Show FICTION THE ROMANCE IN ELEVATOR CORNER By Shirley Sargent I THE THE professor had been elevator 1 starter in the six story Brent building ever since Tod Davis could remember He clicked his castanets guiding people into one or another elevator Sometimes he said Car going up or orI I Step in please Minute but usually he 3 S Fiction just clicked his bis castanets a and n d 1 motioned Tod Tad sidestepped the crowd going into the second car Valerie operated operated operated oper oper- elevator number three part time helping to put herself herselt through college The professor winked and let Tod Ted go in but it wasn't any good He was shoved into the corner opposite Valerie by eager shoppers Romance in an levator Tod thought wryly Personal conversation conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion interrupted by calls of Three miss and Second please was nearly impossible but Valerie managed managed man man- aged it cioci Good morning Mr Davis she said now formally Why arent aren't you ou at college Too nice a morning to be cooped up he said watching her but conscious conscious conscious con con- that every eye was on him Everybody streamed out by the time they reached the top floor loor and only two nurses got in for tor the down ride Quickly he said Im quitting school Valerie's expressions anger chasing disappointment told him how v she felt As people got goton goton goton on at the fourth floor level all she could say was Im afraid youre you're making a mistake Tod Tad had known Valerie would be I i As the thC elevator zoomed past the fourth floor he took her in his arms and proposed stubborn First floor loor and everybody out as a new stream crowded in Just enough confused time for Tod Toil to stop beside her Its that job he said urgently Ill be making enough for tor us to be married on Steady work Sos running an elevator she reported Why dont don't you talk to the professor TOD leaned against the wall J. J watching the professor direct traffic He couldn't see college for tor forthe forthe the an hour hed he'd get working for a construction company Balance the promise of an underpaid white collar job after two more years of ot college against that kind of money and you didn't give a darn for tor education The castanets clicked the professors professor's professors professor's professors professor's sors sor's arm moved people shuffled forward Watching him Tod Tad was reminded of an automat The professor professor professor pro pro- fessor was a fixture performing the same gestures routinely Habit and duty guiding him Like a puppet puppet pup pup- pet Tod Ted thought realizing why Valerie wanted him to talk to the professor With the elevators all In use he turned to Tod Hows college Im quitting for tor a job at an hour So you can get married Valerie says she wont won't marry me unless I 1 finish college Smart girl the professor said quietly turning back to the impatient impatient tient people castanets clicking arm waving In the next lull IuD the professor spoke hurriedly I q 1 took this job on temporarily 23 years ago because I needed money to tobe tobe tobe be married I was going to teach be a professor proCessor but the children started coming and this u. u was steady Great Job If U you like herding sheep Tod watched the professor with sharpened awareness H Her Herding e r d din i n g sheep A steady job but automatic No thought no chance for tor advance advance- ment meat That's what Valerie had wanted him hEra to see Was Valerie afraid hed he'd end up like th the professor sor Thoughtfully Tod Ted boarded the third car standing as close to Valerie as the pressure of the crowd would allow I 1 thought you had to work she ahe said coldly Im going back to college he said forgetting the people when he saw her eyes light up They shot past the second floor loor without stop ping Will you marry me right away he asked Oh Ob yes she said and the elevator ele vator zoomed past the fourth floor level as he took her in his arms And the next thing they knew the crowd was shouting Sixth floor loor everybody out |