The best short stories of 1915, and the yearbook of the American short story
General
The best short stories of 1915, and the yearbook of the American short story
American fiction -- 20th century; Short stories -- 20th century -- Bibliography; Short stories -- 20th century -- Indexes; Short stories, American
1--Ten thousand people died from tuberculosis in the city of New York
last year.
2--Two hundred thousand people died from tuberculosis in the United
States last year.
3--Records of the Health Department show that there are 31,631
living cases of tuberculosis in the city of New York.
4--Every three minutes some one in the United States dies from
consumption.
"Oh, Charley, ain't it awful!"
At a desk a young man, with skin as pink as though a strong wind had
whipped it into color, distributed pamphlets to the outgoing visitors--a
thin streamlet of them; some cautious, some curious, some afraid.
"Come on; let's hurry out of here, Sweetness. My lung's hurting this
minute."
They hurried past the desk; but the young man with the clear pink skin
reached over the heads of an intervening group, waving a long printed
booklet toward the pair.
"Circular, missy?"
Sara Juke straightened, with every nerve in her body twanging like a
plucked violin string; and her eyes met the clear eyes of the young
clerk.
Like a doll automaton she accepted the booklet from him; like a doll
automaton she followed Charley Chubb out into the street, and her limbs
were trembling so she could scarcely stand.
"Gotta hand it to you, Sweetness. Even made a hit on the fellow in the
lung shop! He didn't hand me out no literachure. Some little hit!"
"I gotta go home now, Charley."
"It's only ten."
"I better go, Charley. It ain't Saturday night."
At the stoop of her rooming house they lingered. A honey-colored moon
hung like a lantern over the block-long row of shabby-fronted houses. On
her steps and to her fermenting fancy the shadow of an ash can sprawled
like a prostrate human being.
"Charley!"
She clutched his arm.
"Whatcha scared about, Sweetness?"
"Oh, Charley, I--I feel creepy to-night."
"That visit to the Morgue was enough to give anybody the blind
staggers."
Her pamphlet was tight in her hand.
"You ain't mad at me, Charley?"
He stroked her arm, and the taste of tears found its way to her mouth.
"I'm feeling so sillylike to-night, Charley."
"You're all in, kiddo."
In the shadow he kissed her.
"Charley, you--you mustn't, unless we're--engaged." But she could not
find the strength to unfold herself from his arms. "You mustn't,
Charley!"
"Great little girl you are, Sweetness--one great little girl!"
"Aw, Charley!"
"And, to show you that I like you, I'm going to make up for this
to-morrow night. A real little Saturday-night blow! And don't forget
Sunday afternoon--two o'clock for us, down at Crissey's Hall. Two
o'clock."
"Two o'clock."
"Good!"
"Oh, Charley, I--"
"What, Sweetness?"
"Oh, nothing; I--I'm just silly to-night."
Her hand lay on his arm, white in the moonlight and light as a leaf; and
he kissed her again, scorching her lips.
"Good night, Sweetness."
"Good night, Charley."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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