Show FICTION i THE ION NEW NEIGHBORS CORNER By Richard H. H Wilkinson T THE I HE Whitneys Whitney's living room faced on a court Across the court were the windows of ot another apart apart- ment Occasionally Paul Whitney relaxed on his couch could cowd see people moving around there After a day or two he decided that the occupants were a ayoung ayoung young childless Minute couple who spent 3 3 Fiction a good deal of time at home Id Ii like keto to get to know V them Paul confided to his wife wile Mrs Whitney sighed I 1 would I too Weve We've been here a month now and haven't met a sow soul Do you suppose suppose sup sup- I pose I ought to go over and call caU Paul shook his head doubtfully I wouldn't not wouldn't-not not without some good excuse You know how apartment dwellers are They might think we were imposing He glanced across the court They have a much better better better bet bet- ter apartment than ours Better Why its it's obviously their living room we can look Into and if it you'll notice there are windows on both sides Mrs Whitney followed her husbands husband's gaze Without effort she could look Into their neighbors neighbors' neighbors neighbors' neighbors neighbors' neigh neigh- bors' bors living room and see the window windo on the wall opposite so she admitted Mrs Whitney went into the kitchen kitch kitch- en and Paul Paw rose and strolled Idly toward the window of ot his own living living liv liv- ing room On the chance of being observed he pretended to examine a potted plant on the sill Surreptitiously he glanced across the court and was shocked to see seethe seethe seethe the head and shoulders of a man framed in the window on the far farside farside farside side of at their neighbors' neighbors living room He called his wife and standing well back so as not to be observed they peered across the court But I I I I l t I 1 L I I 1 I I Youre positive you saw someone Mrs Sirs Whitney asked the figure in hi the window on the far farside farside farside side and vanished Youre positive you saw someone someone someone some some- one Mrs Whitney asked Positive Paul a at affirmed f t f I r m me e dOught dOught d. d Ought we to notify the police I eI Whoever it is Is gone and perhaps the police wouldn't believe us Wed We'd appear ridiculous T TWO WO evenings later Paul again saw the peeping Tom He was standing in the same position and sight of ot the man at the window of at their neighbors neighbor's apartment gave him the same unexpected shock Im going to do something about it Sooner or later the chap will conjure enough courage to break his way in Paul Paw said Lets go over there and warn the people tell them what we saw and then let them do as they like about it She hesitated Perhaps we can strike up an acquaintance THEY THEY CROSSED to the neighboring neighbor neighbor- L ing apartment and knocked A pleasant laced woman opened the door Are you Mrs Phelps Mrs Whitney asked The woman nodded and Mrs Whitney said Were Mr and Mrs Whitney from across the court We We- We Come right in Frank and I were thinking of calling on you The Whitneys entered and were greeted cordially by Mr Phelps Im afraid said Paul that we came on rather an unpleasant mis mis- sion And he explained what they had seen Mr Phelps looked puzzled Theres something wrong here Would you mind stepping into the living room They followed fol to lowed him in and he pointed toward the far wall You see we have no windows on that tha wall He broke off aU as Mrs Whitney gasped Why it wasn't a window at all It was that mirror I You see It hangs where a window might be and faces our apartment Paul Whitney it was your own reflection you saw Standing near the flower flowerpot flowerpot flowerpot pot you saw yourself In the mirror and it appeared that some one else was peering In at the Pauls Paul's jaw dropped He swallowed swallowed lowed grinned and looked sheepish But the thought it was a grand joke and urged their new neighbors to spend the evening |