Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-22
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
CITY OF DREAMS
By Jessie Douglas

"WHAT do people do i to get va nc. =.
w uuainted?" Annie Laurie Ware
thought desperately.
She was walking along one Of those
streets in Harlem where the buildings
seem to form canyon, where the ave-
nues are ugly crosscuts, where there is
no vista to rest the eye.
"Now, IL I should just stop this man
coming and say. I'm so desperately
lonely that I'd like to cry / wonder
what he'd do. Call policeman. l
Annie Laurie had come quite close
to him now. and she saw that he had
keen blue eyes and two pleasant creases
in his checks. that he glanced at her
casually and that when he did she felt
the blood color her face.
"Just as though he knew what I was
thinking"' Annie Laurie went on dis
consolately. as she turned the corner:
"Now. IL looked back and he looked
back and Why. Annie Laurie, I'm
scandalzed at you. ~ she told herself,
She stopped moment before shop
window it was very tiny shop with
just enough glass to show Boston ferns,
a feathery spray of lilacs and some
narcissus blooming in the shallow
bowl
He'd say Would you rather hav"
violets today. Annie Laurie, or just
roses as usual.
Anything can do for you. miss
Annie Laurie started. She realized
she had stopped longer than she need
before this window. and she blushed and
looked down at her glove, which was
should have been gray. and hesitated.
Yes. should like a bulb" she
said. boldly. 'and some pebbles and q
very. very little bowl
Forty five. miss.
Annie Laurie just had fifty cents left
and she realized with pang that 1t
meant she would have no lunch tomor
row-and she hoped there would be no
delay with her pay envelope.
She snuggled her precious bulb under
her arm and made the journey back tC
her room without further adventure.
1T must have sun and it must have
water she said aloud rs she set il
in the open window ledge.
She let the water drip over her bult
and heard an irritated voice ascent
from the regions below: but l don,
need any water, thank you
Annie Laurie peered down, and the
voice peered IN, until she found hersel
man she had passed
ooh. it's you" she gaspcd.
Then overcome at the betrayal Of hel
words, she pulled in her head, and il
her embarrassment dislOdged hel
precious bulb. She heard it go rat
tling down the areaway amid the sharI
clattcr of her pebbles, and as she saw
her little bowl shattered into fragment
she gave heart broken vail.
"Ill see what ! can do sympa
thetic voice called up TO her.
"Remember, Annie Laurie, how yor
were brought up.' she warned herself
When, five minutes later, a breath
less young man with laughing blue eye,
presented her with stubby brown bulb
Annie Laurie, with dropped lids tha
hid all the light of her dancing eyes
answered primly, THANK you yer,
much
That was all.
That thank you very much" pre-
cluded all other conversation. Yo,
couldn't talk about the weather sud
denly or even about having seen Ger
tain person before. so the young maj
thought, when prim little guardian
held the door.
And Annie Laurie back in her room
n was loneicr than ever.
y II know he's NICE" she walled "H
has eyes like little Bennie, and hi
y voice-and ! shall just have to go o.
7 the same as ever, dying Of loneliness
going down to the Office In the mornin
and coming back in the evening, an
! wishing In the meantime
| And she did.
= harder to bear all the time, and if
Il ! hadn't hppn for tha five dol ro Sb