"Poor things! None of them have my acquaintance." "No, that's just it!" she cried.

"And papa had never even heard the name of Vertrees! Mrs.Vertrees went with some anti-smoke committee to see him, and he told her that smoke was what made her husband bring home his wages from the pay-roll on Saturday night! HE told us about it, and I thought I just couldn't live through the night, I was so ashamed! Mr.
Vertrees has always lived on his income, and papa didn't know him, of course.

They're the stiffist, most elegant people in the whole town.

And to crown it all, papa went and bought the next lot to the old Vertrees country mansion--it's in the very heart of the best new residence district now, and that's where the New House is, right next door to them--and I must say it makes their place look rather shabby! I met Mary Vertrees when I joined the Mission Service Helpers, but she never did any more than just barely bow to me, and since papa's break I doubt if she'll do that! They haven't called." "And you think if I spread this gossip about Vertrees the First stealing Dan'l Boone's gun, the chances that they WILL call--" "Papa knows what a break he made with Mrs.Vertrees.I made him understand that," said Edith, demurely, "and he's promised to try and meet Mr.Vertrees and be nice to him.

It's just this way: if we don't know THEM, it's practically no use in our having build the New House; and if we DO know them and they're decent to us, we're right with the right people.