The floorwalker, mesmerized by the fragrant trail in her wake, followed to watch as Lucy chose gloves, handkerchiefs, and jewels she would return for tomorrow, she told each clerk. She could not decide between a gold brocade or white beaded evening bag, and would have to reflect whether she preferred a pink silk combination with blue flowers, or vice versa.
But, at last, at the notion counter she found the object for which she had come, a box of Tintex Mae needed to renew the faded blue dress.
She was not finished with Lapworth's however. Music would help to while away the time.
At the piano of the sheet music counter, pounding out the latest hits in dashing if inaccurate frathouse style, sat a pimply young man. With Charlie's help Lucy kept up to date on latest Broadway hits. Broadway, the Fairy Prince who some day would fit the glass slipper to her Cinderella foot. Sometimes, after a music session with Charlie, panicky that she never would get out of Aunt Mabel's house, it was only in Mae's comforting presence that she regained confidence that her mother would manage their escape. This morning her spirits were high.
"Hello, Charlie."
"Lo, Lucy," Charlie said, swinging around.
"Come on, Charlie, play 'Darktown Strutters' Ball,'" she coaxed, shivering her shoulders in a Gilda Gray shimmy. Her rounding narrow body stood rooted with a connoisseur's concentrated listening as he began the Chorus and then, her head back, her lips parted, her feet tapped in place as though she would be plunged into oblivion if she deviated from the spot.
Finishing, Charlie reached for another piece among the scattered sheets on the piano's top. "Listen, Lucy," he said, "here's a new one, just came in, from the Follies, Marilyn Miller's show. I bet you could be a regular Marilyn Miller yourself."
"I hear," said Lucy with great seriousness, remembering photographs in the latest Mode, "she is the Toast of the Town."
"I'll say," was Charlie's only comment, as he had to pay attention to the notes.
At the tune's end he turned around and eyed her intimately. "Howdya like the movie last night?" His voice was insinuating but Lucy was impervious. She had no intention of being sidetracked into going out with Charlie. He played good, but his pimply face was not inviting to those long kisses demanded by boys.
