noon
Isabeau Eato was willing and strong , and for three dollars a week she did an unbelievable amount of drudgery . Martie felt herself fortunate , and listened to the crash of dishes , the running of water , and the swish of Isabeau 's broom with absolute satisfaction . One broiling afternoon she was trying to read in the darkened dining room . Heat was beating against the prostrate city in metallic waves , but since noon there had been occasional distant flashes toward the west , and faint rumblings that predicted the coming storm . In an hour or two the streets would be awash , and white hats and flimsy gowns flying toward shelter ; meanwhile , there was only endurance . She could only breathe the motionless leaden air , smell the dry , stale odours of the house , and listen to the thundering drays and cars in the streets . Wallace had gone to Yonkers to see a moving picture manager ; Isabeau had taken Teddy with her on a trip to the Park .