New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-07-14
WY Mrs. Turner LefF .Nes0 YORK
The Sad Adventures Of q Real American Woman
While Trying To Be Polite.

~
"John," said Mrs. Turner 10 her son as he
appeared al the door Of the drawing room, where
Mrs Turner was sitting in anticipation of his
return from work. 4 guess I'll have 70 go back
home. New Works not the place for folks like
ne"
Why. mother" the young man managed TO
gasp. with faint suggestion Of amusement in
his exclamation. is it the janitor, or the hall
boy. or this apartment life? You seem TO have
been co1tented in this cosey fat for a month.
You've said 50 yourself What's happened"
= know haven't much TO complain Of about
The house John" the old LADY admitted but
there ara some things 1 can't stand and one Of
EN- is the kind of neighbors"-
But. bless YOU" interrupted the general man
ager Of the Radium Mining Company. pattIng
his mother gently on the check, If you don't
Ike the people about here you don't have 10
associate with them Now, there are your old
trends the Smiths. down IN Fffty-third street,
and then the Pelhams, over in Riverside Drive,
and al the others; surely they haven't Gil turned
bad in this New York air, have they?"
OF course not, John" was the reply. But
taat doesn't make the folks in this street any
better 70 live with
But You don't have 20 have anything 10 do
with the folks in this lovely and expensive thor
oughtara i you don't Ike them. How have they
been displeasing you. I should like 70 know"
Vel lis a long story. ana l suppose l should
have told YOU before when the troubles began.
But il hurt me- too much, 50 I just kept still.
The very week I came to New York 10 live
win you. John. the women around here began
making ne feel more uncomfortable than 1
eTeI fsl- IN all the ffty-five years I spent in
BeleviIe. out home. John, all the folks are
tocia5e and hoIelike. and when a newcomer
joins the community everybody just pitches
L and tries 10 make her feel that she belongs
there
IN r~rr l-g-r- HIT mt rod zC171i in
tbs whole apartment house has taken the pains
70 crop IN and ask few polite questions about
Is during the whole month I've been here2
Eood i about a week. and then decided II was
nne 70 90 something desperate. That was be
fore knew the truth. / supposed that there
we're 50 many other folks moving n here on
Nay that the old Inhabitants hadn't found a
minute u get around 70 US So I just made up
~ mind 70 save them some trouble by calling
q the!n. You recollect that the family in the
ls1t apartment moved in when we did, don't
?o1? Well ! said 10 myself. why not visit them
i1st as II we're an old settler here? And so
Cd. ! didn't stop 10 dress up very much. but
:lyt walked over to the corridor door one fine
G;ernoon and pushed the bell
I gave one q those fancy visiting cards you
I'd engraved for me 70 the servant and asked II
iae lady Of the house was in. The frowsy Irish
gIl stared ~ me though 7 might have been
sneak thief and asked How did you get
past the haUboy? Nobody has telephoned up
And when 7 said 7 lived in the building and was
Empty calling On the lady of the house she
t1ckered and rnuttered something about that
Being the best game she had struck for a long
Tine Wasn't that awful? Bat ! was finally
-kaered in anyhow. The lady met me IN the
Ia. where j was 50 dark I couldn't tell whether
re was surprised or not at seeing me- But L
tsoa discovered what her feelings were when
sae SNAPPED out. We'll. what IS IL you wlsh
even that didn't beat me. so explained ana
rrFHa Iflf cLy n ~
FL when ! got into her parlOr, where the sun
Agnt struck ner face II didn't take long 70 see
Suspicion written all over IT, she watched
very move ! made, as though ! might nave
.-el planning 10 carry of the bric-a-prac IN my
"shooag. She asked me three or TOUR times
3'etner ] really lived in the next apartment ana
@lsr few foolish remarks begged 70 be eN-
used on account Of a pressing engagement.
WIEN I left that horrible servant girl watched
- 60 down The corridor 70 the elevator ana
Suer she closed the door heard somepooy say
after all
The next afternoon I went to see the people
tefoss the aaH / got inside al! right without
'hg insulte5 and found six women sitting
rrs'ehd table full Of bottles and cigar
icy ~renched themselves free from theii
~sses long enough 10 ask me what "ieiI7
am The lady from across the cor!lcol'
'sld politely
:. O, said one Of them, dark thing ana
tsign looking. And what can ! 90 Tor you
are you in trouble?'
A. Inahk you. ] am not ! answered just
.g xpeo in 70 get acquainted
-, vel John. you should have seen the way
~ 9s women looked at one another when shid
| - You wouldn't wonder swhy want TO go
- - % the Old home II you had They tried To
,b, But couldn't They tried 70 say some
Ne nsoently polite but were unable to- Ihey
| Ia - embarrassed that really suspected
ess .s'sa In among a band Of thieves didn't
rsn,. ~how how ~ converse under such circuhi-
ens, but finally decided 70 please the lady
lie h'ose-I didn't know who she was OF all
omen preseDt-by telling her what
mig little fat she had
tW.s you Ike books ! observed noddlns
les some well flied shelves. IT might in
- you 70 know that p
80 no" The fattest woman Of the group
~ har..edly We have all the books we