The Story of the Big Front Door | Page 9

and we thought we
would all come and tell you."
"I am very sorry about it, and I will have a new pane put in," Carl
added.
"I am sure it was an accident," said the lady, smiling; "you must not
feel badly. I shall be glad of it if it helps me to make the acquaintance
of some of my new neighbors. Won't you tell me your names?"
Louise's dimples at once began to show themselves, for she was always
ready to make friends, and she gave her plump little hand, saying:
"I am Louise Hazeltine, and this is my brother Carl and my sister Bess,
and Ikey Ford who lives next door."
"We are much obliged to you for not minding about the window," Bess
added, forgetting her shyness.
"Won't you sit down and talk to me for a while? I am Miss Brown."
The children smiled at each other. "We have always called this the
Brown house," Carl explained.
"Then you won't have to change. It is much simpler than if I had
happened to be named Green or Black, isn't it?" said their new friend,
laughing. "And now I am sure you can't guess what I call your house."
Of course they couldn't, so she told them that she had named it the
house with the Big Front Door.
This amused them very much, and Louise asked, "How did you know
we lived there?"
"Oh, I have seen you going in and out. I can't move about easily, so

when I grow tired of reading or sewing I look out of the window."
It was astonishing how much at home they felt. Bess and Louise sat
together in a big chair chattering away as if they had known Miss
Brown all their lives. When she asked about the telephone, even Ikey
had a word to say as they grew merry over the story of their difficulties.
As they were leaving, Bess said demurely, "Miss Brown, I think we
ought to tell you that we have been playing in your garden. We didn't
mean to do any harm, but Aunt Zélie says it wasn't respecting other
people's property."
"My dear children, I wish you would come often and play in my
garden," was the hospitable reply.
"I am afraid your Mary wouldn't like it," said Louise; adding quickly,
"and we'd rather come inside now and see you."
"Thank you, I hope you will come, and you must excuse poor Mary;
she is not so ill-natured as she seems."
"Aunt Zélie," said Carl that evening as they were relating the day's
adventures, "Miss Brown is tiptop, she wasn't a bit mad. There is
something about her like you."
"Why, Carl! Her hair is white, and she is not nearly so pretty," cried
Louise.
"Well, goosie, I didn't say she looked like her, did I?"
"She is very nice at any rate, and has lots of things to show us some
time--things she had when she was a little girl. We may go to see her
again, mayn't we, Auntie?" Bess asked.
"Do you think she would like me to go to see her?" Helen inquired.
"Probably she wouldn't mind; we will take you sometime," Louise
replied graciously.

Helen had returned from her drive in a happy frame of mind, for Aunt
Marcia had bought her a charming little card-case, and had ordered
some engraved cards to go in it. Her sisters admired it as much as its
proud owner could desire, and were quite attentive all the evening.
"Mary," said Miss Brown that night, "those are nice children; and just
think! I already know four of my neighbors!"
CHAPTER IV.
DORA.
One afternoon, when the interest in the Brown house was still at its
height, and before the children had made the acquaintance of their new
neighbor, a little girl came slowly up the street carrying a sun-umbrella.
A hush had fallen upon the neighborhood; nobody was to be seen, and
the only sound not made by the birds and insects was the far-away click
and whirr of a lawn-mower.
She had had a long walk and was tired; a carriage-block under the
maple trees offered a pleasant resting place, so, closing her umbrella,
she sat down. She had a pair of frank gray eyes and a smile that made
you feel at once that she was a cheery little person, accustomed to make
the best of things.
"How still it is!" she said to herself. "I wonder if some wicked fairy has
put everybody to sleep? I wish I might go into their houses and break
the spell. And here comes an enchanted prince," she continued,
laughing at the fancy, as a large black cat came across the street in a
leisurely, sleepy way.
The gray eyes seemed to