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“His Smile” is a short but powerful story by American writer Susan Glaspell, known for her deep and emotional stories. This special version of the story has been rewritten in simple English for Level 2 English learners. It helps you enjoy classic literature while improving your reading skills.
The story follows a woman named Laura, who is on a personal journey to find a single, unforgettable smile—that of her beloved husband Howie, who has passed away. She travels from town to town just to catch a brief moment in a movie where he appears. That one small smile gives her hope, strength, and a way to continue living.
In this easy-to-understand version, learners will explore themes of love, memory, and emotional healing through simple but meaningful language. The story is written in four short chapters and is perfect for learners who want to read literature without difficulty.
Whether you’re studying English or simply love beautiful stories, His Smile will touch your heart and help you grow in your language journey.
This story was rewritten by LearnEnglish-new.com for English learners. Enjoy reading the story and improve your English skills!
His Smile
By Susan Glaspell
Contents
Chapter One: Waiting for Howie
Chapter Two: A Glimpse of Howie
Chapter Three: The Smile That Stayed
Chapter Four: A Light in the Darkness
Chapter One
Waiting for Howie
Laura stood across the street from the theater. She was not going inside. She was just standing there, waiting. She didn’t really know why she waited. Maybe it was because this was the place where she once saw something very important—something that made her feel close to Howie.
She was not wearing her best clothes. Her dark-blue suit was old. Her little hat was simple. But this is how she always dressed when she came to this town. Howie used to like her this way—young and happy.
Two soldiers passed by. One smiled and said, “Hello there, kiddo.” The other said kindly, “You should worry.” Laura smiled a little. That was what Howie used to say—“You should worry.” Hearing those words made her heart beat fast.
A man behind her was selling popcorn. “Pop-corn! Pop-corn right here!” he shouted. Laura bought some. She didn’t want to, but she needed to look like she had a reason to stand there. She didn’t want people to notice her.
Then the theater doors opened, and many people came out. The movie had finished. Laura watched them. She tried to see something—anything—that would show her what she came for. The people laughed and talked as they left. It was just like in other towns.
But Laura wasn’t looking for just any picture. She was looking for one thing. One moment. One face.
It was the last piece she had of him—of Howie. She had come a long way just for this. She wouldn’t be cheated.
She crossed the street and went inside the theater.
Inside, the lights were low. She saw a man working with some film. He looked sleepy. He yawned and looked at the light on the screen. Laura walked to him slowly.
“You didn’t show all of the picture tonight, did you?” she asked.
He looked at her with surprise. “What do you mean?”
“You didn’t give all of it. You left something out.”
A man from upstairs called, “Lady here says you didn’t give the whole thing.”
Another man came down the stairs and said, “What part did we miss?”
Laura’s voice shook. “You didn’t show what was important. What you left out… please, show it to me—now.”
The young man just stared at her. He didn’t know what to say. He looked at the other man.
Then Laura said, with a sad, small voice, “I don’t want my money back. I just want to see what you left out.”
Chapter 1 – Vocabulary
- Theater — a place where people watch movies or plays.
Laura stood across the street from the theater. - Wait — to stay in a place until someone or something comes.
She was just standing there, waiting. - Important — something that has great meaning or value.
Maybe it was because this was the place where she once saw something very important. - Soldier — a person who serves in the army.
Two soldiers passed by.
- Worry — to feel nervous or afraid about something.
“You should worry.” - Notice — to see or become aware of someone or something.
She didn’t want people to notice her. - Leave out — to not include or show something.
“You left something out.” - Surprise — a feeling you have when something is unexpected.
He looked at her with surprise.
Chapter 1 – Comprehension Questions
1. Where was Laura standing at the beginning of the story?
2. Why did Laura come to the theater?
3. What was Laura wearing?
4. What did one of the soldiers say to Laura?
5. Why did Laura buy some popcorn?
6. What was Laura looking for when people left the theater?
7. What did Laura ask the young man at the theater?
8. Why did Laura want to see the part of the film that was left out?
Chapter 1 – Grammar Exercises
1. Laura ___ across the street from the theater.
A) stand
B) stood
C) standing
D) stands
2. She was ___ there, waiting.
A) stand
B) stood
C) standing
D) stands
3. Howie ___ to like Laura this way.
A) use
B) used
C) uses
D) using
4. Two soldiers ___ by Laura.
A) pass
B) passes
C) passed
D) passing
5. Laura ___ some popcorn because she wanted a reason to stand there.
A) buy
B) buys
C) bought
D) buying
6. She didn’t want people ___ her.
A) notice
B) noticed
C) noticing
D) to notice
7. When the theater doors opened, many people ___ out.
A) come
B) came
C) comes
D) coming
8. Laura ___ to see what they left out.
A) want
B) wanted
C) wanting
D) wants
Answer Key:
1-B, 2-C, 3-B, 4-C, 5-C, 6-A, 7-B, 8-B.
Chapter Two
A Glimpse of Howie
The young man tried to explain. “We didn’t mean to leave anything out,” he said. “Sometimes films break, or some parts don’t show well.”
“I know exactly what I came to see,” Laura replied. Her voice was quiet, but her eyes were full of feeling. “I came to see him—to see Howie.”
The men didn’t know what to say. Laura’s words were deep and serious. One man said gently, “Lady, maybe it’s better if we give you your money back.”
“No!” Laura cried. “It’s not about money. I need to see that one moment. I came all this way for it. You don’t understand—it’s all I have.”
She turned and walked out of the theater. She felt the tears coming, but she didn’t let them fall. She went back to her hotel. In the quiet room, she heard the man next door moving around. The world outside was still full of life—but inside her, it felt empty.
Even the people who tried to comfort her didn’t understand. They said kind things, but they didn’t know what Howie meant to her. How could they know? He had been her whole world. She didn’t know how to live without him.
That night was the same as her wedding anniversary. She thought about all the years they had spent together. Each year, this day had been full of joy. But now it only brought pain. And yet, she still wanted to feel close to Howie.
She went to the telegraph office. She sent a message to the movie company. She asked, “Where else will this picture be shown?” The film was called The Cross of Diamonds. That was the one.
They answered her. The movie would be shown that night again—but very far away. More than a hundred miles. That was too far. But Laura didn’t stop.
“I must see it,” she said to herself. “One more time. Then I will stop. Then I’ll let him go.”
She packed her things quickly. She put on the clothes Howie liked best. She caught the train to the town where the movie would play. It was a small town, far from where she started. The theater there wasn’t nice. It had green lights and ugly walls. But that didn’t matter.
She was going to see Howie.
She sat down in the place where she knew she could see him clearly. She had come early, so she could sit where she always did—where she used to sit when Howie came on screen.
The movie started. She waited, her heart full of hope.
Suddenly, a terrible word broke her thoughts—someone behind her whispered, “Munitions.”
She pressed her hands to her eyes. She didn’t want to hear that word. She didn’t want to remember how he had died.
She was not ready to stop coming. She needed to see him again. Just once more. To see Howie’s face. To see his smile.
That’s why she kept traveling, kept buying tickets, kept sitting in dark theaters. Because in one small, perfect moment in that movie, he smiled—and that smile had once brought her back to life.
Chapter 2 – Vocabulary
- Explain — to make something clear or easy to understand.
“We didn’t mean to leave anything out,” he said, trying to explain. - Sometimes — at some times, but not always.
“Sometimes films break, or some parts don’t show well.” - Reply — to answer someone.
“I know exactly what I came to see,” Laura replied. - Feeling — an emotion or something you feel inside.
Her voice was quiet, but her eyes were full of feeling.
- Understand — to know what someone means.
“You don’t understand—it’s all I have.” - Comfort — to make someone feel better when they are sad.
Even the people who tried to comfort her didn’t understand. - Anniversary — a day that marks a special event from a past year.
That night was the same as her wedding anniversary. - Far away — at a great distance from a place.
The movie would be shown that night again—but very far away.
Chapter 2 – Comprehension Questions
1. What did the young man try to explain to Laura?
2. Why did Laura want to see the missing part of the film?
3. What did the men offer to give Laura?
4. Why did Laura refuse to take her money back?
5. How did Laura feel when she returned to her hotel?
6. Why was that night important to Laura?
7. Where did Laura go to ask about the movie?
8. Why did Laura travel to another town?
Chapter 2 – Grammar Exercises
1. The young man tried to ___ what happened to the film.
A) explain
B) explained
C) explaining
D) explains
2. Laura ___ exactly what she came to see.
A) know
B) knows
C) knew
D) knowing
3. The men ___ what to say to Laura.
A) don’t know
B) didn’t know
C) doesn’t know
D) not know
4. Laura ___ her tears when she left the theater.
A) doesn’t let
B) didn’t let
C) not let
D) wasn’t let
5. She ___ back to her hotel after leaving the theater.
A) go
B) goes
C) went
D) going
6. Laura ___ to the telegraph office to ask about the movie.
A) go
B) went
C) going
D) goes
7. The movie ___ be shown that night again.
A) would
B) will
C) can
D) must
8. Laura ___ her things quickly and caught the train.
A) pack
B) packs
C) packed
D) packing
Answer Key:
1-A, 2-C, 3-B, 4-B, 5-C, 6-B, 7-A, 8-C.
Chapter Three
The Smile That Stayed
Laura arrived in the new town late. She had to take a train and then a bus. Every part of her felt tired, but she didn’t stop. The picture had already started when she entered the theater.
She looked for a seat. A woman said, “Balcony only.”
Laura begged, “Please help me find a seat.”
“There are no seats left,” the woman replied. “You’ll have to find your own.”
Upstairs, the theater was full too. Laura waited. Finally, a man helped her find a seat. “Sit beside the nice lady,” he said.
The “nice lady” was a mother with two children. One of the little girls looked at Laura as if she were waiting for something from her. But Laura stayed quiet. She didn’t speak. She must be alone. She was there for Howie.
As the movie played, the little girl beside her grew sleepy. She leaned against Laura and fell asleep. Laura felt her small head touch her arm.
Not now, Laura thought. I need to be ready. I need to see him. I can’t let this moment slip away.
But the child was soft and warm. She didn’t move. Laura didn’t want to wake her. She turned her face back to the screen.
Then—that moment came.
The detective in the film left the hotel. He walked down the street. He stopped by the cigar store. And then, a dog came—just like before. The same movements. The same sounds.
Laura’s heart beat faster. Her hands were cold. She leaned forward.
Then—she saw him.
There he was—Howie—walking into the scene. He bent down to help the little dog with its muzzle. He spoke kindly. His voice was full of warmth. He moved the way he always had.
Laura held her breath.
Then he turned to go—but he stopped. He looked back.
And there it was.
The smile.
That soft, familiar smile.
The one that had been the heart of her life.
She saw it again.
In that dark theater, everything else disappeared. The people, the sounds, the lights—none of it mattered. She saw him smile. And he smiled for her.
It was only a second. But that moment was enough. It made everything right. That one smile told her everything she needed to know.
Howie was still with her.
She couldn’t hold back the tears. But they were not just sad tears—they were full of love. She had seen him. She had felt his care. His warmth. His light.
When the moment was gone, she sat very still. She didn’t want to move. The little girl beside her slept peacefully, her head resting on Laura’s arm.
Laura stayed that way, feeling the soft weight of the child and the lasting warmth of his smile.
Chapter 3 – Vocabulary
- Arrive — to come to a place.
Laura arrived in the new town late. - Balcony — an upper part of a theater where people can sit.
“Balcony only,” the woman said. - Seat — a place where you sit.
Laura looked for a seat. - Sleepy — feeling that you want to sleep.
The little girl beside her grew sleepy.
- Lean — to move your body toward someone or something.
She leaned against Laura and fell asleep. - Breath — the air that you take into your lungs.
Laura held her breath. - Smile — a happy expression on your face.
And there it was. The smile. - Warmth — a feeling of being warm, comfortable, or loved.
She had seen him. She had felt his care. His warmth.
Chapter 3 – Comprehension Questions
1. How did Laura travel to the new town?
2. Why did Laura arrive at the theater late?
3. Where did the woman tell Laura she could sit?
4. Who helped Laura find a seat?
5. What happened to the little girl beside Laura?
6. What did Howie do when he appeared in the film?
7. What did Laura see when Howie turned back?
8. How did Laura feel when she saw Howie’s smile?
Chapter 3 – Grammar Exercises
1. Laura ___ in the new town late.
A) arrive
B) arrives
C) arrived
D) arriving
2. The picture ___ already started when Laura entered the theater.
A) has
B) had
C) was
D) is
3. The little girl ___ sleepy during the movie.
A) grow
B) grows
C) grew
D) growing
4. She ___ against Laura and fell asleep.
A) lean
B) leaned
C) leaning
D) leans
5. Laura didn’t want ___ the little girl.
A) wake
B) woke
C) waking
D) to wake
6. Laura ___ forward when she saw Howie.
A) lean
B) leaned
C) leaning
D) leans
7. Howie ___ down to help the little dog.
A) bend
B) bends
C) bent
D) bending
8. Laura ___ her breath when she saw Howie.
A) hold
B) holds
C) held
D) holding
Answer Key:
1-C, 2-B, 3-C, 4-B, 5-D, 6-B, 7-C, 8-C.
Chapter Four
A Light in the Darkness
When the film ended, Laura didn’t move right away. She sat quietly, remembering his smile. That smile had brought her back to life. She felt full, not empty. Strong, not broken.
She stood up slowly and walked out of the theater.
At the door, her brother Tom was waiting. She was not surprised. She had told him not to come, but she knew he might follow her. He looked at her with tired, sad eyes.
“O, Laura!” he said softly.
She didn’t answer.
They walked a little way together. Then he said, “I thought you weren’t going to do this anymore.”
“How did you find me?” she asked.
“They told me you left home. I followed you.”
“I don’t see why,” she said, but her voice had no anger.
Tom didn’t understand. He had never really understood her and Howie. He didn’t know what that smile meant.
That smile was everything.
Tom had always thought it was wrong for her to chase these small pieces of memory. But Laura knew: sometimes a moment is all we get. And sometimes, that moment is more than enough.
Back home, things felt strange. Life moved slowly. Tom and his wife tried to help her find joy again. They talked to her about small things—simple joys. Laura listened, but she stayed quiet.
She didn’t fight them. She didn’t say no. But she didn’t really say yes either. Her heart was still with Howie.
Laura had never been outgoing. Even before Howie, she had always felt alone. She didn’t really connect with people. She had lived more in her thoughts than in the world.
But then Howie came.
Howie had changed everything. He had shown her kindness. He had made her laugh. He had shown her a way to live.
And now, even though he was gone, that smile lived in her heart.
She tried to explain it once. She said, “It’s like being told to go into the sunshine… when the sun is not shining.”
Others tried to help her, but they didn’t understand.
So she called again. She looked for The Cross of Diamonds one more time. She wanted to see the smile again.
This time, the movie was far away—in Indiana. She took the train, the bus. She was tired, but she didn’t stop.
She arrived just in time. The film was about to begin.
The theater was full, but someone gave her a seat.
She sat down. She waited.
Again, the same part came. Again, she saw Howie. Again, he helped the little dog. And again—he smiled.
And again, that smile reached her.
She felt its warmth. Its truth.
That smile told her she was not alone. She had been loved. Deeply. Honestly.
And now, that smile would always stay with her.
She didn’t need to chase it anymore. She didn’t need to find the film again.
She had his smile—inside her.
And from that moment on, whenever she felt cold or afraid, she would remember it.
That little smile.
The one that made the world light again.
The one that made everything right.
— THE END –
Chapter 4 – Vocabulary
- Quietly — in a quiet way, without making much noise.
She sat quietly, remembering his smile. - Follow — to go after someone.
“I followed you.” - Understand — to know what someone means or feels.
Tom had never really understood her and Howie. - Memory — something you remember from the past.
She felt strange, remembering his smile.
- Kindness — the quality of being kind and caring.
Howie had shown her kindness. - Sunshine — the light and warmth from the sun.
“It’s like being told to go into the sunshine… when the sun is not shining.” - Alone — without other people.
That smile told her she was not alone. - Afraid — feeling fear.
Whenever she felt cold or afraid, she would remember it.
Chapter 4 – Comprehension Questions
1. Who was waiting for Laura outside the theater?
2. Why did Tom follow Laura?
3. Why did Tom not understand Laura and Howie?
4. How had Howie changed Laura’s life?
5. What did Howie show Laura?
6. Where did Laura travel to see the movie again?
7. What happened when Laura saw Howie’s smile again?
8. Why did Laura decide that she did not need to find the film again?
Chapter 4 – Grammar Exercises
1. Laura ___ quietly after the film ended.
A) sit
B) sat
C) sits
D) sitting
2. Tom ___ Laura after she left home.
A) follow
B) follows
C) followed
D) following
3. Tom ___ why Laura went to see the movie again.
A) didn’t understand
B) doesn’t understood
C) wasn’t understand
D) not understand
4. Howie ___ Laura’s life when he came into it.
A) change
B) changed
C) changing
D) changes
5. He ___ her kindness and showed her a way to live.
A) show
B) shows
C) showed
D) showing
6. Laura ___ to Indiana to see the movie again.
A) travel
B) travels
C) traveled
D) traveling
7. She ___ the smile again when the same part of the movie came.
A) see
B) saw
C) sees
D) seeing
8. Whenever she ___ cold or afraid, she would remember Howie’s smile.
A) feel
B) feels
C) felt
D) feeling
The Original Version of the Story: americanliterature.com
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