluged her kitchen.
Rubbing a place clear on the win
dow, she looked out and saw a pair
of doves looking for food about the
back door. She broke up a slice OF
DISdo anu slipping ~ S1io"A ONSA 49,
head, went out to feed the hungry
birds.
The air was nipping cold and still,
and as Netty stood there she thought
she heard a sound as of somebody
knocking on the window pane to her.
She looked everywhere but could see
nobody. Then she noticed that one
of the windows of Mrs. Pelham s
I. IF ho
"Of all things!' she thought. "She
has gone away and forgotten that
window And that house is stuffed
full of costly things! She's liable to
come back and find that thieves have
taken everything" She kept on
studying the house and the more she
locked the more she found herself
wondering at its appearance. 1t
seemed to beckon her. Whats got
into me, anyway" she asked her
self. az lust feel as if I had to so
over there"
She ran down and along the side
walk and up the way that led to
Mrs. Pellam's house. And now she
was sure that someone was rapptng
on the glass for her. Trembling, she
went to the back door and knocked.
She thought she heard a voice. Try
ing the doorknob, to her surprise It
turned and she entered the bleak
cold kitchen.
Someone was calling her from up
stairs. She followed the direction OF
the voice and came to room where
| there was an open door. She looked
| in and saw Mrs. Pelham lying,
swathed in blankets, ON the bed.
| Ian said
"Shut the window. I haven't been
able to-"
Netty shut the window. The room
was cold. yet Mrs. Pelham was burn
ing with fever and shivering at the
same time.
Fifteen minutes later the doctor
was there. Two nurses came later.
And the doctor had ordered Netty,
since Mrs. Pelham had no one else,
to stay in charge.
1t was three weeks before Mrs. Pei
lam was comfortably convalescent,
and by that time she had learned to
know Netty and Netty had learned
to know and love her.
II was taken sick so suddenly that
I didn't have a chance to do any
thing" Mrs. Pelham told Netty. TITS
lucky you ICuLu NE ueIe say yoN
all thought was luXuriating in Flor
ida. I remember told Mrs. Man
ton was going" She laughed. She
could laugh at it now. ~
Eyes, that is what we thought"
Netty said. "Well, you've come out
as good as new
"And I've found a lotNof neigh
bors and one dear friend I'm going
to try to be worthy Of" Mrs. Pei,
lam replied. .-.....-. ..4ns