house, hugging her arms. “It’s not a bad pain,” the woman on the sidewalk said, “but it persists.”
“My dear, my dear,” said the other. “Don’t take any chances—not at our age…”
And a couple, a boy and a girl, were walking up the street, coming home from the Tivoli Theatre. The girl was slouching in order not to seem taller than the boy, who was very short and who sprang up and down on the balls of his feet as he walked.
I picked a spray of lilac and smelled it, but then I didn’t know what to do with it—I didn’t want to throw it away—and finally I put it in my pants pocket.
I vaulted our back fence and landed in our back yard, frightening a cat, who leaped out of the hedge and ran in zigzags across the dark lawn. It startled me so much I felt weak. I tucked my shirt in carefully and smoothed my hair. Suddenly, I looked down at my fingertips; they were blurred in the darkness and moist from the lilac, and I swept them to my mouth and kissed them.
The kitchen was dark. There was no sound in the house, no sound at all, and a tremor passed through me. I turned the kitchen light on and hurriedly examined myself for marks of what had happened to me. I peered at my shirt, my pants. I rubbed my face with both hands. Then I turned the light off and slipped into the dining room, which was dark, too, and so was the hallway. The porch light was on. I ran up the front stairs and stopped short at the top; there was a light on in my mother’s room. She was sitting up in bed, with pillows at her back, a magazine across her lap, and a pad of paper on the magazine.
“Hello,” I said.
I expected her to bawl me out for being late, but she just looked at me solemnly for a moment, and then she said, “Sonny proposed to your sister.”
Because I hadn’t had a chance to wash my face, I raised one hand and held it over my cheek and chin, to hide whatever traces of lipstick there might be.
She said, “They’re going to be married in June. They went over to the Brusters’ to get the ring. He proposed practically the first thing when he came. They were both so—they were both so happy!” she said. “They make such a lovely couple…. Oh, if you could have seen them.”
She was in a very emotional state.
I started to back out the door.
“Where are you going?” my mother asked.
“To bed,” I said, surprised. “I’m in training—”
“Oh, you ought to wait up for your sister.”
“I’ll leave her a note,” I said.
I went to my room and took the white lilac out of my pocket and put it on my desk. I wrote, “I heard the news and think it’s swell. Congratulations. Wake me up when you come in.” I stuck the note in the mirror of her dressing table. Then I went back to my room and got undressed. Usually I slept raw, but I decided I’d better wear pajamas if my sister was going to come in and wake me up. I don’t know how much later it was that I heard a noise and sat bolt upright in bed. I had been asleep. My sister was standing in the door of my room. She was wearing a blue dress that had little white buttons all the way down the front and she had white gloves on. “Are you awake?” she whispered.
“Yes,” I said. “Where’s Mother?”
“Downstairs,” my sister said, coming into the room. “Sending telegrams. Do you want to see my ring?” She took her gloves off.
I turned the bedside-table lamp on, and she held her hand out. The ring was gold, and there was an emerald and four diamonds around it.
“It was his grandmother’s,” my sister said. I nodded. “It’s not what I—” she said, and sat down on the edge of the bed, and forgot to finish her sentence. “Tell me,” she said, “do you think he’s really rich?” Then she turned a sad gaze on me, through her lashes. “Do you want to know something awful? I don’t like my ring….”
“Are you unhappy?” I asked.
“No, just upset. It’s scary getting married. You have no idea. I kept getting chills all
“My dear, my dear,” said the other. “Don’t take any chances—not at our age…”
And a couple, a boy and a girl, were walking up the street, coming home from the Tivoli Theatre. The girl was slouching in order not to seem taller than the boy, who was very short and who sprang up and down on the balls of his feet as he walked.
I picked a spray of lilac and smelled it, but then I didn’t know what to do with it—I didn’t want to throw it away—and finally I put it in my pants pocket.
I vaulted our back fence and landed in our back yard, frightening a cat, who leaped out of the hedge and ran in zigzags across the dark lawn. It startled me so much I felt weak. I tucked my shirt in carefully and smoothed my hair. Suddenly, I looked down at my fingertips; they were blurred in the darkness and moist from the lilac, and I swept them to my mouth and kissed them.
The kitchen was dark. There was no sound in the house, no sound at all, and a tremor passed through me. I turned the kitchen light on and hurriedly examined myself for marks of what had happened to me. I peered at my shirt, my pants. I rubbed my face with both hands. Then I turned the light off and slipped into the dining room, which was dark, too, and so was the hallway. The porch light was on. I ran up the front stairs and stopped short at the top; there was a light on in my mother’s room. She was sitting up in bed, with pillows at her back, a magazine across her lap, and a pad of paper on the magazine.
“Hello,” I said.
I expected her to bawl me out for being late, but she just looked at me solemnly for a moment, and then she said, “Sonny proposed to your sister.”
Because I hadn’t had a chance to wash my face, I raised one hand and held it over my cheek and chin, to hide whatever traces of lipstick there might be.
She said, “They’re going to be married in June. They went over to the Brusters’ to get the ring. He proposed practically the first thing when he came. They were both so—they were both so happy!” she said. “They make such a lovely couple…. Oh, if you could have seen them.”
She was in a very emotional state.
I started to back out the door.
“Where are you going?” my mother asked.
“To bed,” I said, surprised. “I’m in training—”
“Oh, you ought to wait up for your sister.”
“I’ll leave her a note,” I said.
I went to my room and took the white lilac out of my pocket and put it on my desk. I wrote, “I heard the news and think it’s swell. Congratulations. Wake me up when you come in.” I stuck the note in the mirror of her dressing table. Then I went back to my room and got undressed. Usually I slept raw, but I decided I’d better wear pajamas if my sister was going to come in and wake me up. I don’t know how much later it was that I heard a noise and sat bolt upright in bed. I had been asleep. My sister was standing in the door of my room. She was wearing a blue dress that had little white buttons all the way down the front and she had white gloves on. “Are you awake?” she whispered.
“Yes,” I said. “Where’s Mother?”
“Downstairs,” my sister said, coming into the room. “Sending telegrams. Do you want to see my ring?” She took her gloves off.
I turned the bedside-table lamp on, and she held her hand out. The ring was gold, and there was an emerald and four diamonds around it.
“It was his grandmother’s,” my sister said. I nodded. “It’s not what I—” she said, and sat down on the edge of the bed, and forgot to finish her sentence. “Tell me,” she said, “do you think he’s really rich?” Then she turned a sad gaze on me, through her lashes. “Do you want to know something awful? I don’t like my ring….”
“Are you unhappy?” I asked.
“No, just upset. It’s scary getting married. You have no idea. I kept getting chills all
Similar Books
