natural speed please
I told her I would come right away. I was thinking then how much the surprise would
mean to Rachel, and I did forget about the job waiting for me in the kitchen
for nearly half an hour. It was then almost time for me to meet Rachel at the hydrant,
and I jumped up and ran to the kitchen to finish the task as quickly as I could.
When I reached the kitchen Nancy handed me a small round box
and told me to open it and sprinkle the powder in the garbage can.
I had heard my mother talking about the way rats were getting into the garbage
so I went down to the back gate with the box without stopping to talk about it.
As soon as I had sprinkled the powder on the refuse I ran back into the house,
found my cap, and ran down the street.
I was angry with my sister for causing me to be late in meeting Rachel,
even though the fault was my own for not having done the task sooner.
I was certain though, that Rachel would wait for me, even if a few minutes
late in getting to the hydrant.
I could not believe that she would come to the hydrant and leave immediately.
I had gone a dozen yards or more when I heard my mother calling me.
I stopped unsteadily in my tracks.
"I'm going to the movies," I told her. "I'll be back soon."
"All right, Frank," she said. "I was afraid you were going downtown
or somewhere like that. Come home as soon as you can."
I ran a few steps and stopped. I was so afraid that she would make me stay at home
if I told her that I was going downtown that I did not know what to do.
I had never told her a lie, and I could not make myself start then.
I looked back and she was standing on the steps looking at me.
"Mother, I am going downtown," I pleaded, "but I'll be back early."
Before she could call me again, I ran with all my might down the street,
around the corner, and raced to the hydrant at the alley.
Rachel was not within sight until I had reached it and had stood
for a moment panting and blowing with excitement and exertion.
She was there though, waiting for me beside the fence, and she said
she had just got there the second before. After we had started towards the corner
where the drugstore was, I took the money from my watch pocket and showed it to her.
She was even more excited than I had been when I first saw it.
After she had looked at it awhile, and had felt it in the palm of her hand,
I told her what I had planned for us to do that evening.
We heard a streetcar coming and we ran to the corner just in time to get aboard.
The ride downtown was too fast, even though it took us nearly half an hour
to get there. We got off near the theatre.
First I had planned for us to go to a small restaurant, and later to a show.
Just as we were passing a drugstore Rachel touched my arm.
"Please, Frank," she' said. "I'm awfully thirsty.
Won't you take me into that drugstore and get me a glass of water?"
"If you must have a drink right away, I will," I said,
"but can't you wait a minute more? There's a restaurant a few doors below here,
and we can get a glass of water there while we're waiting for our supper to be served.
If we lose much time we won't have the chance to see a complete show."
"I'm afraid I can't wait, Frank," she said, clutching my arm.
"Please—please get me a glass of water. Quick!"
We went into the drugstore and stood in front of the soda fountain.
I asked the clerk for a glass of water, Rachel waited close beside me,
clutching my arm tighter and tighter.
In front of us, against the wall, there was a large mirror, I could see ourselves
plainly, but there was something about our reflection, especially Rachel's
that I had never been aware of before.
It's true that we had never stood before a mirror until then, but I saw there
something that had escaped me for a whole year.
