The Star Attraction

A brisk ride uptown brought me straight to a brick courtyard outside a community theater, where a sturdy wooden chalkboard easel stood propped beside the glass entrance. Scampering up the frame to the narrow chalk trough, I spotted a chunky cylinder of butter-yellow sidewalk chalk resting in the groove. Wrapping both paws around the chalk, I planted my boots firmly on the wooden ledge and dragged a bold, sweeping star across the dark slate! The chalk rasped crisply against the rough surface, leaving a bright powdery flare right beside the bill. I snapped my derby brim with an exuberant flourish to seal our newly minted five-star marquee!