The Street

Jones begins to sleep in the living room after Min hangs up the cross, which continues to make him “restless, uneasy” (231). He’s begun to see the shape of the cross everywhere, especially around Min: “whenever he glanced in her direction, he saw the cross again” (232). Unable to sleep, he trudges up the building’s stairs, hoping to see Lutie again, but he discerns the outline of cross shapes in buildings outside the window, and so returns downstairs.

As he’s about to enter the cellar, Lutie arrives home from the casino. Jones, “thinking that he would have her now, tonight” (234), moves towards her threateningly, then grabs her, his “straining, sweating body” (236) filling Lutie with terror. As Lutie screams, a pair of “powerful hands” (236) tears her out of Jones’ arms. It’s Mrs. Hedges, who directs Lutie into her apartment, and then threatens Jones by informing him that Mr. Junto is interested in Lutie, and therefore Jones should keep his hands off her.

Inside Mrs. Hedges’ apartment, Hedges reminds Lutie that she can always “earn a little extra money” (240) by going out with a white gentleman. As Lutie leaves, Mrs.