Arkansas State press., 1942-08-21
"NatiVe Son"
BY Richard Wright

gun until it hung at his side, loose
ly in his fingers. He was coming
back into possession of himself;
for the past three minutes it SEEM
ed he had been under a spell, pos
sesed by a force which he hated,
but which he had to obey. He was
startled when he heard soft foot
steps coming toward him in the
snow He looked and saw white
woman. The woman saw him and
paused; she turned abruptly and
IAN across the street. Bigger
showed the gun in his pocket and
ran to the corner. He looked back;
the woman was vanishing through
the snow, in the opposite direction.
In him as he walked was cold.
driving will. He would go through
with this; he would work fast.
He had encountered in Jan a
much stronger determination than
he had thought would be there.
If he sent the kidnap note, it'd
have to be done before Jan could
prove that he was completely in
nocent. At that time he did not
care if he was caught. If only he
could cover Jan and Britten into
awe, into fear of him and his black
skin and his humble manners!
He reached a corner and went
into drug store. A white clerk
came to him. "Give me enve-
lope, some paper and pencil" he
said. Il
He paid the money, put the pack
age into his pocket and went out
to the corner to wait for car.
One came; he got on and rode
eastward wondering what kind OF
note he would write. He rang the
bell for the car to stop, got OH
and walked thru the quiet Negro
streets. Now and then he passed
an empty building, white and silent
in the night. He would make Bes-
sic hide in one of these buildings
and watch for Mr.. Dalton's car.
But the ones he passed were too
old; if one went into them they
might collapse. He walked on. he
had to find a building wher Bes-
sic could stand in the window and
see the package of money when
it was thrown from the car, lie
reached Langley Ave, and walk
ed westward to Wabash Avenue,
There were many empty buildings
with the black windows. like
blind eyes, buildings like skeletons
standing with snow on their homes
in the Winter winds. But none OF
them were on corners. Finally, at
Michigan Avenue and East thirty
Sixth Place, he saw the one he
wanted 1t was tall, white, silent,
standing on a well lighted corner.
BY looking from any of the front
windows Bessie would be able to
see in all directions. OH He had
to have a flashlight! He went to
a drug store and bought one for n
dollar. He felt in the inner pocket I
of his coat for his gloves. Now, |
he was ready He crossed the sts'
and stood waiting for a car. His
feet were cold and he stamped
them in the snow, surrounded by
people waiting, too, for car. lie
did not look at them; they were
simply blind people, blind like his
mother, his brother, his sister,
Peggy, Britten, Jan, Mr.. Dalton,
and the sightlcss Mrs. Dalton and
the quiet empty houses in their
black Gaping windows,
He looked around the street and
saw a sign on building: THIS
PROPERTY IS MANAGED BY
THE SOUTH SIDE REAL Els
tate COMPANY. He had heard
That Mr.. Dalton owned the South
Side Real Estate Company, and
the South Side Real Estate Com
pany owned the house in which ne
lived. He paid eight dollars a week
| for one rat-infested room He had
never seen Mr.. Dalton until he
had come to work for him; his
mother always took the rent to
1.-The real estate office, Mr.. Dalton
Twas somewhere far away, high