To Bobolink, for Her Spirit

-William Inge

A group of autograph seekers in the leadership of Bobolink Bowen is waiting outside 21 Club in New York. Bobolink and her friend, Nellie, have seen Perry Como entering the club, so they are waiting there for her autograph. Renaldo, Fritz, Gretchen and Annamarie are other members of the group. Bobolink, who is in her early thirties, is fat with short and kinky hair, and wears thick-lensed glasses and simple dress. Nellie, who is in her late twenties, is lean. The young boys Renaldo and Fritz and the young girls Gretchen and Annamarie are friends. Nobody of them is personally attractive.

Renaldo and Fritz talk about Lana Turner. Bobolink has already got her autograph and she says even Lana is no better than anyone else. Gretchen’s girlfriend found Lana at a beach in California. When she greeted her, she greeted back. So, they think she is not proud.

Bobolink and Nellie have some sweet as well as sour experiences waiting celebrities for their autographs. Once, they waited for three hours on a snowy night outside the Stork Club for Elizabeth Taylor. But it was a college girl wearing the dress same as of Taylor. The other time, they were waiting for Ronald Colman outside St. Regis when all of sudden there arrived Van Johnson and Peter Lawford. Then, they got autographs of two celebrities at the same time.

While they were talking, a couple wearing expensive dress came out of the club. Fritz approached them and got an autograph from the lady. After they had departed from there in a taxi, they studied it and found the lady was a Russian. But Bobolink did not show any interest upon them. She thought she was a well experienced autograph collector.

Bobolink and Nellie also share Bobolink’s experience of meeting Tyrone Power with the others. She met him at a railway station as president of the Tyrone Power Fan Club. He has also given her an autograph in which he has written: ‘To Bobolink for her faithful enthusiasm and spirit’.

When Fritz approaches another unknown couple that comes out of the club, Bobolink thinks they are childish because she is proud of her past experiences of meeting many celebrities. She and Nellie are ready to wait for Perry Como until he comes out, but other kids are impatient and want to go home for supper.