Kate Choplin

They knew that Louise Mallard had a weak heart.So they broke the bad news softly.Her husband,Brently,was dead.

"There was a train accident,Louise," said her sister Josephine.Richards brought the news,but Josephine told the story.She spoke in broken sentences.

"Richards...was at the newspaper office.News of the accident came.Louise...Louise,Brently's name was on the list.Brently was killed,Louise."

Louise did not hear the story coldly,as some women would.She could not close her mind or her heart to the news.Like a sudden storm,her tears broke out.She cried loudly in her sister's arms.Then,just as suddenly,the tears stopped.She went to her room alone.She wanted no one with her.In front of the window stood an empty chair.She sat down and looked out the window.She was tired after her tears.Her body felt cold,her mind and heart were empty.

Outside her window she could see the trees.The air smelled like spring rain.She could hear someone singing far away.Birds sang near the house.Blue sky showed between the clouds.She rested.

She sat quietly,but a few weak tears still fell.She had a young,strong face.But now her eyes showed nothing.She looked out the window at the blue sky.She was not thinking,or seeing.She was waiting.

There was something coming to her.She was waiting for it with fear.What was it?She did not know;she could not give it a name.But she felt it coming out from the sky.It reached her through the sound,the smell,the color of the air.

Slowly she became excited.Her breath came fast,her heart beat faster.She began to see this thing.

It wanted to find her and take her.She tried to fight against it.But she could not.Her mind was as weak as her two small white hands.Then she stopped fighting against it.A little word broke from her lips.

"Free," she said,"Free,free,free!" The emptiness and fear left her.Her eyes showed her excitement.Her heart beat fast,and the blood warmed her body.A sudden feeling of joy excited her.

She did not stop to ask if her joy was wrong.She saw her freedom clearly.She could not stop to think of smaller things.

She knew the tears would come again when she saw her husband's body.The kind hands,now dead and still.The loving face,now still and gray.But she looked into the future.She saw many long years to come that would belong to her alone.And now she opened her arms to those years in welcome.

There would be no one else to live for during hose years.She would live for herself alone.There would be no strong mind above hers.Men and women always believe they can tell others what to do and how to think.Suddenly Louise understood hat this was wrong.She could break away and be free of it.

And yet,she loved him-sometimes.Often she did not.What did love mean now?Now she understood that freedom is stronger than love.

"Free!Body and mind free!"she said again.

Her sister Josephine was waiting outside the door.

"Please open the door," Josephine cried,"You will make yourself sick.What are you doing there,Louise?Please,please,let me in!"

"Go away.I am not sick." No,she was drinking in life through that open window.

She thought joyfully of all those days before her.Spring days,summer days.All kinds of days that would be her own.She began to hope life would be long.And just yesterday,life seemed so long!After a while she got up and opened the door.

Her eyes were bright,her cheeks were red.She didn't know how strong and well she looked-so full of joy.They went downstairs,where Richards was waiting.

A man was opening the door.It was Brenfiy.He was dirty,and tired.He carried a suitcase and an umbrella.He was not killed in the train accident.He didn't even know there was an accident.He was surprised at Josephine's sudden cry.He didn't understand why Richards moved suddenly between them,to hide Louise from her husband.

But Richard was too late.

When the doctors came,they said it was her weak bad heart.They said she died of joy-of joy that kills.