Henderson daily dispatch., 1936-06-16
CHATTER 20

JOAN STUCK her hands into her
pockets and set off at n brisk pace
after finding Sheila had prepared for
Julian'S Homecoming. 1t appeared
that she was going somewhere in a
hurry. Traffic waits found her tap
ping the toes of her brogues against
the sidewalk. From time to time she
glared balefully at the hands of her
wrist watch. Resolutely she marched
straight course down Madison
avenue.
At another time she would have
fingered and strolled on that thor
Oughfare, for like most newcomers to
New York she found its small,
bizarre shopS-most of them remind
ing her of tiny boxes to show off their
stock of clothes, jewels, books. pic
lures, antiques and other beguiling
wares-tempting beyond all measure.
But not this autumn night. She
didn't give them so much as a pass
Ing glance or slow her snappy walk.
Yet Joan had no place to go and
nothing to do.
that she couldn't do and one place
that she didn't want to be. And that
was at Julian SlOane's house where
Julian and Sheila were dining (she
supposedly a deuX. Her feeling of eX-
treme annoyance and disappointment
filled her with disgust while she was
fully aware of the injustice of it.
Not that being aware helped; it added
to her lf-disgust
She cut her way across to Fifth
avenue and was well downtown be-
fore it occurred to her that if she
was to have any dinner, she had bet
ter be thinking about it. The pros
pect of dining alone was depressing
but she upposed-making a stab to
recover her blthe spirit-that she'd
be doing il often and this was as
good time as any to begin.
New York could be terribly lone
some. She was beginning to realize
that a flying trip to town, getting
flowers from Alex, having lunch, din
ner, dancing and theatcr with Alex
were quite different from living N
the city. And she didn't know any
one in New York except the people
she had met as Julian's guests at The
Willows and-Win.
She was footsore when darkness
fell She had pursued her way
downtown, passed the big department
stores, the grim, dark office buildings
of lower Fifth avenue and, as she
approached Washington Square, at
the foot of the avenue, she thrilled
to her first sight of this old and
charming part Of the city.
She sat down on a bench in the
square and watched the urchns
playing around the fountain. She
saw with increasing loneliness the
couples who came in pairs and sat
close to each other, the old people
walking there in twos. Only Joan
seemed to be alone.
Win! Win, why did you do this
20 me? Win was pcrilously close to
her at that moment in her memories
and Julian and Sheila were part Of
dream that had no reality. She felt
terribly sorry for herself. So sorry
that she lonSed for the little cottage
In Blakeville ami Dorothy's chatter.
She wondered what all the people
In the lighted apartments were talk
Ing about, what they were having for
dinner; if they'd be terribly surprised
were she to rap on one Of their doors
and say that she was lonesome and
she wanted to know them. The idea
amused her for a little while and she
made up stories of the things that
might happen. She was in the mid
die Of dialogue in which she was
explaining her position to two girls
who insisted that she stay and dine
with them-entirely imaginative, of
course-whcn she realized that she
was not alone on the park bench and