The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-11-09
The
Thunderstorm
BY JUSTIN WENTWooD
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noihuer VI ner tea, and rose from the
table.
"Going out, dearie" croaked her fat
mother.
"Just for a little walk" answered
Elizabeth.
And she looked around her at the
Interior of the apartment that she was |
seeing for the last time In her life.
There was her fat mother, bullying
about the waist, her father, in collar |
less shirt, sweltering I'm the heat. de- |
spite the glass of something cold at
his side; her younger sister Maud,
giggling at the. remembrance of her
latest beau; Charley. her elder brother,
who looked like a mechanic.
And the horrible golden oak furni-
ture, the Infamous rug, with it's red
and blue and green and grey and yell
low-it was all vile, the whole setting
for those people.
Elizabeth put on her hat and went
down the six flights into the street.
For half a mile on either side, on either
side of the road, families sweltered in
just such homes, narrow flats like
sausages, with the same yellow and
white sun awnings. Children swarmed
in the street.
And she was leaving it forever
There was no lover. She was sim
ply leaving It because she could bear
1t no longer. In a dream she saw
cool, white mansion, a large, lofty
living room, a window looking out
upon flower garden, perhaps
glimpse of a distant sea. Anyway,
some cool place, and-a lover, devoted.
bending over her.
But he had not materialized. Still,
she was only nineteen.
Day after day, when she came home
from the office, Elizabeth betook her.
self to the park, to watch the riders
| wistfully, and hope that the fairy
prince would pick her up and carry her
away.
She was going there today, and If
she meant to take the train to Tai
madge and simply disappear She
| would never return to that home-to
Charley and Maud, and all the hideOus,
hot, sOrdid commOnplaces of 1t.
She entered the park and sat down
on a bench, watching the riders and
the strolling crowds. The heat was
growing worse every moment.
A handsome young man strolled
along, looked at the bench, and took
his place at the far end. Elizabeth let
herself inspect him out Of the corners
of her eyes. Was he, perhaps, the
fairy prince? What nonsense!
He got up and went away Elizabeth
experienced a sense of disappoint-
ment The heat was positively sitting.
Bad weather in which to go to Tai
madge to look for work. But, row she
came to think of it, why go to Tai
madge? Why not just stay in the city,
somewhere where she would never see
the folks again? 1t would be easier to
get work there. Or-suppose she sim;
ply said she wasn't going to live al
home any longer?
She considered that. 1t didn't much
matter what she did so long as SHE
could get away from that awful apart
ment, every corner Of which shrieket
Its message of vulgarity at her.
A few drops Of rain fell. Then came
a sudden shower, q deluge. There FOL
lowed a general stampede toward thu
. entrance to the park. There were
some Office buildings with protecting
roofs near the entrance, and Elizabeth
Joined the crowd that raced for them
She reached the shelter with abou
a dozen others. Among them was an
other good-looking young man. Eliza
beth and he found themselves next f
each other. They eyed each other II
the way-you know, as IL they wer
absorbed in thinking Of other things.
Sudden shower, wasn't 1t /" said tn
good-lOoking young man.
Elizabeth nodded. "It's made
0 cooler, though. hasn't it," she said.
I The other agreed with her. And
r think it's all over now" he added.
e Sure enough, out came the sur
Elizabeth found herself walking bac
. beside the stranger, and, to her SUI
t prise, telling him about her work
q the office, and about the way she ha
Il been feeling.
81 think 1t must have been the heat,
he said. 81 often feel that way m!
self. Don't you think we'd better a
, range to meet here next time we'r
!. feeling that way, so that we can COZ
;. sole each other?
;. Elizabeth laughed. An hour late
= she was tripping along the street ths
= ran for half-a-mile each side. 81
y stopped to pat baby on the hea'
. She raced up the flights of stairs
y the apartment.
D. "Oh, it's so nice outside, now thu
the heats overt" she said. "Haven
Q you been out, Maud?"
81 "A city apartments the coolest pia'
E. in the hot weather" grunted N
% father.
as The old bromide did not distul
.. Elizabeth. "You look cool, anywa
Dad she said, and. curling up In
chair. took up p magazine. 1t WI
- comfortable Tn he home aft