Summary

In “Luckey Quarter,” Darlene Pullen, a motel maid, was surprised and angry when someone left a quarter in the envelope for tips. Her older child needed braces; her son was sick; she had back problems and bills that were late. A message in the envelope only made her angrier: “This is a luckey quarter! Its true! Luckey you!” (449). Darlene thought sarcastically that she could use some luck.

Darlene played the quarter in the slot machine in the motel’s lobby. She believed it was sending out bad vibes. She started to walk away from the machine when she heard the fall of coins. She had won about 15 dollars in quarters. She considered getting her son a surprise, but she did something that surprised her.

Darlene took the quarters to a casino. Instead of losing at the casino, Diane won more money. She had...