Before she could begin her overtures Jinny was speaking. “Listen, Angela, I’ve got to be going. I don’t know when we’ll be seeing each other again, and after what happened Wednesday you can hardly expect me to be looking you up, and as you doubtless are very busy you’d hardly be coming ’way up here. But there are one or two things I want to talk to you about. First about the house.”
“About the house? Why it’s yours. I’ve nothing more to do with it.”
“I know, but I’m thinking of selling it. There is such a shortage of houses in Philadelphia just now; Mr. Hallowell says I can get at least twice as much as father paid for it. And in that case you’ve some more money coming to you.”
If only she had known of this—when?—twenty-four hours earlier, how differently she might have received Roger’s proposition. If she had met Virginia Wednesday and had had the talk for which she had planned!
“Well of course it would be awfully nice to have some more money. But what I don’t understand is how are you going to live? What are you going to do?”
“If I pass this examination I’m coming over here, my appointment would be only a matter of a few months. I’m sure of that. This is May and I’d only have to wait until September. Well, I wouldn’t be working this summer anyway. And there’s no way in the world which I could fail to pass. In fact I’m really thinking of taking a chance and coming over here to substitute. Mr. Holloster, the University of Pennsylvania man, has been investigating and he says there’s plenty of work. And I guess I’m due to have a change; New York rather appeals to me. And there certainly is something about Harlem!” In spite of her careless manner Angela knew she was thinking about Matthew Henson. She stretched out her hand, pulled Jinny’s head down on her shoulder. “Oh darling, don’t worry about him. Matthew really wasn’t the man for you.”
“Well,” said Virginia, “as long as I think he was, the fact that he wasn’t doesn’t make any real difference, does it? At least not at first. But I certainly shan’t worry about it.”
“No don’t—I—” It was on the tip of her tongue to say “I know two or three nice young men whom you can play around with. I’ll introduce you to them.” But could she? Jinny understood her silence; smiled and nodded. “It’s all right, honey, you can’t do anything; you would if you could. We’ve just got to face the fact that you and I are two separate people and we’ve got to live our lives apart, not like the Siamese twins. And each of us will have to go her chosen way. After all each of us is seeking to get all she can out of life! and if you can get more out of it by being white, as you undoubtedly can, why, why shouldn’t you? Only it seems to me that there are certain things in living that are more fundamental even than colour—but I don’t know. I’m all mixed up. But evidently you don’t feel that way, and you’re just as likely to be right as me.”
“Jinny!”
“My dear, I’m not trying to reproach you. I’m trying to look at things without sentiment. After all, in a negative way, merely by saying nothing, you’re disclaiming your black blood in a country where it is an inconvenience—oh! there’s not a doubt about that. You may be proud of it, you may be perfectly satisfied with it—I am—but it certainly can shut you out of things. So why shouldn’t you disclaim a living manifestation of that blood?”
Before this cool logic Angela was silent. Virginia looked at her sister, a maternal look oddly apparent on her young face. When she was middle-aged she would be the embodiment of motherhood. How her children would love her!
“Angela, you’ll be careful!”
“Yes; darling. Oh if only I could make you understand what it’s all about.”
“Yes, well, perhaps another time. I’ve got to fly now.” She hesitated, took Angela by the arms and gazed into her eyes. “About this grand white party that you were in the station with. Are you awfully in love with him?”
“I’m not in love with him at all.”
“Oh, pshaw!” said innocent Virginia, “you’ve got nothing to worry about! Why, what’s all the shooting for?”
Plum Bun
I
Angela wanted to ride downtown with her sister. “Perhaps I might bring you luck.” But on this theme Jinny was adamant. “You’d be much more likely to bring yourself bad luck. No, there’s no sense in taking a chance. I’ll take the elevated; my landlady said it would drop me very near the school where I’m taking the examination. You go some other way.” Down in the hall Mrs. Gloucester was busy dusting, her short bustling figure alive with housewifely ardour. Virginia paused near her and held out her hand to Angela. “Goodbye, Miss Mory,” she said wickedly, “it was very kind of you to give me so much time. If you can ever tear yourself away from your beloved Village, come up and I’ll try to show you Harlem. I
