Tell Me If the Lovers Are Losers Read Online Free PDF

straight and stern, bearing not thelightest trace of lipstick. The hand she could see looked large, long, strong, like the shape of the body under the covers.
    Blue eyes opened wide, round blue eyes that moved without hesitation from sleep to awake and—in doing that—reorganized the face around them. It was a face framed for happy surprises, and the eyes beamed expectation. It was not a beautiful face, but it shone bright. Ann opened her mouth to apologize for staring. At the same time the girl put a silencing finger across her lips. she sat up and indicated that they might meet outside the doorway. Ann nodded agreement. Hildegarde got out of the door with an economy of movement Ann could not match. She had to find her robe and slippers, fish her toothbrush and soap out of the top drawer.
    â€œHildegarde Koenig,” the girl said, holding out her hand. She looked at Ann with a puzzled, squinting expression which Ann soon learned was her ordinary way when meeting strangers.
    â€œAnn Gardner I’ve got to brush my teeth, first thing. I can’t stand it until I do that. I was always that way. I don’t know why. What time is it?”
    â€œAfter six. Can we go downstairs?”
    â€œYou’ll need something on your feet.”
    Hildegarde bent down to two suitcases in the hallway. “I didn’t want to wake you up when I came in. I’ll dress in the bathroom.”
    They sat on the front steps and watched the sky pinken into blue. They watched the Sunday morning world become illuminated, suffused with light.
    Ann tucked her hands into the heavy wool sweater Hildegarde had given her. “What time did you get here?” Ann asked.
    â€œTwo, I think. It was beautiful, that drive up from Philadelphia. In Dakota the land is flat. At least, so it is where I live.”
    â€œWhere do you live?”
    â€œIn North Dakota, in the central part of the state. You wouldn’t know the name of the town.”
    â€œWhy were you so late? Was there an accident?”
    The girl shook her head. “Oh no. I missed the bus.”
    â€œIn Philadelphia?” Ann knew how poor the service was into the Northeast Section from Philadelphia.
    â€œOh no. There would have been little harm in that, only a few hours’ delay. I missed the bus at Mitchell where there is only one bus a day. Once I got to Chicago, however, I could make up much of the time. So I was only delayed by half a day, at the end.”
    â€œYou took a bus here? All the way?”
    â€œOf course. It is too expensive to fly, and the trains are inconvenient until you reach Chicago. At that time, I could have switched to a train, but my bus ticket had a special discount because I was traveling such distances.”
    â€œHow long did it take?”
    â€œTwo days. The buses can travel at night, while you sleep. If you care to sleep.”
    â€œDidn’t you?”
    â€œNot the first night. I am interested in the stars.”
    â€œI know. You’re taking Astronomy. And Biology.”
    â€œHow would you know that?”
    â€œClasses start tomorrow, you remember?” Hildegarde nodded. “Well, the Dean’s office called to ask Niki—she’s our other roommate—and me to pick up your books yesterday at the bookstore. So you’d have them on Monday, for the classes.”
    â€œI thank you,” Hildegarde said.
    â€œWe got everything we thought you’d need,” Ann continued. “Notebooks, a few pencils, and I have extra pens if you use those. We got everything they had on the list for you, and a couple of extras. Niki said you might want graph paper and a compass.”
    â€œI thank you,” the girl said again. Her attention turned to the morning before them. Ann looked at her face for a minute before turning her own attention to the sky. She thought she would like this roommate, strange as she might prove to all of Ann’s experience. She liked the stiff way Hildegarde