LONELY TOWN

by

Drake Beardsley

The rain had stopped and multi-colored neon now reflected from small puddles of water. It was Sunday night and the street stood nearly deserted. An occasional yellow taxicab moved and splashed along the street, otherwise no traffic existed.

Even the hotel lobby was deserted. A tired old man was behind the desk quietly reading a newspaper. His eyes failed to move from the paper even with the grating sound of an elevator door opening. A young man wearing an ivyleague suit stepped from the elevator and moved quietly to the desk. In his hand he was holding a small slip of paper.

"Excuse me," he said to the old man. But could you tell me how to find the corner of Eighth and Broadway?"

The desk clerk jumped with a startled gesture. Then he looked up and smiled. "Lemme see that paper you're holding, Sonny. You trying to find a certain address?"

Quickly the young man stuffed the paper into a coat pocket. "The paper isn't important," he stuttered nervously. "Just tell me how to find Eighth and Broadway."

"Shucks, that's real easy to find," the old man said. "But you might have the wrong directions. The only place on that corner-at least open on Sundayis a bar where them sissy boys hang out. You don't look like that kind to me." Jim Blake could feel his hands becoming wringing wet with perspiration. "No. No!" he exclaimed. "It's just-well, I'm supposed to meet a girl-friend on that corner.

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