Summary

The story begins with Tom Benecke working at the desk in his living room. He remarked on the heat before regarding a “yellow sheet” (1) on his desk. Benecke heard his wife searching through her closet and began to feel a “guilty conscience” (1). Benecke then went to the living room window and tried to open it. He recalled how heavy the window was and eventually managed to open it a few inches.

Before continuing his work, Benecke asked his wife if she felt fine going to a movie by herself. Benecke’s wife, Clare, told Tom that she did not have a problem with it, but she was upset because she knew he wanted to see the movie. She then saw Benecke’s desk and complained that he works too hard. Tom then returned to his desk and smoked a cigarette. When Clare reappeared...