Miriam (short story)

by Truman Capote

Miriam is a short story written by Truman Capote. It was originally published in 1945 in Mademoiselle and reprinted in 1982 and was later included to The Selected Writings of Truman Capote. Miriam is one of Capote's first published short stories and he was awarded the O. Henry Awaed for the short story.

Miriam is about a 61-year-old widow named Mrs. H. T. Miller who wants to spend the remaining years of her life alone in her apartment on Park Avenue after her husband H. T. Miller died. She is very lonely, she has no friends to speak of and does not keep in touch with any of her relatives.

One day while she is going into a movie theater, she meets this young but intelligent girl named Miriam. Miriam asks Mrs. Miller to buy her a movie ticket because the usher would not let her in. She gives Mrs. Miller twenty five cents and she buys the girl a ticket. They say goodbye as Mrs. Miller goes in search of a seat. When the movie ends, Mrs. Miller returns home. The following week, there is a knock on Mrs. Miller's door. When she answers it, she finds out it is Miriam, the girl she met at the movie theater. Mrs. Miller askes Miriam to go home but Miriam refuses and asks Mrs. Miller to make her a sandwich. After Miriam agrees to leave if given the sandwich, she goes into Mrs. Millers bedroom and finds a cameo brooch that was given to Mrs. Miller by her deceased husband. She asks Mrs. Miller if she can have it, and Mrs. Miller, despite her desire to stop her from taking it, relents in helplessness. Miriam then goes back to the couch and finishes her sandwich. Before leaving, Miriam asks Mrs. Miller for a kiss goodnight, but Mrs. Miller refuses. Miriam walks over to a nearby vase and smashes it on the floor and steps on the bouquet, then leaves. The next morning, Mrs. Miller leaves her apartment and spends the next day shopping at various stores around New York City. Upon arriving home, Miriam returns and proceeds to ring the doorbell. Mrs. Miller refuses to open the door. After the doorbell ringing ended, Mrs. Miller went to her door to see if she left. Miriam did not leave and rushed inside the house before Mrs. Miller could close the door. Miriam perches upon the couch and tells Mrs. Miller to bring in the large box she brought with her. Out of curiosity, she does. While commenting on the cherries, almond cakes, and white flowers that Mrs. Miller bought while she was shopping, Miriam tells Mrs. Miller to open the box. All she finds are clothes and a second doll similar to the one Miriam was holding. Miriam then tells Mrs. Miller that she is going to live with her.

A frightened Mrs. Miller goes to the apartment downstairs where a young couple lives. Mrs. Miller tells them that a young girl keeps on appearing and won't leave her alone. She convinces the man living there to check upstairs while his wife comforts Mrs. Miller. The man returns downstairs and says that there is no girl upstairs. Mrs. Miller asks if there was a large box, and the man says that there wasn't. Mrs. Miller goes back upstairs and notices that no one is there. Scared more than ever at the startling emptiness of the house, she slumps onto the couch with no energy left. She closes her eyes and calms down, remembering that she is Mrs. H. T. Miller, the woman who lives alone and does everything for herself. She then becomes aware of another sound, the sound of a silk dress ruffling. She stiffens and fearfully opens her eyes to see Miriam staring at her. Miriam then says "Hello"

CAPOTE, Truman. Miriam, in: The Complete Stories of Truman Capote. New York: Vintage International. 2004: 37-50.

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