While the Auto Waits

 

While the Auto Waits

After O. Henry

 

The girl in grey comes to that small park in the twilight. She sits down upon a bench and begins to read a book. Her dress is grey and very simple. Her face is very beautiful. She comes here at the same hour the last two evenings. And there is a young man who knows it.

The young man comes near. At that moment the girl's book falls down to the ground. The young man takes the book from the ground, gives it to the girl and says a few words about the weather.    

The girl looks at his simple coat   and his common face.

"You may sit down, if you like," she says. "The light is too bad, I cannot read. Let's talk a little."

"Do you know," he says "that you are a beautiful girl, I see you here sometimes."

"Whoever you are," says the girl coldly, "you must re­member that 1 am a lady."

"I beg your pardon" says the young man. "You know - there, are girls in parks, you know - of course, you don't know, but ..."     

"Let's change the subject. Of course, I know. Now tell me about these people. Where are they going? Are they happy?"     

The young man cannot understand his role. - "I come to this park because I can be near the common people here. I speak to you because I want to talk to a sim­ple man, a   man who is not rich. Oh; you don't know how tired I am of it—money, money, money! And I am tired of the rich men whom I meet every day. I am tired of pleasure, of jewels, of travels!"

“I think," says the young man, "that money must be a very good thing."

"When you have so many millions that—Drives, dinners, theatres, suppers I am tired of it," says the young girl. The young man looks at her with interest.       

"I like to read and to hear about the life of rich people," he says.

"Sometimes I think that I can love only a simple man," the young girl says. "What is your profession?"

"I am a very simple man. But I hope to rise in the world. I work at a restaurant," says he.

"Not as a waiter?" she asks. 

"I am a cashier in the restaurant that you see there with that brilliant electric sign: 'RESTAURANT'.”

The girl looks at her watch and stands up. "Why are you not at work?" she asks. 

"I am on the night shift," says the young man. "May I hope to see you again?

"I don't know, perhaps. I must go quickly now. Oh, there is a dinner and then a play at the theatre tonight. My white automobile is at the corner of the park, I always come in it. The driver is waiting for me there. Good night."

"But it is dark now," says the young man, "and the park is full of rude men.   May   I go with you to the car?"

"No. Stay on this bench for ten minutes." And she goes away. The young man looks at her elegant figure while she is going to the gate of the park. Then he stands up and follows her. When she goes out of the park
she turns her head and looks at the car, then passes it, crosses the street and enters the restaurant with the brilliant electric sign: 'RESTAURANT'.

A girl with red hair leaves the cashier's desk, and the girl in grey takes her place.

The young man puts his hands into his pockets and walks slowly down the street. Then he steps into the white auto­mobile and says to the driver: 'Club, Henry'.