The Last Carolina Girl

Leah steals the discarded newspaper and cuts out an advertisement about the fair; she intends to send a letter to Jesse with an invitation to meet her. Since Mrs. Griffin intercepts Leah’s mail, she’s unsure of how to mail her letter privately. Eva Jane invites Leah to accompany her to the soda fountain while Mrs. Griffin is away from home. Mr. Griffin insists that Michael Henry accompany the girls before giving each child a dime. Although Leah would prefer to spend time with Mary Ann, who remains locked in her room with no food for wetting her bed, she sees an opportunity to mail her letter to Jesse.

Leah holds onto her dime, pretending to be indecisive about choosing her soda flavor. She tastes Eva Jane’s, finding the drink too sweet as the carbonation makes her cough. She waits for Eva Jane and Michael Henry to talk with their school peers before purchasing a stamp from the server. Leah overhears Eva Jane explaining that Leah is “no one” to her friends. The server seems to understand Leah’s precarious situation, and he quickly takes the unsealed letter from Leah to mail. Leah leaves the soda fountain feeling hopeful, though she understands that much remains out of her control and that seeing Jesse at the fair likely remains a fantasy.