Show 1 r ceI ce- ce fiCTION I FOUR FL By FREDERICK ER UP LL LAING TO G HEAVEN HEAVE d dBy Cornet Cotner 1 fHE HE landlady was smiling at them like the wolf wol in Red You look kinda kinds young to be a aled aried Tried led couple Oh h we arent aren't married yet Peg Peg- blurted out She felt Bills Bill's fin fin- tighten on her arm i So you better show us that apart- apart nt t before she changes her mind Ks' Ks added a tie e glanced up at him with a ner- ner little smile feeling ashamed ng she hadn't let him read her 1 lights e landlady laughed and Peggy louder than shed she'd wanted 4 8 Ve want two rooms Bill said rooms and md a decent kitchen 13 0 d J d not facing on the street please JO ao i many trucks in Greenwich Vile Vil- Vil e to suit me met J I I adore the Village Peggy said Atty The trouble was vas the words med to jump out before she knew knewt t she was going to say SlY I Bill stared up at a long crack Int ine In e t ceiling Sure we adore the Vile Vil- Vil e e e pinched him when r the land land- wasn't looking and he gave her hera a tug and everything was all allt allI I it t again They followed the landup landup land- land ij up the stairs She had just the g for them she said A couple kids Dds like you wont won't mind walking four flights II Oh Ob no Peggy answered Then tl glanced at Bill Well would C it Y Bill looked up at the ceiling again I Oh no She he knew what he be was thinking I I it was true She didn't want to tore toe r re e in a place that had elevators d f enough to have him come home ling about them every night Bad Badough ough to have to answer the neighs neighs' neigh neigh- S' S s' s questions with My husband I h he er sells elevators She aid id see them lifting their eye- eye rows WS Elevators Pardon me forlet for lor let Icing ding ng Mrs Bill but I never knew z a y 1 one had to sell elevators I al al- 1 Y thought they just hap- hap d' d d Vo 10 Ol definitely not a place with eler electors ele ele- Ors r k rs She didn't want to be re reo I of ot her husbands husband's business ruy time she went in and out of ot tt te house I The rte landlady's short bowed legs y rare me leading them up the stairs 1 fly showing them how easy it 1 nj ru to climb four four flights bl hi it nice and quiet here Im I'm sure te Ce e gentleman who has it now has hasken ken there three years Arid And hes he's a anter ciler A writer Peggy had kind of a atry try ty feeling all of a sudden Like Liked r ted d gone up in an elevator too tat fast A writer That was what shed she'd loas loa's thought shed she'd marry some by Or ma maybe mabe be an artist Somebody I e Ee e tha that t. t Peggy Is a Intrigued They were walking up the last now and some one upstairs ened a door Dont Don't let him be any letter looking than Bill she begged 1 i Ai As it happened he He Helas vas las last t a pale young man with glasses Ee It stood there In his slacks and tie l shirt and he looked well a second glance he looked dif dif- bent enL Nobody would ever take him tr r a life guard That's what shed she'd taught Bill was that first time they'd met on the beach Come Come me right in The young man ved something at them It turned tt st to be a monkey wrench of all tags gs Dont mind me Im I'm just fee fe plumber Peggy laughed It was so unexpected petted it made her feel good The umber lumber she said as their eyes tet et Imagine Some plumber the landlady all aid Id 0 i gratitude he said look look- ing at Peggy I do her a favor and she makes fun of my plumbing I think its it's nice if it a man knows how to fix the plumbing Peggy said She glanced from the thin hands to the thin pale face I really really really real real- ly do He looked pleased Im a painter paint er too he told her Look I painted paint paint- ed this china closet What do you jOU think of the shade It made her feel so flattered to have a writer showing off oil for her benefit Its a n lovely color she I told him And then she could feel Bills Bill's eyes on her it Bill Yeah Bill said sald dryly blue Peggy winced Well that proved he wasn't color blind Its the same shade as your hat this writer was saying She blushed Think df dt a mans man's noticing that Yeah Bill said The way he said it it wasn't exactly a compliment ment If It you want to see the apartment apartment apartment apart apart- ment the landlady began sharply Then she pulled a smile over her false teeth This heres here's the kitchen kit kit- chen Bill said You mean the apartment apartment apartment apart apart- ment opens into the kitchen Behind his glasses the young mans man's light blue eyes were looking amused Oh you'll get used to it And it'll give your friends son sOlIe- sOlIe ething e- e thing to talk about Hes some little talker himself isn't he he the landlady saidI saidI said I 1 think hes he's won wonderful erful Peggy said laughing He certainly knew how low to make a person feel perfectly at ease Then she got a look at Bills Bill's face She began to feel miserable If It only he wouldn't look like that Like a She She tried ried to push the thought out of her mind but it came right back again Like a disappointed disappointed disappointed dis dis- appointed salesman Im I'm sure you'll make a mistake if you dont don't buy our elevators Mr Kotch The landlady led them into the living room and when Peggy saw it her ber heart sat up and begged Her eyes ejes drank in the bookcase that covered a whole wall the original original inal paintings on unframed canvas the oversized fireplace with three ee painted masks above it And there was a table with a typewriter and anda a lots of ot papers piled up up in careless careless careless care care- less stacks What darling taste you have She almost said it but she thought about Bill just in the nick of time The bedrooms bedroom's in there the landlady said She let Peggy and Bill go into the bedroom by themselves them them- selves Bills Bill's head almost bumped the top of ot the doorway as they went in together This is a dog house he be said Pe Peggy gy was in such a daze she thought he said Dolls house bouse at first it it she said excitedly And then seeing his expression What A dog house he be said Look I Ican Ican Ican can almost touch the ceiling Listen Listen Lis Lis- ten Peggy Ive I've learned something about buildings in the elevator busi bus ness Do you know how old this house is Why It was a dump when they built the Brooklyn bridge Peggy gasped He heard you joul Suddenly all the thrill was gone and md her heart felt like lead Her eyes were blinking as she turned and went back into the living room Bill followed behind her stooping with an exaggerated wariness as he went through the doorway Her fingers were twisting the engagement engagement en en- ring nervously around 4 I Ir r r 1 v f N 1 Qt Id 1 i I 1 r I J JI I think its it's nice If It a man knows how to fix fi the plumbing Peggy said She glanced from the thin hands to the thin pale face I really do and around One thing suro sure she wasn't going to marry an elevator salesman Or any other kind of ot a salesman for that matter Listen honey boney Bill said gloom gloom- ily If It you really like the place It didn't matter Nothing mat mat- mattered mattered mattered now really Just to get out To get away To get out of everything everything everything every every- thing as painlessly as possible I guess you have to be a writer or something to appreciate it she told him forcing out the words She glanced at the pale young man and managed to smile A writer or an artist as OH OH H I dont don't know the young man protested with a shrug What kind of stuff do you write Bill asked grudgingly Huh Hub the young man said The landlady laughed Him Hes He's no writer Hes He's my son And she added proudly he be sells vacuum vacuum vac vac- cleaners Run out of the room Run down the stairs she told herself But Bills Bill's arm went around her shoulders shoulders shoulders ders steadying her and his arm armfelt armfelt armfelt felt strong and tender My man is a salesman too she shel said And she held her head bead up He Het I sells elevators |