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PARTISAN REVIEW
"How can he, they don't speak to
him,"
Sheila explained. "But
I think he's getting interested. He told some people at Columbia
about them, some people who want me to come to their office, I
think, and help with some experiments or something." Sheila stopped
talking, but then made a last try : "You know, Gretchen, they might
have some messages for
you,
to help with your painting. Even if you
can't get in touch with them yourself, I know it's hard, perhaps I
could-urn-relay your requests-"
"OH, NO!" Then Gretchen went on more politely, "Don't
bother, thanks, really. It's not necessary. I mean-I don't think they'd
be interested in the work I'm doing."
The rest of the visit was no less uncomfortable and their talk
faded out. Every few minutes Gretchen said she had to go and
Sheila wished she wouldn't. Finally Melvin came in.
After he'd sat down with them, he noticed Sheila's notebook in
her lap, and open. He looked at it curiously. Melvin appeared very
much the same as when they first knew him. He still had that initial
grimace of suspicion. "So she's been telling you about the voices,
too?" He turned to Gretchen. He was still quite nice-looking.
It
was
odd to think of his choosing Sheila.
"I don't really know," Gretchen said blandly.
"As
Sheila says,
I've lost touch. I-she says you've arranged for her to contact some
people-"
"Yes. -I made an appointment for you. I hope you'll go. I
mean-it would be worth going. They're anxious to see you."
"Oh, I'm so glad! I love to tell someone who's interested. And
if I can help with their experiments-Do they want to see my draw–
ings, too? Or my dreams?"
"I think," said Melvin cautiously, "I think it's mainly the voices."
But Sheila died giving birth to her baby.
If
she had lived or
been alive to say so, she would have said that Gretchen had had an
intuition, a presentiment, a message. The doctors did everything they
could, but it was a cerebral hemorrhage, and there was only time
for Sheila to insist that they save the baby. Of course, the little girl
was named for her. And Mrs. Dubin would take the baby, although
she never liked Sheila.
Melvin said to Gretchen afterward, "You know, I think she'd
