Mrs. Henry Miller had lived alone for several years. Her husband wasdead. But he had left her a comfortable amount of money. He also hadleft her a nice apartment in New York City near the East River. Therewere three other apartments in the large brown building where Mrs.
Miller lived with her bird, a yellow canary name Tommie. Mrs. Millerwas 61 years old. She had no friends and no special interests.
One evening in January, Mrs. Miller saw an advertisement for a movie.
It looked so interesting that Mrs. Miller decided to go to see it.
There was a long line of people waiting to buy tickets for the movie.
Mrs. Miller stood at the end of the line. Looking around her, Mrs.
Miller noticed a little girl standing near the line. The child's hairwas absolutely white, silver white in fact. The child was thin anddelicate. She wore a blue silk dress under her red velvet coat. Mrs.
Miller felt strangely excited. And when the little girl looked at her,Mrs. Miller gave her a warm smile.
The little girl walked over to her and said, "Would you do me a favor?
Would you buy a ticket for me? They won't let me go into the moviesalone."She handed Mrs. Miller the money and they stood together in the line.
Mrs. Miller felt there were something strange about the little girl.
Her eyes were gray and very large. But they did not seem like the eyesof a child.
"What's your name, dear?" Mrs. Miller asked.
"Miriam." The child replied.
Mrs. Miller smiled "Why isn't that funny? That's my name too. I amMiriam Miller."The little girl was silent. By this time, they had reached the ticketoffice. Mrs. Miller bought two tickets.
She gave one to Miriam and said, "It was nice to meet you, but I mustgo now."Miriam just nodded her head.
The next week one evening after dinner, Mrs. Miller's doorbell rang.
She opened the door. The little girl in the red coat was standingthere.
"Hello," said Miriam.
Mrs. Miller did not know what to say. Miriam stepped into theapartment. She took off her red velvet coat and dropped it on thechair. The dress made a soft swishing sound as Miriam walked aroundthe room.
"What do you want?" Mrs. Miller asked, "And how did you know where Ilive?"Miriam laughed, "Let's talk about something else." She said.
She walked over to the birdcage, which was covered by a piece ofcloth. Mrs. Miller raised her voice, "Leave my bird alone.""All right." Miriam said, "But I am hungry.""Look," Mrs. Miller said, "If I prepare something for you to eat, willyou be a good girl and go home?""I promise." The little girl said.
Mrs. Miller's hands were shaking as she made the sandwich and put aglass of milk for Miriam. She kept asking herself who this little girlwas and why she had come to her house. Mrs. Miller carried the foodinto the living room. The room was empty. Mrs. Miller began to feel alittle frightened. She went into her bedroom. Her jewelry box was openand Miriam was looking at Mrs. Miller's jewels. The child turned tothe old woman looking deeply into her eyes.
"I want this pearl necklace." She told her.
"Put that back." Mrs. Miller ordered, "You can't have it. Thatnecklace was a gift from my husband.""But I want it." Miriam insisted, "It's beautiful. Give it to me."Mrs. Miller suddenly felt very weak. She felt if she was going tofaint. Miriam put on the pearl necklace and went into the living room.
She ate the sandwich and drank the milk quickly.
"That’s very nice." She said when she had finished the food. "But Iwish I had some cookies or chocolates."Mrs. Miller sat on the sofa. Her face was very white and her eyes werestaring into space. "You promise to leave if I made the sandwich." Shesaid.
Miriam picked up her coat and put it on. Then she walked to Mrs.
Miller "Kiss me that night." She ordered.
Mrs. Miller trembled "Please." The old woman whispered "I, I do notwant to.""All right." Miriam said, "lifting in eyebrow."She walked slowly to the door, turned and looked at Mrs. Miller. Thenshe was gone.
Mrs. Miller spent the next day in bed. The day after that, Mrs. Millerwoke up feeling much better. The sun was shining and when she openedher bedroom window. She discovered the weather felt almost likespring. The day was so beautiful. She decided to walk along the wideavenues of New York's East Side. When she came to a big * shop,something strange happened. Mrs. Miller could not stop her feet fromcarrying her inside the store. She spent ten dollars for a bag ofchocolates and some cookies. The weather had changed again. By thetime, Mrs. Miller came out of the big * shop.
Winter clouds through gray shadows over the sun. A cold wind blew inthe streets. Soon, snow began to fall. Mrs. Miller hurried home. Assoon as she entered her apartment, she put the chocolates on a platewith the cookies. At exactly five o'clock, the doorbell rang.
"Is that you?" Mrs. Miller called.
"Of course." Answered Miriam. "Open the door.""Go away," Said Mrs. Miller.
She sat down on the sofa. Mrs. Miller did not move for ten minutes.
Then she walked quietly to the door and opened it a little bit. Miriamwas sitting on a large box outside the door. She was holding abeautiful French doll.
"Really," Miriam said, "I thought you never open this door. Help meget this box into your apartment. It's very heavy."Mrs. Miller felt as if she were in a dream as she carried the heavybox into her living room. Miriam sat on the sofa watching Mrs. Miller.
She picked up a chocolate and put it into her mouth.
"I will come to live with you." She said.
Mrs. Miller's face turned into a mask of ugly red lines. She began tocry and ran out of her apartment. She ran down the steps and beganknocking loudly at the first door she came to. A short man with redhair opened the door. A young woman stood behind him.
"Please," cried Mrs. Miller, "I am your neighbor. I live upstairs."She covered her face with her hands. "I know I am some crazy. But I amafraid of a little girl in my apartment. She won't live. She hasalready stolen my pearl necklace. I just know she wants to dosomething terrible to me.""Calm down." The young woman said, "Harry will go upstairs and takecare of her."Mrs. Miller sat down. "You are very kind." She told the young woman,"and I am sorry to cause you any trouble."After a few minutes, they heard Harry coming down the stairs. Harrycame into his apartment shaking his head.
"Nobody is there." He said.
Mrs. Miller stood up. "Did you see a large box or a doll?""No man." Harry said slowly.
Mrs. Miller went back to her apartment. The chocolates and cookieswere still there. But the room was empty.
Where was Miriam? Where was she? Mrs. Miller sat down. The room wasdark and getting darker. Mrs. Miller closed her eyes and beganthinking. Maybe there was no girl named Miriam. Maybe she had imaginedeverything like a dream. Mrs. Miller began to feel better. She wasMrs. Henry Miller. She lived in this apartment. She cooked her ownmeals. She owned canary. Mrs. Miller knew who she was. She felt safeand relaxed.
Then she heard the songs coming from her bedroom. Someone was openingand closing the drawers of her bureau. Mrs. Miller sat with her eyesclosed tightly. She heard the soft swishing sound of a silk dress. Thesound grew louder and louder until the walls of the apartment began toshake. Mrs. Miller opened her eyes.
"Hello," said Miriam.
You have just heard the story called "Miriam". It was written byTruman Capote and adopted for Special English by Donald Discenctus. Itwas published by the Commdenest Company in 1967. Your storyteller wasKeglant. This is Shep O'Neal. |