The streetcar turned onto a crowded, busy street.
Lively music blared from restaurants and dance halls.
"We're in the French Quarter now, and you're thenext stop," the conductor said to Jack and Annie.
"Head down St. Peter Street toward the MississippiRiver. You'll run right into Jackson Square.""Thanks!" Jack put the research book back in hisbag. Annie tucked the trumpet under her arm. Whenthe streetcar came to a stop, they hopped off.
3536"Good luck playing that horn, missy!" said theconductor.
"Thanks, I'll need it!" said Annie.
As the streetcar pulled away, Jack and Annielooked around. "Hey, this is Bourbon Street," saidAnnie, pointing to a street sign. "Isn't that the streetwith the haunted blacksmith shop?""Don't think about that," said Jack. "Let's headdown St. Peter."Jack and Annie left Bourbon Street and starteddown St. Peter Street. They passed tall, narrow housespainted pale green, yellow, and pink. 'Vines grew upwalls and twined around iron balconies. Alleys led tocourtyards with trickling fountains.
"I like the buildings in New Orleans," said Annie.
"Yeah, and it smells good, too," said Jack.
Delicious food smells filled the air. From a mule-drawn cart, an old woman cried out, "Waffles! Getyour waffles here! Yes sir, fresh, hot waffles!"37Jack was getting hungry. Outside a restaurant wasa sign that read:
Special! Dinner 10 cents.
"Gosh, things are cheap in 1915," said Jack. "Toobad we don't even have a dime.""Yeah," said Annie. "Oh, look!" She pointed to agrand cathedral with soaring spires. "A cathedral!
That must be the place with the ghost of the Spanishpriest.""Why do you like ghosts so much?" said Jack.
"I don't like ghosts so much," said Annie.
"Well, you keep talking about them," said Jack.
"I'm just pointing things out," said Annie. "You'rethe one who brought up ghosts in the first place.""Well, let's forget them," said Jack. He didn't likeghosts. He didn't even like thinking about them.
Soon Jack and Annie came to a huge green parkwith an iron fence around it. A sign at the entranceread: jackson square.
38"We found it!" said Jack.
Outside the iron fence, in the hot afternoonsunlight, small bands of barefoot kids were playingmusic. Some strummed banjos. Others playedharmonicas or long tin horns. Three boys sang inharmony. A couple of the smallest kids passed aroundhats, collecting money for the different bands.
"Where's Louis Armstrong?" Annie asked Jack. "Noone here looks like the picture in our book.""Of course not," said Jack. "The picture shows himas a grown-up. He wouldn't look the same when he'sfourteen.""I'll ask," said Annie. She went up to a small girlpassing a hat. "Excuse me, is there a musician herenamed Louis Armstrong?""Louis Armstrong? You mean Dipper?" asked thegirl.
"I guess ...," said Annie.
"Hey, Little Mack!" the girl shouted to the biggestkid in the singing trio. "Where's Dipper Armstrong?"39"Just saw him--he's at the River Café!" shoutedLittle Mack.
"Where's that?" Annie asked.
"Down by the river," said the small girl. She pointedbeyond the square. "Walk down Decatur Street andyou'll see it." The girl held up the hat, as if asking fora donation.
"Sorry, no money," said Jack.
"But thanks for your help," said Annie. She and Jackleft the square. They hurried along Decatur Street.
"So Dipper must be a nickname for LouisArmstrong," said Jack.
"Yeah," said Annie. "And Dipper must be playingmusic at the café.""There it is," said Jack. He pointed to a red sign on aslanted rooftop.
***RIVER CAFéCOFFEE AND DONOUGHTS40"Doughnuts, yum," said Annie.
Jack and Annie walked under a striped red awning.
Waiters in white jackets were running around withtrays of coffee and delicious-smelling doughnuts.
Jack's mouth watered.
"That's funny. There's no music here," said Annie.
"Excuse us," she called to one of the waiters. "Haveyou seen Louis Armstrong? Or Dip--""Did you come here to buy something, kids?" thewaiter interrupted rudely.
"No, we don't have any money--" started Jack.
"Then out, boy!" the waiter- shouted. "No beggingin here!""He's not begging!" said Annie. "We're looking for-""I know beggars when I see them! Out!" said thewaiter.
"Let's go. I don't think Dipper's in here, anyway,"said Jack.
"Wait a minute, I have to tell them that we're notbeggars!" Annie said.
41"It's not worth it, come on," said Jack.
Jack was mad, too, but he pulled Annie out fromunder the awning. "I think it's the way we look," hesaid. "Our clothes make us look poor. And we don'thave shoes on.""It's not fair," said Annie.
"Forget it. We'll ask someone else where to findDipper," said Jack.
On the street by the café was a mule cart filled withcoal. A young teenager was putting a bucket andshovel into the back of the cart. He was barefoot andwore clothes like Jack and Annie's.
"Excuse me!" Jack called. "Do you know LouisArmstrong? Or Dipper?"The boy turned. When he saw Jack and Annie, hegrinned. He had the friendliest smile Jack had everseen. "Louis Armstrong?" he said. "That's me. Howcan I help you, man?"Jack was at a loss for words. He hadn't thoughtabout what to say to Louis Armstrong when theyfound him.
42"Hi, Dipper!" said Annie, walking up to the boy.
"We're Jack and Annie from Frog Creek,Pennsylvania. Friends of ours told us to find youwhen we came to New Orleans.""What friends?" asked Dipper.
"Teddy and Kathleen," said Annie.
The boy looked puzzled. But then his gaze fell onAnnie's trumpet. "Hey, nice horn. Can you play thatthing?""Only when the time is right," said Annie.
"And when's that?" asked Dipper.
"I won't know till I feel it," said Annie.
Dipper smiled his radiant smile again. "Ha! I knowjust what you mean!" he said. He wiped his hand onhis pants and held it out to shake. "Any friends ofTeddy and Kathleen's are friends of mine."As Jack shook Dipper's hand, he sputtered, "You-youknow Teddy and Kathleen?""No, man, never heard of them," said Dipper. "But Iconsider everybody my friend."43"Oh. Oh!" said Annie. She and Jack laughed.
"Only problem is I can't hang out with y'all rightnow," said Dipper. He climbed onto the mule cart.
"Where--where you going, man?" asked Jack.
"I'm making my rounds with this coal cart," saidDipper. "And I have lots more work to do today. Butbe sure to look me up the next time you come totown. And say hi to my pals, Teddy and Kathleen."Dipper waved at them and then shook the reins. "Go'long, mule," he said.
The mule clopped over the brick street, pulling thecoal cart away from the River Café.
Louis Armstrong was gone. |