The tall man, who evidently was the young folks’ father, scratched his head and looked puzzled. “Ma,” he said, “ it surely looks as if we have made a mistake. This doesn’t look like the picture that the real estate man showed us. He said there was lots of land around the house. Fifty feet on each side — reckon he thought that was lots o f land! But we’ll have to stay here for today, any how.” Lincoln ran into the house laughing. “Well, mother, you’re surely right. There was a mistake all right. The new neighbors don’t like this district. There’s not enough room for them!” By night both Donna and Lin coln were bursting with curiosity. Where did these folks come from ? Why had they bought a house in this fashionable district? Mrs. Van Lunn was curious but she wouldn’t let the children know that she was. “Children, perhaps you had better go next door and welcome the new neighbors. Even if they are not our kind, remember, we Oklahomans are considered to be friendly folks. We must swallow our pride and at least call on them and say ‘Hello,’ ” Mrs. Van Lunn said rather reluctantly. While her husband was living Mrs. Van Lunn had been a kindly woman, but after his death she become cold and cynical, and now her children were following her example. Mr. Van Lunn had been a deacon in the church and all the family had attended' church regu larly. But none o f the family had been to church since their father’s funeral, despite the entreaties of the pastor and friends. Soon Donna returned from her vi s i t to the new neighbors. “Mother,” said Donna excitedly, “ you simply must come and see Mrs. Lennox, our new neighbor. You will really like her. Why, you would think that they had been here a week, they are all settled. And what do you think? They owned a large ranch in the Texas
T H E S T R A N G E NEW NE I GHBORS
by Martha S. Hooker
I t w a s S aturday morn ing when " the belongings o f the new neighbors arrived at the house next door to the Van Lunn resi dence in the fashionable Proctor Boulevard d istr ict. When the movers began to carry in the old- fashioned furniture, the Van Lunn children ran into the house to tell their mother about the new neighbors. “Mother, look at the old-fash ioned furniture that is being moved into the house next door,” exclaimed the teenage Donna Van Lunn. “ Surely, there’s some mis take.” Mrs. Van Lunn peeked through the window curtain and said, “Well, I certainly hope that there is some mistake. What kind of a neighborhood would this be if we are to have folk like that in it!” “ Neighbors like what?” asked the practical-minded 12-year-old Lincoln Van Lunn. “ I don’t see any neighbors yet.” Donna sniffed, “Oh, there you go again with that practical mind o f yours. Of course the folks
aren’t there yet, but if you see a man in a worn-out coat, can’t you tell what kind o f a man he is?” “No, I can’t,” retorted Lincoln. “ I don’t think that clothes make the man, and I don’t think that furniture makes the neighbors.” Mrs. Van Lunn looked at Lincoln in amazement and said, “ For a 12-year-old that is a pretty good conclusion. Donna, Lincoln may be right. Let’s wait and see.” Later in the afternoon when an old ranch station wagon drove up next door, and a tall, sun-tanned, middle-aged man stepped out, fol lowed by a woman in a short yellow jacket, Lincoln himself began to wonder if some mistake had not been made. Soon a blonde girl emerged from the rear seat of the car followed by an older dark-haired boy. They were all brown as berries. The boy spied Lincoln and greeted him with, “ Hi-ya, neighbor. Is this Proctor Boulevard ?” “ Howdy,” responded Lincoln. “Yes, this is Proctor Boulevard all right.”
THE KING'S BUSINESS
42
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