Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-22
Daily Short Story
BY ISABEL JOHNSTON

n She had grown up with three
noisy brothers in a big roomy
house In the suburbs, Now two OF
her brothers were married and the
third was down in South America
on an engineering job,
Alva lived in a one room city
apartment. but she made her cat.
Mullins. and the man in the apart
ment next door her family.
II isn't true that in a big city
YOU don't know your next door
neighbors. II you live in a thin
partitioned apartment houSe--as
Alva did-you get 10 know your
next door neighbor intimately.
Actually Alva had never met the
man in the apartment next TO
hers. She had 10 be al work at g.
He apparently didn't have 10 re-
port till $50. So she never set
eyes on him.
But she knew his partially for
baseball and football programs
over the radio-and his weakness
for news commentators late at
night. She knew he got up at $50
and sang of key in his bath. Her
best cologne didn't keep her from
smelling his bias for garlic and
onions at his stag spaghetti
parties.
II reminded her Of home before
the big house in the suburbs had
been broken up. Her brothers
used 10 madden her with their
taste in radio. but now it was
rather homelike TO hear the same
old football and baseball pro-
grams. That was why she called
the man in the apartment next
TO hers part Of her family.
GETS COMPLAINT
Sometimes she pictured him as
young and handsome and dash
ing. Sometimes she decided he
was a fascinating man of the
world who would invite her to
night clubs. Sometimes she saw
him as a cute old man with young
tastes like her dear old uncle who
used to live with them.
That was why the landlady's
call was such a shock. After a
long apologize preamble the land
lady told her the man next to her
had complained about her cat
waking him up early.
Immediately Alva knew the man
next door was a crusty old bache-
Tor or a spoiled young whipper-
snap. She listened to the landlady
with growing anger.
OF course, at times Mullins was
a nuisance. really a spoiled dar-
ling. He had a fixed belief that
Alva should rise at 6 o'clock and
feed him. He would come over
and put a gentle paw upon her
face.
If Alva pretended she was still
-leeping. he would deliberately
mock things of the mantel and
make all the racket that he could.
On cold mornings IL was hard to
stagger up in the chilly dark and
warm up milk.
But at least the man next door
didn't have TO get up and cook a
warm breakfast for Mullins at
unearthly hours. What did he
have TO kick about?
FEUD BEGINS
'TH keep my cat quiet" Alva
retorted after the landlady had
finished her long-winded speech.
But I wish you would ask the
man next door to stop playing
his radio late at night"
That started the feud that
might have come to violence II the
thin partition and the diplomatic
landlady hadn't prevented an open
battle. 1t reached the point where
Alva and the man next door
raped violently on each others
walls for more quiet.
When Mullins meowed out of
turn, il meant that Alva had to
listen to radio screams the next
night until one. After she had
been sleepless with anger listening
TO programs she didn't like. Alva
would deliberately let Mullins be
as noisy as he pleased In the early
mornings.
Then the whole world changed,
at least for citizens of the United
States. Alva was so busy taking
first aid and nutrition courses. she
didn't have time TO quarrel with
her neighbor. Her feud with him
seemed pretty petty now. She was
doing her bit. working with all
the rest Of the United States.
Alva was quite unprepared for
the knock that came on her door.
She opened il. There stood a tall
young man with red hair. He
wasn't handsome, but pleasant
looking enough.
I'm Don Harris" he said. 81
live In the apartment next To
you"
A flash Of guilt went over her.
She had been so busy she hadn [
bothered much about keeping Muf-
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