rs. Smith's
care she had been transformed into such a thing of beauty that Clarence
could hardly recognize her. Instead of tow-colored hair, crowded back by
means of a black rubber comb, Susan had been taught a neat arrangement
of her blonde locks--so great is the magic of a few deft touches.
Instead of being a gawky girl of seventeen, in a faded blue calico
wrapper, Susan, as transformed by one of Mrs. Smith's simple white
gowns, was a young lady. She so worshipped Mrs. Smith that she imitated
her in everything, even to the lesser things, like motions of the hand,
and tossings of the head.

When Mrs. Smith broached the matter of taking Susan to New York, she
received a shock from Mr. and Mrs. Bell. She had not for one moment
doubted that they would be delighted to find that Susan could have a
good home, good wages, and a city life, instead of the existence in such
a town as Clarence.

"Well, now," Mr. Bell said, "we gotter sort o' talk it over, me an' ma,
'fore we decide that. Susan's a'most our baby, she is. T'hain't but four
of 'em younger than what she is in our fambly. We'll let you know, hey?"

Ma and Pa Bell talked it over carefully and came to a decision.
The decision was that they had better talk it over with some of the
neighbors. The neighbors met at Bell's and talked it over openly in the
presence of Mrs. Smith.

They agreed that it would be a great chance for Susan, and they said
that no one could want a nicer, kinder lady for boss than what Mrs.
Smith was--"but 'tain't noways right to take no risks."

"You see, ma'am," said Ma Bell, "WE don't know who you are no more than
nothin', do we? And we do know how as them big towns is ungodly to beat
the band, don't we? I remember my grandma tellin' me when I was a little
girl about the awful goin's on she heard tell of one time when she
was down to Pittsburg, and I reckon New York must be twice the size of
Pittsburg was them days, so it must be twice as wicked. So we tell you
plain, without meanin' no harm, that WE don't know who you are, nor what
you'd do with Susan, once you got her to New York."

"Oh, I now what you want," said Mrs. Smith; "you want references."

"Them's it," said Mrs. Bell, with great relief.

"Well," said Mrs. Smith, "that is easy. I know EVERYBODY in New York."

She thought a moment.

"There's Mr. Murray, of MURRAY'S MAGAZINE," she suggested, mentioning
her friend of the great monthly magazine.

"Guess we never heard of that,"