midnight
To the left of it was the residence of Mr. Samuel Doppelbrau , secretary of an excellent firm of bathroom-fixture jobbers . His was a comfortable house with no architectural manners whatever ; a large wooden box with a squat tower , a broad porch , and glossy paint yellow as a yolk . Babbitt disapproved of Mr. and Mrs. Doppelbrau as `` Bohemian . '' From their house came midnight music and obscene laughter ; there were neighborhood rumors of bootlegged whisky and fast motor rides . They furnished Babbitt with many happy evenings of discussion , during which he announced firmly , `` I 'm not strait-laced , and I do n't mind seeing a fellow throw in a drink once in a while , but when it comes to deliberately trying to get away with a lot of hell-raising all the while like the Doppelbraus do , it 's too rich for my blood ! '' On the other side of Babbitt lived Howard Littlefield , Ph.D. , in a strictly modern house whereof the lower part was dark red tapestry brick , with a leaded oriel , the upper part of pale stucco like spattered clay , and the roof red-tiled . Littlefield was the Great Scholar of the neighborhood ; the authority on everything in the world except babies , cooking , and motors .