The Forged Note: A Romance of the Darker RacesMicheaux, Oscar
General
The Forged Note: A Romance of the Darker Races
Micheaux, Oscar
African Americans -- Fiction
She walked along slowly when she got into the street, looking from one
side to the other. At the end of the street, in the direction she had
taken, was the warehouse district. In the old days, this had been a
prominent shipping point by water; but now this had been largely
substituted by railroads. The yards were quiet today, as she made her
way along, while scarcely a wagon was in evidence around the many large
buildings.
She walked in the same direction until she came to a street that led
down to the river. She turned into this, and followed it until she stood
on the banks of the stream that flowed gently southward. It was filled
with a number of boats, while ferries plied back and forth to the other
side. For a half hour she stood thus, with her mind free of all care,
and enjoyed the stiff air that came with the breeze from the river. When
she presently turned to go, she felt strangely invigorated, and decided
to walk about more.
Without regard to direction, she finally found herself on Beal street,
which she recognized at once. She paused briefly before venturing into
it, but the street was filled with music; while across the way, several
electric shows invited the crowds that poured in and out. So she went
forward timidly. She stopped at length before a black boy who was
turning a street piano. The music was exhilarating, and she gave him a
nickel when he was starting away, whereupon he dropped the handles and
played her three of the popular airs. She gave him another nickel, and
he took delight in turning on three more. By this time a crowd had
gathered, and, thinking quickly, she slipped away and continued her way.
She stood before a large picture show for colored people a few minutes
later. At the front were gorgeous pictures, advertising the show within.
She hesitated briefly, and then, fishing a five cent piece from her
purse, she entered the show, and took a seat to one side. In a minute
her attention was centered on the screen, where a western play in which
red Indians and cowboys were in a mimic battle was being shown. The
play aroused much interest in the audience, which fairly raised from the
seats at times, especially when there was a gun play; and since gun
playing seemed to be in evidence, much excitement was attendant during
the whole time the reel was being run.
She recalled suddenly, what she had read in the book of Sidney Wyeth,
with regard to Indians. He had dwelt at some length upon this subject,
and had concluded a chapter with words to the effect that the Indian, as
he was today, and had been for years, was in no wise what he was
pictured upon the screen, or in novels, but a shiftless being, without
spirit. In truth, only an example of dull inertia.
The next reel was much more original, she thought, and, therefore, more
interesting--to her; but it wasn't to many of those about her, who, as
she heard them, made little effort to catch the moral of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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