Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-03
THE EVENING STORY.
Common Mrs. Smith.
copyright. 1913. Nv ". wcrnerN

In a" ssrssn street there was only one ne
owner, and that was the poorest house
of all. 1t was little and low and old; 1t
was painted a dirty brown it had colored
glass in the front dobr and no yard to
speak of In consequence whereof it was
right under the noses of the pretentious
dwellings on either side But now. at
last, after standing empty for years.
somebody had come to occupy it-a fam
lily by the name of Smith whom the Cor
den streeters knew nothing about.
Gorden streeters pridai themselves on
their locality and thet individual i'm
themselves-a very aIistocratic. high
headed community, and. therefore, suffi-
cient They were clannish, and they
knew If and gloried in it, When anybody
appeared who did not belong Immediately
i'll the same pursuit they felt that she
lowered their standard 1t is no wonder
they all combined instantly against this
little Mrs. Smith. who had thrust herself
in upon them, as it were and who was
d mere renter
The fact that she was a renter told sew
eral things: she could not afford to own
a home ana was content to live in a house
like that she had taken There were
plenty Of houses 10 be rented III the town
where ono got almost all the eonvcniences
Of permanent home. Evidently the
Smiths could not afford much expense.
The little brown house they had for a
song. Ii was an eyeSore-a blot on the
street. Mrs. Arundel wondered why none
of them thought of buying it and pulling
it down. The truth was 1t had stood
empty so long they had ceased to con-
slider ii.
They moved in two van loads" Mrs.
Arundel confded to Mrs Signor Il saw
sewing machine and kitchen cabinet
and a trib-little else. There's children
three girls little things, the youngest d
mere baby. and no nurse Indeed, there
wouldn't he room for one in that house
Five people tucked into as many rooms.
Fancy it, Why. I've never been able to
get along with less than eight rooms even
when | kept no maid. They must he very
poor
They must be" Mrs. Signor shifted a
curtain and peeped out There she is
childrens About the first thing they
bought WAS load of sand. My, she $
very common looking.
Isn't she? So little and sandy, and her
arms are actually tanned. You can see
she has never been used to wearing
decollete frocks. Living next door, so
have to see things. And hear them, too.
I'm afraid those children are going to be
NOISY. L set the parrot out TINS HloTiilHS
and they kept calling TO him until / had
to bring him in. He's so sensitive to
strange sounds.
How annoying Mrs. Signor sighed
Shes direct intrusion, ! feel. Well. /
shall let her alone. But YOU cant, poor
dear She's too obvious-right under your
caves
"Al the same. | shall not call on her
Mrs. Arundel spoke convincingly. II
can't find out thing about them: but
then, there's so many Smiths You may
be anything nothing with that name
If | had it | should hyphenate it with
something else. really
so should t. replied Mrs. Sgnor, who
always agreed with Mrs. Arundel.
So 1t came that nobody went to call
on Mrs. Smith Never did they give a
sign of accepting or observing her pres
ence. She, however, seemed not in the
least to mind. She was apparently very
happy little woman She sang at her
work and always was busy. She scrubbed
the porches and swept the hall, she
made mud pies in the sand with her
babies and sewed for them briskly on