Articles

While the auto waits (after O’Henry)


¹ girl in grey came again to that quite corner of ² a park. She sat down on ³ a bench and began to read ⁴ a book. She had come here at ⁵ the same hour on ⁶ a previous day, and on ⁷ the day before that, and there was ⁸ a young man who new it. ⁹ The young man came nearer. At that moment her book fell on ¹⁰ the ground. ¹¹ Theyoung man picked up ¹² a book and returned it to ¹³ the girl, saying ¹⁴ a few words about ¹⁵ weather and stood waiting. ¹⁶ The girl looked at his simple coat and his common face.

“You may sit down, if you like,” she said. “¹⁷ The light is too bad for reading. I should like to talk”.

“Do you know,” he said, “that you are ¹⁸ a finest girl I have seen.”

“Whoever you are,” said ¹⁹ the girl in ²⁰ an icy tone, “you must remember that I am ²¹ a lady.”

“I beg you pardon,” said ²² the young man, but – “

“Let's change ²³ a subject. I come here to seat because it is here that I can be near the masses of people. I speak to you because I want to speak to ²⁴ a natural man. Oh! You don’t know how tired I am of all these – ²⁵ dinners, ²⁶ trips, ²⁷ parties. I am tied of ²⁸ a pleasure, of ²⁹ a travel.”

“I always had ³⁰ an idea,” said ³¹ the young man, “that money can be ³² a very good thing.”

“When you have so many millions! ³³ theatres, ³⁴ balls, ³⁵ suppers! I am tired of it,” said ³⁶ the young girl.

³⁷ The young man looked at her with ³⁸ interest. “Sometimes, continued ³⁹ the girl, I think if I ever loved ⁴⁰ a man I would love ⁴¹ a simple man. What are you?”

“I am ⁴² a very simple man. But I hope to rise in ⁴³ the world. I work at ⁴⁴ the restaurant.”

⁴⁵The girl drew back. “I’m ⁴⁶ a cashier at ⁴⁷ the restaurant you see there with that brilliant electric sign.”

The girl looked at her watch and rose. “Why are you not at ⁴⁸ work?” she asked.

“I am on night shift,” said ⁴⁹ the young man, “may I hope to see you again?”

“I don’t know. I must go now. Oh, there’s ⁵⁰ a dinner and ⁵¹ a concert to-night. Perhaps you noticed ⁵² the white auto at ⁵³ the corner of ⁵⁴ park when you came?”

“Yes, I did,” said the young man.

“I always come in it,” ⁵⁵ the girl said,” ⁵⁶ The driver is waiting for me there. Good night.”

“But it is dark now,” said young man. “May I accompany you to ⁵⁷ the car?”

“You will remain on ⁵⁸ the bench for ten minutes after I have left.”

And she went away. ⁵⁹ The young man looked at her elegant figure while she was going to ⁶⁰ the entrance of ⁶¹ the park. Then he rose and followed her. When she reached ⁶² the park gate, she turned her head to look at ⁶³ the car, then passed it, crossed ⁶⁴ the street and entered ⁶⁵ the restaurant. A red-haired girl left ⁶⁶ cashier’s desk and ⁶⁷ the girl in grey took her place.

⁶⁸ The young man walked slowly down ⁶⁹ the street. He got into ⁷⁰ the white car and said to ⁷¹ a driver: “Club, Henry.”