Foovay's Floozies

Posted By Summer Foovay on February 20, 2010

Just tell them you saw me

While strolling down the street one eve upon mere pleasure bent,
‘Twas after business worries of the day,
I saw a girl who shrank from me in whom I recognized
My schoolmate in a village far away
“Is that you, Madge?” I said to her, she quickly turned away.
“Don’t turn away, Madge, I am still your friend;
Next week I’m going back to see the old folks and I thought
Perhaps some message you would like to send.”

“Just tell them that you saw me.” She said ‘They’ll know the rest
Just tell them I was looking well, you know.
Just whisper if you get a chance to Mother dear and say
I love her as I did long, long ago”

“Your cheeks are pale, your face is thin, come tell me, were you ill?
When last we met your eye shone clear and bright.
Come home with me when I go, Madge, the change will do you good.
Your Mother wonders where you are tonight.”
“I long to see them all again, but not just yet,” she said;
“Tis pride alone that’s keeping me away.
Just tell them not to worry, for I’m all right, don’t you know?
Tell Mother I am coming home some day.”
-Paul Dresser

Star brought Lacey to me, another of her strays. Lacey was as pretty at her name. She smiled seldom, and even those smiles were small. Biddable, she was, as pliant as a doll. I took a number of photos of her just for the sheer pleasure of it.

“Bend this way, no that, can you put your feet up there?” Anything I suggested she would do. “Hold this mirror, just so, as if you were looking in it.”
“-for myself?” she asked, quietly, with her tiny smile.

I hesitated. “Just so, as if inspecting for a stray hair or something.” I tried to tease another little smile from her.

I should have known that if Star couldn’t get her to smile, laugh, or show the slightest joy in life, I certainly would not succeed. And yet Lacey was so beautiful. Skin like heavy cream, white with the faintest tinge of pink, and eyes the light, clear green of a farm pond under trees. Her hair was chestnut red and gleamed in the sunlight from the window like the coat of a fine horse. She was a tall girl, but not skinny like some; her long legs were very shapely and she had enough sense to show them off well with pretty shoes.

A girl that pretty, I thought, should be making plenty of money working in a high class gentlemen’s establishment. But Star told me she had found Lacey walking the street like a common slattern, her head bowed and taking whatever the men would give her. Star took her in, took her to our madam – Maude – who offered to have her in our house.

For a madam, Maude was most reasonable about letting us keep most of our money and any gifts we received. I’m not the only one of her girls who now has a bit put away, or a business of some sort of her own. Maude can be quite kind and I’m sure would have loved to have Lacey stay with us.

Yet for some reason Lacey refused. She explained that she was only street walking as a temporary thing, she had this opportunity or that. She was going to be an actress, or perhaps a dancer or singer and did not wish to be known as a girl of a bawdy house.

Star tried to tell her that sometimes the men will help you get into a profession, or move up in the world. Now and then one of our prettiest girls even marries a man with money, or becomes a mistress of one. Lacey was polite, but adamant. She is not, she says, a whore.

Faced with such a bold faced lie, Star was at a loss. And so she brought Lacey to me before she left, hoping some photos might cheer her up. Lacey conceded to be photographed, both dressed and in the nude, and asked to have copies for herself. For her portfolio, she said.

Maybe she will surprise us all. Maybe the next time I see her she will be on the cover of a fancy magazine, wearing the falls latest fashions.

But I think it is more likely, that we will never see her again.

Category: Lacey, Star
Tags: original fiction, photo manip, self delusion, vintage nude