The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-03-22
TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
CITY &c Dreams
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS

ffTVy1HAT do people do to get
M acquainted" Annie Lau-
~ rie Ware thought deS-
She was walking along one OF
nose streets In Harlem where
TIE buildings seem to form can
gnni where there is no vista to
rest the eye.
liew. IL 1 should Just stop this
man coming and say I'm so des-
perately lonely that I'd like TO
cry, wonder what he'd do. Call
policeman, / s'pose s*H"
Anple Laurie had come quite
nlota to him now, and she saw
that he had keen blue eyes and
two pleasant creases in his cheeks
that he glanced at her casually
and that when he did she felt the
blood color her face,
tJust as though he knew what
was thinking!" Annie Laurie
went on dlsconsolately, as she
turned the corner. Now, II I
looked back and lie looked back
and-Why, Annie Laurie, I'm
scNpaalized at you!" she told her
sslf.
she stopped a moment before a
shop window; It was very tiny
shop with just enough glass to
show Boston ferns, feAthery
spray Of lilacs and some nareIs-
spsx blooming in a shallow bowl.
HE'D say, Would you rather
have yiolets today, Annie Laurie,
orljustroses as usual?'"
AnythinS can do for you,
iitss?n
Annie Laurie started. She real.
lied she had stopped longer than
steneed before this window, and
She hlushed and looked down at
her glove which was quite white,
nj the finger tips where Il should
have been gray, and hesitated.
Eyes, shonld like = bulb"
she said, boldly, land some pcb-
olsa and very, very little bowl"
'.Forty-ftye, miss"
Annie Laurie Just han so cents
lett and she realized with a pang
that II meant she would have no
lunch tomorrow-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 TO her room with
out further adventure.
1T must have sun and 1t
must have water" she said aloud
IS she set II in the open window
edge.
She let the water drip over her
hnlb and heard an irrltated voice
ascend from the regions below:
But don't need any water, thank
ypuin
Annie Laurie peered down and
the voice peered up, until she
found herself looking into the
very blue eyes OF the man she had
Npassed.
t,oh, it's you!" she gasped.
Then overcome at the betrayal
Of her words she pulled in her
head, and In her embarrassment
dislodged her precious bulb. She
heard It 60 rafting down the
areaway amid the sharp clatter OF
.&r pebbles, and as she saw her
ilttIe bowl shattered into. frag-
fpents she gave a heart-broken
0I'll see what can do" a
,isympathetic voice called up to
ff,aPemen,ber Annie Laurie how
you we're brought up!" she
warned herself,
When five minutes later,
bfeathless young man with laugh
Ing blue eyes presented her with
4 stubby brown bulb, Annie
TSEAurie, with dropped lids that hid
all the light OF her dancing eyes,
answered primly, THANK you very
much"
4 THAT was all.
That thank you very much"
preeluded all other conversation.
You couldn't talk about the woath-
er suddenly or even about having
seen a certain person before. SO
the young man thought. when
prim little guardian held the door.
And Annie Laurie back In her
room was lonelier than ever.
81 know he's NICE" she walled.
He has eyes like little Bennie,
and his voice-and I shall just
have to go on the same as over,
dying OF loneliness, going down to
the office in the morning and COM
ing back In the evening, and wish
ing In the meantime"
And she did.
1.-THE ache In her heart was get
ting harder to bear all the time.
and ~ 1t hadn't been for the five
dollars she could send each week
to d little franc house in st.
Petersburg, she might have given
up the struggle, and fled home.
Her letters were full Of tho