Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-12-23
That
Awful Boy

didn't know you had company."
I'm not company" laughed the
other caller. 81 ran in from across
the hall to talk over some of my trou-
bles with Mrs. Allen. We are holding
Smidder boy"
That's exactly why l came in"
said the newcomer. 1T is getting
positively unbearable, isn't it?"
1T is, indeed agreed the hostess.
Il thought when we came to this
apartment building that it was quite
an ideal place to live, but do you know
we haven't had moslent's peace on
account of that Smidder boy?''
you know, Mrs Proctor" said Mrs.
Gray, the woman from across the hall.
there isn't any limit to what that boy
will do. When we first came here
there wasn't bit of noise. 1t was
quiet as could be until the Smidder
family moved in. The only children
here We're Mrs. Aliens two little girls
and my boy, and now it's a perfect
babel.'
ut was very quiet before the Smid-
ders came" agreed Mrs. Proctor, the
woman from the second floor. when
that Smidder boy first invaded the
apartment over mine l thought the
ceiling would fall, positively"
THAT naturally does not bother me
as much as his yells," sighed Mrs. AL
len. "Just as soon as get settled for
a nap, with my own children up the
Sfr HI hot how
whooping down the walk and can't
sleep another wink. You know how it
is yourself, Mrs. Gray?"
Indeed l do" moaned the woman
from across the hall. "If 1 want to
get a tiny nap l have to snatch it
while that Smidder boy is at school,
for there's absolutely no hope of get
ting one at any other time"
Some parents are so indulgent
they never teach their children man
ners," said Mrs. Allen. when we
were young we had it impressed upon
us that we must be considerate of
others and never be noisy in public.
have brought up my children in the
same way and that is the reason we
took a first fiat. We can disturb no
one where we are"
x thought the Smidder boys noise
was bad enough" said the woman
from the second floor, "but the things
: he does are so much worse"
whats he been doing now?" asked
Mrs. Allen curiously. ut must be
something perfectly dreadful"
ut couldn't be much worse than
the time he painted our dog black
and red in stripes" said the woman
}, from across the hall Indignantly. 81
told his mother l should have him ar
rested the next time he did it, but
she merely laughed and said he was
too original to repeat
"He chased my Della four blocks
just to see if she had rat in her
: hair" said Mrs. Allen. 'The poor
child told him that she had, just as a
joke, and she was SO nervous after
that long rum"
well, this time he broke the plate
glass window in our parlor," said the
woman from the second floor. "They
> say he was playing ball, but he had to
: deny it, of course-actually had the
effrontery to say he had been down
town all the afternoon"
understand it was not the Smid-
der boy who broke your window"
: ventured Mrs Allen hesitatingly.
MY George was playing ball in the
lot" said the woman from across the
hall sharply. His ball went quite I'M
expectedly through the window You
: cannot expect boy not to have some
accidents"
mo, indeed" said the woman from
: the second floor soothiAgly "But real
ly think the things that Smidder
boy does are never accidents Do
you remember the time he pulled all
my Towering geraniums from my
boXes?"
, 1T happened not to be the Smidder
: boy that time either" said Mrs. Allen
coldly. my little Dot was too young
to understand that those forlorn
,, plants were thought to be of value"
Such things are small compared
to his actually breaking the law"
said the woman from the second floor.
That rifling the mail boxes was the
worst"
HE didn't" said Mrs. Allen stifly.
t my little girls play paper dolls and
) they took those circulars because they
a wanted the pictures to play WITH
IL II can't be mistaken about the noise
! over our heads said the woman from
! the second floor. at seems sometimes
. as though he would shake down the
. chandeliers
e '.The floors must be poorly dead
i ened," said Mrs. Allen, with dignity.
i There are times when our ceilings
Q shake terribly under your family's
4 steps,"
d 81 must hurry home," said the wo-
v man from the second floor, rising. II
v hear that Smidder boy yelling in the
t hall now.''