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,” said Mrs. Bell doubtfully.
“Then do you know the AEON MAGAZINE? I know the editor of AEON.”