The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-10-02

Copyright. 1919. by w. Werner.)
In all C;orden street there was only
one house which was not lived in Ivy
its owner, and that was the poorest
house of all. 1t was little and low and
old: it was painted a~iirty brown: it
had colored glass in the front door
and no yard to speak of. In n
quence whereof 1t was right under
the noses Of the pretentious dwellings
on either side. But now, at least. after
standing empty for years. somebody
had come to occupy it-a family ny
the name Of Smith. whom the Gorden
%streeters know nothing about.
Gordon streeters prided themselves
on their locality. n their individual
Importance. They were a community
in themselves--a Very a~ristocratic.
h~igh-healed community. and, there
fore. sufficient. They were clannish
and they knew it and gloried in it.
When anybody appeared Who did not
belong Immediately in the same pur-
suit 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. az it were, and who was
a mere renter.
The fact that she was a renter told
several things; she could not afford
to own a home and was content to
live in a house like that she had taxi
en-. There We're plenty of houses to
be- rented in the town where one got
almost all the conveniences of a per-
manent nome. Evidently the Smiths
could not afford SO much expense. The
little brown house they had for a
n 1t was an eyesore-a blot on
the street. Mrs. Arundel wondered
why none OF them thought of buying
1t and pulling it down. The truth was
it had stood empty so long they had
ceased to consider it.
They moved in two van loads"
Mrs. Arundel contiied to Mrs. Signor.
Il saw a sewing machine and a litch-
en- cabinet and a crib-little else.
There's children-three girls. little
no nurse! Indeed. there wouldn't he
room for one in thai house. Five peo-
pie tucked into as many rooms! Fam
cy 1t! Why. I've been able to
get along with less than eight DOM
even when ] kept no maid. They must
be very poor"
They must he" Mrs. SiEnor shift
Ell a curtain n peeped out. There
she Is now, playing in the sand pile
With the children! About the first
thing they bought was a load of sand.
MY, she's very common. looking"
isn't she? So little and sandy ana
her arms are actually tanned. You
can see has " been used to
wearing decollete frocks. Living next
door. SO I have to see things. And
hear them. too. I'm afraid those chill
dren are going to be noisy. ] set the
parrot out this morning and they
kept calling to him until 1 had to
bring him in, He's so sensitive tn
strange sounds
How annoying" Mrs. Signor
sighed. She's a direct intrusion, I
feel. Well. I shall let her alone. But
You can't, poor dear. She's 90 OBJ
vious-right under your caves"
"All the same I shall not cal, on
her" Mrs. Arundel spoke convince
them: but then. there's SO many
nothing with that name. II I had 1t
so should l." replied Mrs. signor.
who always agreed with Mrs. Arun-
del.
So it came that nobody went to call
on Mrs. Smith. Never did they give
a sign of accepting or observing her
presence. She, however, seemed not
in the least to mind. She was ap-
parently a 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 the ma