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ONE BASKET
ONE BASKET
THIRTY…ONE SHORT STORIES
EDNA FERBER
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The Woman Who Tried to Be Good
＇1913＇
Before she tried to be a good woman she had been a very bad
womanso bad that she could trail her wonderful apparel up and down
Main Street； from the Elm Tree Bakery to the railroad tracks； without once
having a man doff his hat to her or a woman bow。 You passed her on the
street with a surreptitious glance； though she was well worth looking at
in her furs and laces and plumes。 She had the only full…length mink coat
in our town； and Ganz's shoe store sent to Chicago for her shoes。 Hers
were the miraculously small feet you frequently see in stout women。
Usually she walked alone； but on rare occasions； especially round
Christmastime； she might have been seen accompanied by some silent；
dull…eyed； stupid…looking girl； who would follow her dumbly in and out of
stores； stopping now and then to admire a cheap comb or a chain set with
flashy imitation stonesor； queerly enough； a doll with yellow hair and
blue eyes and very pink cheeks。 But； alone or in company； her
appearance in the stores of our town was the signal for a sudden jump in
the cost of living。 The storekeepers mulcted her； and she knew it and paid
in silence； for she was of the class that has no redress。 She owned the
House with the Closed Shutters； near the freight depotdid Blanche
Devine。
In a larger town than ours she would have passed unnoticed。 She did
not look like a bad woman。 Of course she used too much make…up； and
as she passed you caught the oversweet breath of a certain heavy scent。
Then； too； her diamond eardrops would have made any woman's features
look hard； but her plump face； in spite of its heaviness； wore an expression
of good…humored intelligence； and her eyeglasses gave her somehow a
look of respectability。 We do not associate vice with eyeglasses。 So in
a large city she would have passed for a well…dressed； prosperous；
comfortable wife and mother who was in danger of losing her figure from
an overabundance of good living； but with us she was a town character；
like Old Man Givins； the drunkard； or the weak…minded Binns girl。
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When she passed the drug… store corner there would be a sniggering
among the vacant…eyed loafers idling there； and they would leer at each
other and jest in undertones。
So； knowing Blanche Devine as we did； there was something
resembling a riot in one of our most respectable neighborhoods when it
was learned that she had given up her interest in the house near the freight
depot and was going to settle down in the white cottage on the corner and
be good。 All the husbands in the block； urged on by righteously
indignant wives； dropped in on Alderman Mooney after supper to see if
the thing could not be stopped。 The fourth of the protesting husbands to
arrive was the Very Young Husband who lived next door to the corner
cottage that Blanche Devine had bought。 The Very Young Husband had a
Very Young Wife； and they were the joint owners of Snooky。 Snooky
was three…going… on…four； and looked something like an angelonly
healthier and with grimier hands。 The whole neighborhood borrowed her
and tried to spoil her； but Snooky would not spoil。
Alderman Mooney was down in the cellar； fooling with the furnace。
He was in his furnace overalls； a short black pipe in his mouth。
Three protesting husbands had just left。 As the Very Young Husband；
following Mrs。 Mooney's directions； descended the cellar stairs； Alderman
Mooney looked up from his tinkering。 He peered through a haze of pipe
smoke。
〃Hello！〃 he called； and waved the haze away with his open palm。
〃Come on down！ Been tinkering with this blamed furnace since
supper。 She don't draw like she ought。 'Long toward spring a furnace
always gets balky。 How many tons you used this winter？〃
〃Oh…five；〃 said the Very Young Husband shortly。 Alderman Mooney
considered it thoughtfully。 The Young Husband leaned up against the
side of the water tank； his hands in his pockets。 〃Say； Mooney； is that
right about Blanche Devine's having bought the house on the corner？〃
〃You're the fourth man that's been in to ask me that this evening。 I'm
expecting the rest of the block before bedtime。 She bought it all right。〃
The Young Husband flushed and kicked at a piece of coal with the toe
of his boot。
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〃Well； it's a darned shame！〃 he began hotly。 〃Jen was ready to cry at
supper。 This'll be a fine neighborhood for Snooky to grow up in！
What's a woman like that want to come into a respectable street for；
anyway？ I own my home and pay my taxes〃
Alderman Mooney looked up。
〃So does she；〃 he interrupted。 〃She's going to improve the place
paint it； and put in a cellar and a furnace； and build a porch； and lay a
cement walk all round。〃
The Young Husband took his hands out of his pockets in order to
emphasize his remarks with gestures。
〃Whati's that got to do with it？ I don't care if she puts in diamonds
for windows and sets out Italian gardens and a terrace with peacocks on it。
You're the alderman of this ward； aren't you？ Well； it was up to you to
keep her out of this block！ You could have fixed it with an injunction or
somethng。 I'm going to get up a petitionthat's what I'm going〃
Alderman Mooney closed the furnace door with a bang that drowned
the rest of the threat。 He turned the draft in a pipe overhead and brushed
his sooty palms briskly together like one who would put an end to a
profitless conversation。
〃She's bought the house；〃 he said mildly； 〃and paid for it。 And it's
hers。 She's got a right to live in this neighborhood as long as she acts
respectable。〃
The Very Young Husband laughed。
〃She won't last！ They never do。〃
Alderman Mooney had taken his pipe out of his mouth and was
rubbing his thumb over the smooth bowl； looking down at it with unseeing
eyes。 On his face was a queer lookthe look of one who is embarrassed
because he is about to say something honest。
〃Look here！ I want to tell you something： I happened to be up in
the mayor's office the day Blanche signed for the place。 She had to go
through a lot of red tape before she got ithad quite a time of it； she did！
And say； kid； that woman ain't sobad。〃
The Very Young Husband exclaimed impatiently：
〃Oh； don't give me any of that； Mooney！ Blanche Devine's a town
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character。 Even the kids know what she is。 If she's got religion or
something； and wants to quit and be decent； why doesn't she go to another
town Chicago or someplacewhere nobody knows her？〃
That motion of Alderman Mooney's thumb against the smooth pipe
bowl stopped。 He looked up slowly。
〃That's what I saidthe mayor too。 But Blanche Devine said she
wanted to try it here。 She said this was home to her。 Funnyain't it？
Said she wouldn't be fooling anybody here。 They know her。 And if she
moved away； she said； it'd leak out some way sooner or later。 It does； she
said。 Always！ Seems she wants to live likewell； like other women。
She put it like this： she says she hasn't
