A WOMAN NAMED SMITH
by
MARIE CONWAY OEMLER
Author of _Slippy McGee_, etc.
Grosset & Dunlap Publishers New York
1919
[Frontispiece illustration: "Sophy," he said, "I have found the lost key of Hynds House"]
To
ELIZABETH HEYWARD OEMLER
_Sometimes my Little Girl._
When you were yet an Awful Baby, And bawled o' bed-time, I said "Maybe It is not best to spank or scold her: Suppose a fairy-tale were told her?" And gave you then, to my undoing, The wolf Red Riding-Hood pursuing; Sang Mother Goose her artless rhyming; Showed Jack the Magic Beanstalk climbing; Three Little Pigs were so appealing, You set up sympathetic squealing! Then, Bitsybet, you had your mother-- _You bawled until I told another!_
The Awful Baby's gone. Here lately You bear your little self sedately. You've shed your rompers; you want dresses Prinked out with frillies; fluff your tresses; Delight your daddy, aunts, and mother; And sisterly set straight your brother. Your bib-and-tucker days abolished, Your manners and your nails are polished. One baby trait remains, thank glory! You're still a glutton for a story. Still, Bitsybet, you beg another: So here's one for you from
YOUR MOTHER.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER
I THE SCARLET WITCH DEPARTS II AND ARIEL MAKES MUSIC III THE DEAR LITTLE GOD! IV THE HYNDSES OF HYNDS HOUSE V "THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF" VI GLAMOURY VII A BRIGHT PARTICULAR STAR VIII PEACOCKS AND IVORY IX THE JUDGMENT OF SPRING X THE FOREST OF ARDEN XI THE JINNEE INTERVENES XII MAN PROPOSES XIII FIRES OF YESTERDAY XIV THE TALISMAN XV THE HEART OF HYNDS HOUSE XVI THE DEVILL HIS RAINBOW XVII ON THE KNEES OF THE GODS XVIII THE GREATEST GIFT XIX DEEP WATERS XX HARBOR
CHARACTERS
SOPHY: A woman named Smith.
ALICIA GAINES: Flower o' the Peach.
NICHOLAS JELNIK: Peacocks and Ivory.
DOCTOR RICHARD GEDDES: _Coeur-de-Lion._
THE AUTHOR: Himself.
THE SECRETARY: A Pleasant Person.
MISS EMMELINE PHELPS-PARSONS: of Boston, Massachusetts.
MISS MARTHA HOPKINS: "Clothed in White Samite."
JUDGE GATCHELL: The Law.
SCHMETZ AND RIEDRIECH: Workmen and Visionaries.
THE JINNEE: A Son of the Prophet.
SOPHRONISBA SCARLETT: "The Scarlett Witch."
THE HYNDSES OF HYNDS HOUSE.
PAYING GUESTS.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Woman Named Smith by Marie Conway Oemler
- 2: When they should discover that historic Hynds House
- 3: I was named Sophronisba at Mrs
- 4: Alicia wrinkled her white forehead
- 5: Hynds House itself was on the extreme edge of things
- 6: As if all the Hyndses were not dead and gone
- 7: Alicia assented instantly and ungrammatically
- 8: Who do you suppose had a mustache and drank out of that cup
- 9: Think of having a jinnee fetch you your coffee
- 10: Judge Gatchell sent us that spread
- 11: And lowered his voice Wellum
- 12: 'Who de name er Gawd in ol' Mis' Scarlett's pahlor
- 13: And Hynds House as it stood wasn't to be lived in
- 14: Looking from me to Alicia with bright
- 15: Abruptly Has Jelnik called yet
- 16: This Sophronisba prefers a poodle
- 17: Inanimate objects become docile to their will
- 18: A few days later Doctor Geddes sent us Schmetz
- 19: Schmetz was jumping up and down
- 20: And so thick that one was minded of Absalom
- 21: You didn't know Great Aunt Sophronisba
- 22: Particularly Doctor Richard Geddes
- 23: Brought from Italy by Richard Hynds
- 24: Suspicion fastened upon Richard Hynds
- 25: After the death of James Hampden Hynds
- 26: Jelnik remained staring up at her
- 27: As Abishag dry nursed old King David
- 28: And his eyes upon Alicia weren't at all frosty
- 29: Hyndsville at its best was a big
- 30: Or what happens in Hynds House
- 31: That made us begin to love Hynds House
- 32: Above the fireplace hung the portrait of Freeman Hynds thin
- 33: The period of the Hynds tragedy
- 34: Running out with Schmetz at her heels
- 35: Gatchell hasn't had a thought since 1845
- 36: Is that I've got some fine bulbs
- 37: Their eyes fell upon Doctor Richard Geddes
- 38: Holding his torch above his curl crowned head
- 39: With politely cold hopes that we should like Hyndsville
- 40: We had done our part for Hynds House
- 41: To come and live in Hynds House for a while
- 42: When one considered Hynds House
- 43: Watching eyes of all feminine Hyndsville
- 44: The inexplicable Jelnik failed to exhibit it
- 45: With shaking hands Queenasheeba relighted the lamp
- 46: Fernolia and Queenasheeba were firmly
- 47: Letter from Miss Emmeline Phelps Parsons
- 48: Alicia told him sympathetically
- 49: Jelnik's mother was a Miss Hynds
- 50: I meet Jelnik pere in Vienna
- 51: Miss Hopkins sailed into Hynds House on a perfect afternoon
- 52: Jelnik it was very nice of you to remember
- 53: Jelnik was desolated he had a pressing engagement
- 54: Miss Hopkins studied him with a balefully level eye
- 55: Brooding face of Freeman Hynds above the old tiled fireplace
- 56: With the background of Hynds House outlining us
- 57: Westmacote listened with quiet enjoyment
- 58: Jelnik may have some family papers
- 59: Nicholas Jelnik nor nor Doctor Richard Geddes
- 60: Swift footstep sounded overhead in the attic
- 61: He opened the cedar lined closet
- 62: As Doctor Richard Geddes told me wrathfully
- 63: It so happened that Miss Emmeline Phelps Parsons
- 64: And the Gatchell boy trod on air
- 65: Jelnik looks like Prince Charming himself
- 66: And likes his omelet buttered
- 67: Or perhaps a fit of indigestion
- 68: And before I knew it was in the Enchanted Wood
- 69: We Hyndses are the deuce and all for affection
- 70: Boris is used to playing courier
- 71: Morenas says you are a rare but quite perfect type
- 72: Alicia is everything a girl ought to be
- 73: It is curled a little and fluffed a little
- 74: But there was a section of Hyndsville I couldn't reach
- 75: When I met her a morning or two before the Morenas exhibit
- 76: Everything in Hynds House pleased them
- 77: I could sniff a thousand woodsy odors
- 78: There was the whish whish whishing little brook
- 79: The Jinnee did exactly what a good Jinnee always does
- 80: Jelnik addressed him as Daoud
- 81: Jelnik smiled so sweetly that I was terrified
- 82: Daoud brought me scented water
- 83: Scarboro was a very important person in Hyndsville
- 84: Seized Sir Thomas More Black by the scruff
- 85: Was it because you have ceased to care for Alicia
- 86: What do you think of stewed rhubarb
- 87: The doctor spoke pleasantly to Alicia
- 88: The Which noted Madame Jezebel
- 89: The next entry records the loss of the Hynds jewels
- 90: Dreading Shooba to be even then in the Room
- 91: Everybody knows the Greek fret
- 92: Nicholas Jelnik had strolled up unperceived
- 93: I find you a very likeable being
- 94: The Author looked at the old ladies
- 95: 'an' with the help of God and my scissahs and my shirt tail
- 96: Never had there been such rummaging of attics
- 97: While The Jinnee moved slowly away from the window
- 98: The Jinnee snapped his fingers at Boris
- 99: Achmet's slippers went scuf scuf scuf
- 100: As rightful heir of Hynds House
- 101: Achmet was willing enough to play the obliging Jinnee
- 102: Always one was confronted by solid brick walls
- 103: Each of which represents a brick
- 104: Jelnik placed the candles in the empty sconces
- 105: Who saw not Jessamine the poor Cozzen
- 106: And said Do not whip Shooba
- 107: That night went I to Shooba secretly
- 108: Key Freeman and puff'd with his Lips
- 109: Never shall they Find where Shooba hid the Gems
- 110: Shooba the witch doctor had done the unexpected
- 111: I have no right to Hynds House
- 112: Nicholas Jelnik accept gifts from women
- 113: Nicholas Jelnik said as he bent over her
- 114: Jelnik took from his breast a pearl and silver crucifix
- 115: Later I wanted to have the Hynds jewels in my possession
- 116: And which touched the Jelnik grounds in the rear
- 117: To save my life I couldn't speak of Jessamine Hynds then
- 118: Doctor Geddes has spoken like an honest man
- 119: It took Alicia some moments to recover from that
- 120: Judge Gatchell sent them to me this morning
- 121: Jelnik doesn't want great beauty
- 122: That Alicia will be leaving me presently
- 123: Scarboro and startled my dear old lady
- 124: Everybody in Hyndsville turned out to say Good by
- 125: Alicia was sitting by the side of the road
- 126: The next minute Alicia was kneeling beside me
- 127: I hadn't felt so close to Granny since I was little Sophy
- 128: They're saying old Sophronisba played a joke on herself
- 129: Florist shops haven't any bees
- 130: He turned appealingly to his dear Leetchy
- 131: Hynds Jelnik pride rose in arms
- 132: Jelnik it was because I cared
- 133: Sophy that I had too willingly underestimated Mr
- 134: But you do love Nicholas Jelnik
- 135: As Hyndsville ladies remembered
- 136: And Beautiful Dog sneaked into the room
- 137: And discovered that the other tiles
- 138: Shooba the skilfullest workman on Hynds place
- 139: The Jinnee looked thin and old
- 140: While The Jinnee as silently removed the Hynds jewels