"Sheтs my mother." Anna began to feel just
a bit of concern. So many people
interested in her dull, sad mother. Anna
tried to shake loose, and found, to her
surprise, that she couldnтt. The woman
would not let go.
"Iтve heard of the boarding house," Mrs.
Streichman said. It was a courtesy to
think of her as a married woman. It was
more of a courtesy than she deserved.
Anna looked up at the box again. Booth was
already gone. "Let me go," she told Mrs.
Streichman, so loudly that Laura Keene
herself heard. So forcefully that Mrs.
Streichman finally did so.
Anna left the theater. The streets were
crowded and she could not see Booth
anywhere. Instead, as she stood on the
bricks, looking left and then right, Mrs.
Streichman caught up with her. "Are you
going home? Might we walk along?"
"No. I have errands," Anna said. She
walked quickly away. She was cross now,
because she had hoped to stay and look for
Booth, who must still be close by, but
Mrs. Streichman had made her too uneasy.
She looked back once. Mrs. Streichman
stood in the little circle of her friends,
talking animatedly. She gestured with her
hands like an Italian. Anna saw Booth
nowhere.
She went back along the streets to St.
Patrickтs Church, in search of her mother.
It was noon and the air was warm in spite
of the colorless sun. Inside the church,
her mother knelt in the pew and prayed
noisily. Anna slipped in beside her.
"This is the moment," her mother
whispered. She reached out and took Annaтs
hand, gripped it tightly enough to hurt.
Her motherтs eyes brightened with tears.
"This is the moment they nailed him to the
cross," she said. There was purple cloth
