South Bend news-times., 1922-09-24
The Staircase
Lady

~ Ks. " EN- x In ne"i
M sd the woman Know
w And she picked Up her feet
and stepped dAlntlly and pretended
10 be walking upstalrs
And when I asked what she
meant. she said:
She'u walk on yOu-up and up
and up. She'll use you for pair
or stairs. you and your friend. you
and your family. you and your
house. you and your car. you and
your husbands business. yes. even
you and your orchard and your lit
tie row OF cUrrant bushes.
You and your miuIner, you and
your dressmaker, you and your
yiub. ycu and your servants-every-
thing tha. is yours she VIII use 10
help her up the stairs. and she'll
think you never notice Il. and
youN pretend you don't. but some
day she'll begin 20 wonder why
you're never AZ home when she
calls. and what's the reason you
don't call her Up any more on the
telephone.
Ten chances 20 one. she'u think
you're jealous OF her-and let it go
al that"
And then she told me what the
Staircase Lady had done 10 her.
She Managed Cleyerly.
Il met her two years ago IN the
..mounains. She was awfully nice.
good-natured and agreeable. al
ways ready for a game OF bridge.
never too tired for a little walk.
fond or swimming, fond OF canoeing.
not a bad hand at golf-danced
very well. had two children and a
pleasant. quiet sort OF husband.
she had a young son. somewhere
OF his college vacation. and
daughter who was still at he
boarding school age. She looked
awfully young. though. dressed
very well. never gossiped. and never
eeemed the least ill-natured about
anything
she's a darling, thought.
How glad I am I found her And
we had a lovely summer together.
and In the winter. when we came
back 10 town. we kept up the friend
ship. One day. 1 noticed that she
seemed 70 know all OF my friends
by name.
She knew where they lived and
how many children they had and
what the man OF the family did for
a living She knew whether or not
they had an automobile and what
church they belonged % and what
club and everything.
And she had never met a single
one or them-nOt yet.
Tt wasn't long till she did meet
them. though. She managed II 80
cieverIy that I didn't realize wha.
she was doing until l came 10 look
back at IL afterward. and the first
thing I knew she had me buying
hats at her milhner's and ordering
crosses at her dressmaker's, and
she had my cooks sister-in-law
hooking for her, and she always
Happened around when we we're
planning to AXE someone some
where IN the car, and once or
twice we sent the car for her, and
ueople thought Il was hers, and she
didn't correct the impression.
And she brought people % see
my new livlng-room-when I wasn't
there. She knew I wouldn't mind.
she said, and I suddenly woke up TO
ind that the Staircase Lady fairly
lived either in my house or IN the
house OF my friends, and one OF my
relatives gave the Staircase Lady's
husband a very good contract, and
one Of my husbands in-laws is in
-erestinz himself in the Staircase
Iady's son and mis- future.
How Far VIII She Climb?
And one OF my dearest friends
les proposed the Staircase Lady for
rsr very exclusive club. and all at
once we began 70 wonder who she
really was. anyhow, and where her
own family was and her own
friends-ard now. we call her the
Staircase Lady. I suppose it's mean,
isn't II. but really, don't you hate
people who make convenience OF
you ?"
yes" said I. Il do. I have
relative who loves 20 he generous
wi.h my things.
Now. I ike TO be generous. too
with my own things, and 1 would
love 10 do little * the giving, my
ref. Ny relative thinks I'm awful
49, QUEER about it. wonder II
And the Woman T Know and I
laughed together, ard tha- was all
there was TO il. But I think
snail have rather good time
watching the Staircase LADY
vvondsr Just how far she viii climb
bv means Of ne and my few modest