OneoftheBentleysisterscookedthelittleanimalandheateitwithgreatgusto。Theskinhetackedonaboardandsuspendedtheboardbyastringfromhisbedroomwindow。
　　Thatgavehismindanewturn。Afterthatheneverwentintothewoodswithoutcarryingtheslinginhispocketandhespenthoursshootingatimaginaryanimalsconcealedamongthebrownleavesinthetrees。Thoughtsofhiscomingmanhoodpassedandhewascontenttobeaboywithaboy'simpulses。
　　OneSaturdaymorningwhenhewasabouttosetoffforthewoodswiththeslinginhispocketandabagfornutsonhisshoulder，hisgrandfatherstoppedhim。IntheeyesoftheoldmanwasthestrainedseriouslookthatalwaysalittlefrightenedDavid。AtsuchtimesJesseBentley'seyesdidnotlookstraightaheadbutwaveredandseemedtobelookingatnothing。Somethinglikeaninvisiblecurtainap-
　　pearedtohavecomebetweenthemanandalltherestoftheworld。"Iwantyoutocomewithme，"
　　hesaidbriefly，andhiseyeslookedovertheboy'sheadintothesky。"Wehavesomethingimportanttodotoday。Youmaybringthebagfornutsifyouwish。Itdoesnotmatterandanywaywewillbegoingintothewoods。"
　　JesseandDavidsetoutfromtheBentleyfarm-
　　houseintheoldphaetonthatwasdrawnbythewhitehorse。Whentheyhadgonealonginsilenceforalongwaytheystoppedattheedgeofafieldwhereaflockofsheepweregrazing。Amongthesheepwasalambthathadbeenbornoutofseason，andthisDavidandhisgrandfathercaughtandtiedsotightlythatitlookedlikealittlewhiteball。WhentheydroveonagainJesseletDavidholdthelambinhisarms。"IsawityesterdayanditputmeinmindofwhatIhavelongwantedtodo，"hesaid，andagainhelookedawayovertheheadoftheboywiththewavering，uncertainstareinhiseyes。
　　Afterthefeelingofexaltationthathadcometothefarmerasaresultofhissuccessfulyear，anothermoodhadtakenpossessionofhim。Foralongtimehehadbeengoingaboutfeelingveryhumbleandprayerful。AgainhewalkedaloneatnightthinkingofGodandashewalkedheagainconnectedhisownfigurewiththefiguresofolddays。Underthestarshekneltonthewetgrassandraiseduphisvoiceinprayer。NowhehaddecidedthatlikethemenwhosestoriesfilledthepagesoftheBible，hewouldmakeasacrificetoGod。"IhavebeengiventheseabundantcropsandGodhasalsosentmeaboywhoiscalledDavid，"hewhisperedtohimself。
　　"PerhapsIshouldhavedonethisthinglongago。"
　　HewassorrytheideahadnotcomeintohismindinthedaysbeforehisdaughterLouisehadbeenbornandthoughtthatsurelynowwhenhehaderectedapileofburningsticksinsomelonelyplaceinthewoodsandhadofferedthebodyofalambasaburntoffering，Godwouldappeartohimandgivehimamessage。
　　Moreandmoreashethoughtofthematter，hethoughtalsoofDavidandhispassionateself-lovewaspartiallyforgotten。"Itistimefortheboytobeginthinkingofgoingoutintotheworldandthemessagewillbeoneconcerninghim，"hedecided。
　　"Godwillmakeapathwayforhim。HewilltellmewhatplaceDavidistotakeinlifeandwhenheshallsetoutonhisjourney。Itisrightthattheboyshouldbethere。IfIamfortunateandanangelofGodshouldappear，DavidwillseethebeautyandgloryofGodmademanifesttoman。ItwillmakeatruemanofGodofhimalso。"
　　InsilenceJesseandDaviddrovealongtheroaduntiltheycametothatplacewhereJessehadoncebeforeappealedtoGodandhadfrightenedhisgrandson。Themorninghadbeenbrightandcheer-
　　ful，butacoldwindnowbegantoblowandcloudshidthesun。WhenDavidsawtheplacetowhichtheyhadcomehebegantotremblewithfright，andwhentheystoppedbythebridgewherethecreekcamedownfromamongthetrees，hewantedtospringoutofthephaetonandrunaway。
　　AdozenplansforescaperanthroughDavid'shead，butwhenJessestoppedthehorseandclimbedoverthefenceintothewood，hefollowed。"Itisfoolishtobeafraid。Nothingwillhappen，"hetoldhimselfashewentalongwiththelambinhisarms。
　　Therewassomethinginthehelplessnessofthelittleanimalheldsotightlyinhisarmsthatgavehimcourage。Hecouldfeeltherapidbeatingofthebeast'sheartandthatmadehisownheartbeatlessrapidly。Ashewalkedswiftlyalongbehindhisgrandfather，heuntiedthestringwithwhichthefourlegsofthelambwerefastenedtogether。"Ifanythinghappenswewillrunawaytogether，"hethought。
　　Inthewoods，aftertheyhadgonealongwayfromtheroad，Jessestoppedinanopeningamongthetreeswhereaclearing，overgrownwithsmallbushes，ranupfromthecreek。Hewasstillsilentbutbeganatoncetoerectaheapofdrystickswhichhepresentlysetafire。Theboysatonthegroundwiththelambinhisarms。Hisimaginationbegantoinvesteverymovementoftheoldmanwithsignifi-
　　canceandhebecameeverymomentmoreafraid。"I
　　mustputthebloodofthelambontheheadoftheboy，"Jessemutteredwhenthestickshadbeguntoblazegreedily，andtakingalongknifefromhispocketheturnedandwalkedrapidlyacrosstheclearingtowardDavid。
　　Terrorseizeduponthesouloftheboy。Hewassickwithit。Foramomenthesatperfectlystillandthenhisbodystiffenedandhesprangtohisfeet。
　　Hisfacebecameaswhiteasthefleeceofthelambthat，nowfindingitselfsuddenlyreleased，randownthehill。Davidranalso。Fearmadehisfeetfly。Overthelowbushesandlogsheleapedfrantically。Asheranheputhishandintohispocketandtookoutthebranchedstickfromwhichtheslingforshootingsquirrelswassuspended。Whenhecametothecreekthatwasshallowandsplasheddownoverthestones，hedashedintothewaterandturnedtolookback，andwhenhesawhisgrandfatherstillrunningtowardhimwiththelongknifeheldtightlyinhishandhedidnothesitate，butreachingdown，se-
　　lectedastoneandputitinthesling。Withallhisstrengthhedrewbacktheheavyrubberbandsandthestonewhistledthroughtheair。IthitJesse，whohadentirelyforgottentheboyandwaspursuingthelamb，squarelyinthehead。Withagroanhepitchedforwardandfellalmostattheboy'sfeet。WhenDavidsawthathelaystillandthathewasappar-
　　entlydead，hisfrightincreasedimmeasurably。Itbe-
　　cameaninsanepanic。
　　Withacryheturnedandranoffthroughthewoodsweepingconvulsively。"Idon'tcare——Ikilledhim，butIdon'tcare，"hesobbed。AsheranonandonhedecidedsuddenlythathewouldnevergobackagaintotheBentleyfarmsortothetownofWinesburg。"IhavekilledthemanofGodandnowIwillmyselfbeamanandgointotheworld，"hesaidstoutlyashestoppedrunningandwalkedrap-
　　idlydownaroadthatfollowedthewindingsofWineCreekasitranthroughfieldsandforestsintothewest。
　　OnthegroundbythecreekJesseBentleymoveduneasilyabout。Hegroanedandopenedhiseyes。
　　Foralongtimehelayperfectlystillandlookedatthesky。Whenatlasthegottohisfeet，hismindwasconfusedandhewasnotsurprisedbytheboy'sdisappearance。BytheroadsidehesatdownonalogandbegantotalkaboutGod。Thatisalltheyevergotoutofhim。WheneverDavid'snamewasmentionedhelookedvaguelyattheskyandsaidthatamessengerfromGodhadtakentheboy。"IthappenedbecauseIwastoogreedyforglory，"hedeclared，andwouldhavenomoretosayinthematter。
　　AMANOFIDEAS
　　HELIVEDWITHhismother，agrey，silentwomanwithapeculiarashycomplexion。Thehouseinwhichtheylivedstoodinalittlegroveoftreesbe-
　　yondwherethemainstreetofWinesburgcrossedWineCreek。HisnamewasJoeWelling，andhisfa-
　　therhadbeenamanofsomedignityinthecommu-
　　nity，alawyer，andamemberofthestatelegislatureatColumbus。Joehimselfwassmallofbodyandinhischaracterunlikeanyoneelseintown。Hewaslikeatinylittlevolcanothatliessilentfordaysandthensuddenlyspoutsfire。No，hewasn'tlikethat——
　　hewaslikeamanwhoissubjecttofits，onewhowalksamonghisfellowmeninspiringfearbecauseafitmaycomeuponhimsuddenlyandblowhimawayintoastrangeuncannyphysicalstateinwhichhiseyesrollandhislegsandarmsjerk。Hewaslikethat，onlythatthevisitationthatdescendeduponJoeWellingwasamentalandnotaphysicalthing。
　　Hewasbesetbyideasandinthethroesofoneofhisideaswasuncontrollable。Wordsrolledandtumbledfromhismouth。Apeculiarsmilecameuponhislips。Theedgesofhisteeththatweretippedwithgoldglistenedinthelight。Pouncinguponaby-
　　standerhebegantotalk。Forthebystandertherewasnoescape。Theexcitedmanbreathedintohisface，peeredintohiseyes，poundeduponhischestwithashakingforefinger，demanded，compelledattention。
　　InthosedaystheStandardOilCompanydidnotdeliveroiltotheconsumerinbigwagonsandmotortrucksasitdoesnow，butdeliveredinsteadtoretailgrocers，hardwarestores，andthelike。JoewastheStandardOilagentinWinesburgandinseveraltownsupanddowntherailroadthatwentthroughWinesburg。Hecollectedbills，bookedorders，anddidotherthings。Hisfather，thelegislator，hadse-
　　curedthejobforhim。
　　InandoutofthestoresofWinesburgwentJoeWelling——silent，excessivelypolite，intentuponhisbusiness。Menwatchedhimwitheyesinwhichlurkedamusementtemperedbyalarm。Theywerewaitingforhimtobreakforth，preparingtoflee。
　　Althoughtheseizuresthatcameuponhimwereharmlessenough，theycouldnotbelaughedaway。
　　Theywereoverwhelming。Astrideanidea，Joewasovermastering。Hispersonalitybecamegigantic。Itoverrodethemantowhomhetalked，swepthimaway，sweptallaway，allwhostoodwithinsoundofhisvoice。
　　InSylvesterWest'sDrugStorestoodfourmenwhoweretalkingofhorseracing。WesleyMoyer'sstallion，TonyTip，wastoraceattheJunemeetingatTiffin，Ohio，andtherewasarumorthathewouldmeetthestiffestcompetitionofhiscareer。ItwassaidthatPopGeers，thegreatracingdriver，wouldhimselfbethere。AdoubtofthesuccessofTonyTiphungheavyintheairofWinesburg。
　　IntothedrugstorecameJoeWelling，brushingthescreendoorviolentlyaside。Withastrangeab-
　　sorbedlightinhiseyeshepounceduponEdThomas，hewhoknewPopGeersandwhoseopin-
　　ionofTonyTip'schanceswasworthconsidering。
　　"ThewaterisupinWineCreek，"criedJoeWel-
　　lingwiththeairofPheidippidesbringingnewsofthevictoryoftheGreeksinthestruggleatMara-
　　thon。HisfingerbeatatattoouponEdThomas'sbroadchest。"ByTrunionbridgeitiswithinelevenandahalfinchesoftheflooring，"hewenton，thewordscomingquicklyandwithalittlewhistlingnoisefrombetweenhisteeth。Anexpressionofhelp-
　　lessannoyancecreptoverthefacesofthefour。
　　"Ihavemyfactscorrect。Dependuponthat。I
　　wenttoSinnings'HardwareStoreandgotarule。
　　ThenIwentbackandmeasured。Icouldhardlybe-
　　lievemyowneyes。Ithasn'trainedyouseefortendays。AtfirstIdidn'tknowwhattothink。Thoughtsrushedthroughmyhead。Ithoughtofsubterraneanpassagesandsprings。Downunderthegroundwentmymind，delvingabout。Isatonthefloorofthebridgeandrubbedmyhead。Therewasn'tacloudinthesky，notone。Comeoutintothestreetandyou'llsee。Therewasn'tacloud。Thereisn'tacloudnow。Yes，therewasacloud。Idon'twanttokeepbackanyfacts。Therewasacloudinthewestdownnearthehorizon，acloudnobiggerthanaman'shand。
　　"NotthatIthinkthathasanythingtodowithit。
　　Thereitis，yousee。YouunderstandhowpuzzledI
　　was。
　　"Thenanideacametome。Ilaughed。You'lllaugh，too。OfcourseitrainedoverinMedinaCounty。That'sinteresting，eh？Ifwehadnotrains，nomails，notelegraph，wewouldknowthatitrainedoverinMedinaCounty。That'swhereWineCreekcomesfrom。Everyoneknowsthat。LittleoldWineCreekbroughtusthenews。That'sinteresting。
　　Ilaughed。IthoughtI'dtellyou——it'sinteresting，eh？"
　　JoeWellingturnedandwentoutatthedoor。Tak-
　　ingabookfromhispocket，hestoppedandranafingerdownoneofthepages。Againhewasab-
　　sorbedinhisdutiesasagentoftheStandardOilCompany。"Hern'sGrocerywillbegettinglowoncoaloil。I'llseethem，"hemuttered，hurryingalongthestreet，andbowingpolitelytotherightandleftatthepeoplewalkingpast。
　　WhenGeorgeWillardwenttoworkfortheWines-
　　burgEaglehewasbesiegedbyJoeWelling。Joeen-
　　viedtheboy。ItseemedtohimthathewasmeantbyNaturetobeareporteronanewspaper。"ItiswhatIshouldbedoing，thereisnodoubtofthat，"
　　hedeclared，stoppingGeorgeWillardontheside-
　　walkbeforeDaugherty'sFeedStore。Hiseyesbegantoglistenandhisforefingertotremble。"OfcourseImakemoremoneywiththeStandardOilCompanyandI'monlytellingyou，"headded。"I'vegotnoth-
　　ingagainstyoubutIshouldhaveyourplace。Icoulddotheworkatoddmoments。HereandthereI
　　wouldrunfindingoutthingsyou'llneversee。"
　　BecomingmoreexcitedJoeWellingcrowdedtheyoungreporteragainstthefrontofthefeedstore。
　　Heappearedtobelostinthought，rollinghiseyesaboutandrunningathinnervoushandthroughhishair。Asmilespreadoverhisfaceandhisgoldteethglittered。"Yougetoutyournotebook，"hecom-
　　manded。"Youcarryalittlepadofpaperinyourpocket，don'tyou？Iknewyoudid。Well，yousetthisdown。Ithoughtofittheotherday。Let'stakedecay。Nowwhatisdecay？It'sfire。Itburnsupwoodandotherthings。Youneverthoughtofthat？
　　Ofcoursenot。Thissidewalkhereandthisfeedstore，thetreesdownthestreetthere——they'reallonfire。They'reburningup。Decayyouseeisalwaysgoingon。Itdoesn'tstop。Waterandpaintcan'tstopit。Ifathingisiron，thenwhat？Itrusts，yousee。
　　That'sfire，too。Theworldisonfire。Startyourpiecesinthepaperthatway。Justsayinbigletters'TheWorldIsOnFire。'Thatwillmake'emlookup。
　　They'llsayyou'reasmartone。Idon'tcare。Idon'tenvyyou。Ijustsnatchedthatideaoutoftheair。I
　　wouldmakeanewspaperhum。Yougottoadmitthat。"'
　　Turningquickly，JoeWellingwalkedrapidlyaway。
　　Whenhehadtakenseveralstepshestoppedandlookedback。"I'mgoingtosticktoyou，"hesaid。
　　"I'mgoingtomakeyouaregularhummer。Ishouldstartanewspapermyself，that'swhatIshoulddo。
　　I'dbeamarvel。Everybodyknowsthat。"
　　WhenGeorgeWillardhadbeenforayearontheWinesburgEagle，fourthingshappenedtoJoeWel-
　　ling。Hismotherdied，hecametoliveattheNewWillardHouse，hebecameinvolvedinaloveaffair，andheorganizedtheWinesburgBaseballClub。
　　Joeorganizedthebaseballclubbecausehewantedtobeacoachandinthatpositionhebegantowintherespectofhistownsmen。"Heisawonder，"theydeclaredafterJoe'steamhadwhippedtheteamfromMedinaCounty。"Hegetseverybodyworkingtogether。Youjustwatchhim。"
　　UponthebaseballfieldJoeWellingstoodbyfirstbase，hiswholebodyquiveringwithexcitement。Inspiteofthemselvesalltheplayerswatchedhimclosely。Theopposingpitcherbecameconfused。
　　"Now!Now!Now!Now!"shoutedtheexcitedman。"Watchme!Watchme!Watchmyfingers!
　　Watchmyhands!Watchmyfeet!Watchmyeyes!
　　Let'sworktogetherhere!Watchme!Inmeyouseeallthemovementsofthegame!Workwithme!
　　Workwithme!Watchme!Watchme!Watchme!"
　　WithrunnersoftheWinesburgteamonbases，JoeWellingbecameasoneinspired。Beforetheyknewwhathadcomeoverthem，thebaserunnerswerewatchingtheman，edgingoffthebases，advancing，retreating，heldasbyaninvisiblecord。TheplayersoftheopposingteamalsowatchedJoe。Theywerefascinated。Foramomenttheywatchedandthen，asthoughtobreakaspellthathungoverthem，theybeganhurlingtheballwildlyabout，andamidase-
　　riesoffierceanimal-likecriesfromthecoach，therunnersoftheWinesburgteamscamperedhome。
　　JoeWelling'sloveaffairsetthetownofWinesburgonedge。Whenitbeganeveryonewhisperedandshookhishead。Whenpeopletriedtolaugh，thelaughterwasforcedandunnatural。JoefellinlovewithSarahKing，alean，sad-lookingwomanwholivedwithherfatherandbrotherinabrickhousethatstoodoppositethegateleadingtotheWines-
　　burgCemetery。
　　ThetwoKings，Edwardthefather，andTomtheson，werenotpopularinWinesburg。Theywerecalledproudanddangerous。TheyhadcometoWinesburgfromsomeplaceintheSouthandranacidermillontheTrunionPike。TomKingwasre-
　　portedtohavekilledamanbeforehecametoWinesburg。Hewastwenty-sevenyearsoldandrodeabouttownonagreypony。Alsohehadalongyellowmustachethatdroppeddownoverhisteeth，andalwayscarriedaheavy，wicked-lookingwalkingstickinhishand。Oncehekilledadogwiththestick。ThedogbelongedtoWinPawsey，theshoemerchant，andstoodonthesidewalkwaggingitstail。TomKingkilleditwithoneblow。Hewasar-
　　restedandpaidafineoftendollars。
　　OldEdwardKingwassmallofstatureandwhenhepassedpeopleinthestreetlaughedaqueerun-
　　mirthfullaugh。Whenhelaughedhescratchedhisleftelbowwithhisrighthand。Thesleeveofhiscoatwasalmostwornthroughfromthehabit。Ashewalkedalongthestreet，lookingnervouslyaboutandlaughing，heseemedmoredangerousthanhissilent，fierce-lookingson。
　　WhenSarahKingbeganwalkingoutintheeve-
　　ningwithJoeWelling，peopleshooktheirheadsinalarm。Shewastallandpaleandhaddarkringsunderhereyes。Thecouplelookedridiculousto-
　　gether。UnderthetreestheywalkedandJoetalked。
　　Hispassionateeagerprotestationsoflove，heardcomingoutofthedarknessbythecemeterywall，orfromthedeepshadowsofthetreesonthehillthatranuptotheFairGroundsfromWaterworksPond，wererepeatedinthestores。MenstoodbythebarintheNewWillardHouselaughingandtalkingofJoe'scourtship。Afterthelaughtercamethesilence。
　　TheWinesburgbaseballteam，underhismanage-
　　ment，waswinninggameaftergame，andthetownhadbeguntorespecthim。Sensingatragedy，theywaited，laughingnervously。
　　LateonaSaturdayafternoonthemeetingbetweenJoeWellingandthetwoKings，theanticipationofwhichhadsetthetownonedge，tookplaceinJoeWelling'sroomintheNewWillardHouse。GeorgeWillardwasawitnesstothemeeting。Itcameaboutinthisway:
　　WhentheyoungreporterwenttohisroomaftertheeveningmealhesawTomKingandhisfathersittinginthehalfdarknessinJoe'sroom。Thesonhadtheheavywalkingstickinhishandandsatnearthedoor。OldEdwardKingwalkednervouslyabout，scratchinghisleftelbowwithhisrighthand。Thehallwayswereemptyandsilent。
　　GeorgeWillardwenttohisownroomandsatdownathisdesk。Hetriedtowritebuthishandtrembledsothathecouldnotholdthepen。Healsowalkednervouslyupanddown。LiketherestofthetownofWinesburghewasperplexedandknewnotwhattodo。
　　Itwasseven-thirtyandfastgrowingdarkwhenJoeWellingcamealongthestationplatformtowardtheNewWillardHouse。Inhisarmsheheldabun-
　　dleofweedsandgrasses。Inspiteoftheterrorthatmadehisbodyshake，GeorgeWillardwasamusedatthesightofthesmallspryfigureholdingthegrassesandhalfrunningalongtheplatform。
　　Shakingwithfrightandanxiety，theyoungre-
　　porterlurkedinthehallwayoutsidethedooroftheroominwhichJoeWellingtalkedtothetwoKings。
　　Therehadbeenanoath，thenervousgiggleofoldEdwardKing，andthensilence。NowthevoiceofJoeWelling，sharpandclear，brokeforth。GeorgeWillardbegantolaugh。Heunderstood。Ashehadsweptallmenbeforehim，sonowJoeWellingwascarryingthetwomenintheroomofftheirfeetwithatidalwaveofwords。Thelistenerinthehallwalkedupanddown，lostinamazement。
　　InsidetheroomJoeWellinghadpaidnoattentiontothegrumbledthreatofTomKing。Absorbedinanideaheclosedthedoorand，lightingalamp，spreadthehandfulofweedsandgrassesuponthefloor。"I'vegotsomethinghere，"heannouncedsol-
　　emnly。"IwasgoingtotellGeorgeWillardaboutit，lethimmakeapieceoutofitforthepaper。I'mgladyou'rehere。IwishSarahwereherealso。I'vebeengoingtocometoyourhouseandtellyouofsomeofmyideas。They'reinteresting。Sarahwouldn'tletme。Shesaidwe'dquarrel。That'sfoolish。"
　　Runningupanddownbeforethetwoperplexedmen，JoeWellingbegantoexplain。"Don'tyoumakeamistakenow，"hecried。"Thisissomethingbig。"
　　Hisvoicewasshrillwithexcitement。"Youjustfol-
　　lowme，you'llbeinterested。Iknowyouwill。Sup-
　　posethis——supposeallofthewheat，thecorn，theoats，thepeas，thepotatoes，wereallbysomemira-
　　clesweptaway。Nowhereweare，yousee，inthiscounty。Thereisahighfencebuiltallaroundus。
　　We'llsupposethat。Noonecangetoverthefenceandallthefruitsoftheeartharedestroyed，nothingleftbutthesewildthings，thesegrasses。Wouldwebedonefor？Iaskyouthat。Wouldwebedonefor？"
　　AgainTomKinggrowledandforamomenttherewassilenceintheroom。ThenagainJoeplungedintotheexpositionofhisidea。"Thingswouldgohardforatime。Iadmitthat。I'vegottoadmitthat。
　　Nogettingaroundit。We'dbehardputtoit。Morethanonefatstomachwouldcavein。Buttheycouldn'tdownus。Ishouldsaynot。"
　　TomKinglaughedgoodnaturedlyandtheshiv-
　　ery，nervouslaughofEdwardKingrangthroughthehouse。JoeWellinghurriedon。"We'dbegin，yousee，tobreedupnewvegetablesandfruits。Soonwe'dregainallwehadlost。Mind，Idon'tsaythenewthingswouldbethesameastheold。Theywouldn't。Maybethey'dbebetter，maybenotsogood。That'sinteresting，eh？Youcanthinkaboutthat。Itstartsyourmindworking，nowdon'tit？"
　　IntheroomtherewassilenceandthenagainoldEdwardKinglaughednervously。"Say，IwishSarahwashere，"criedJoeWelling。"Let'sgouptoyourhouse。Iwanttotellherofthis。"
　　Therewasascrapingofchairsintheroom。ItwasthenthatGeorgeWillardretreatedtohisownroom。
　　LeaningoutatthewindowhesawJoeWellinggoingalongthestreetwiththetwoKings。TomKingwasforcedtotakeextraordinarylongstridestokeeppacewiththelittleman。Ashestrodealong，heleanedover，listening——absorbed，fascinated。JoeWellingagaintalkedexcitedly。"Takemilkweednow，"hecried。"Alotmightbedonewithmilk-
　　weed，eh？It'salmostunbelievable。Iwantyoutothinkaboutit。Iwantyoutwotothinkaboutit。
　　Therewouldbeanewvegetablekingdomyousee。
　　It'sinteresting，eh？It'sanidea。WaittillyouseeSarah，she'llgettheidea。She'llbeinterested。Sarahisalwaysinterestedinideas。Youcan'tbetoosmartforSarah，nowcanyou？Ofcourseyoucan't。Youknowthat。"
　　ADVENTURE
　　ALICEHINDMAN，awomanoftwenty-sevenwhenGeorgeWillardwasamereboy，hadlivedinWines-
　　burgallherlife。SheclerkedinWinney'sDryGoodsStoreandlivedwithhermother，whohadmarriedasecondhusband。
　　Alice'sstep-fatherwasacarriagepainter，andgiventodrink。Hisstoryisanoddone。Itwillbeworthtellingsomeday。
　　Attwenty-sevenAlicewastallandsomewhatslight。Herheadwaslargeandovershadowedherbody。Hershoulderswerealittlestoopedandherhairandeyesbrown。Shewasveryquietbutbeneathaplacidexterioracontinualfermentwenton。
　　Whenshewasagirlofsixteenandbeforeshebegantoworkinthestore，Alicehadanaffairwithayoungman。Theyoungman，namedNedCurrie，wasolderthanAlice。He，likeGeorgeWillard，wasemployedontheWinesburgEagleandforalongtimehewenttoseeAlicealmosteveryevening。Togetherthetwowalkedunderthetreesthroughthestreetsofthetownandtalkedofwhattheywoulddowiththeirlives。AlicewasthenaveryprettygirlandNedCurrietookherintohisarmsandkissedher。HebecameexcitedandsaidthingshedidnotintendtosayandAlice，betrayedbyherdesiretohavesome-
　　thingbeautifulcomeintoherrathernarrowlife，alsogrewexcited。Shealsotalked。Theoutercrustofherlife，allofhernaturaldiffidenceandreserve，wastomawayandshegaveherselfovertotheemotionsoflove。When，lateinthefallofhersixteenthyear，NedCurriewentawaytoClevelandwherehehopedtogetaplaceonacitynewspaperandriseintheworld，shewantedtogowithhim。Withatremblingvoiceshetoldhimwhatwasinhermind。"Iwillworkandyoucanwork，"shesaid。"Idonotwanttoharnessyoutoaneedlessexpensethatwillpre-
　　ventyourmakingprogress。Don'tmarrymenow。
　　Wewillgetalongwithoutthatandwecanbeto-
　　gether。Eventhoughweliveinthesamehousenoonewillsayanything。Inthecitywewillbeun-
　　knownandpeoplewillpaynoattentiontous。"
　　NedCurriewaspuzzledbythedeterminationandabandonofhissweetheartandwasalsodeeplytouched。Hehadwantedthegirltobecomehismis-
　　tressbutchangedhismind。Hewantedtoprotectandcareforher。"Youdon'tknowwhatyou'retalk-
　　ingabout，"hesaidsharply；"youmaybesureI'llletyoudonosuchthing。AssoonasIgetagoodjobI'llcomeback。Forthepresentyou'llhavetostayhere。It'stheonlythingwecando。"
　　OntheeveningbeforeheleftWinesburgtotakeuphisnewlifeinthecity，NedCurriewenttocallonAlice。TheywalkedaboutthroughthestreetsforanhourandthengotarigfromWesleyMoyer'sliveryandwentforadriveinthecountry。Themooncameupandtheyfoundthemselvesunabletotalk。
　　Inhissadnesstheyoungmanforgottheresolutionshehadmaderegardinghisconductwiththegirl。
　　TheygotoutofthebuggyataplacewherealongmeadowrandowntothebankofWineCreekandthereinthedimlightbecamelovers。Whenatmid-
　　nighttheyreturnedtotowntheywerebothglad。Itdidnotseemtothemthatanythingthatcouldhap-
　　peninthefuturecouldblotoutthewonderandbeautyofthethingthathadhappened。"Nowwewillhavetosticktoeachother，whateverhappenswewillhavetodothat，"NedCurriesaidasheleftthegirlatherfather'sdoor。
　　Theyoungnewspapermandidnotsucceedinget-
　　tingaplaceonaClevelandpaperandwentwesttoChicago。ForatimehewaslonelyandwrotetoAlicealmosteveryday。Thenhewascaughtupbythelifeofthecity；hebegantomakefriendsandfoundnewinterestsinlife。InChicagoheboardedatahousewheretherewereseveralwomen。OneofthemattractedhisattentionandheforgotAliceinWinesburg。Attheendofayearhehadstoppedwritingletters，andonlyonceinalongtime，whenhewaslonelyorwhenhewentintooneofthecityparksandsawthemoonshiningonthegrassasithadshonethatnightonthemeadowbyWineCreek，didhethinkofheratall。
　　InWinesburgthegirlwhohadbeenlovedgrewtobeawoman。Whenshewastwenty-twoyearsoldherfather，whoownedaharnessrepairshop，diedsuddenly。Theharnessmakerwasanoldsoldier，andafterafewmonthshiswifereceivedawidow'spension。Sheusedthefirstmoneyshegottobuyaloomandbecameaweaverofcarpets，andAlicegotaplaceinWinney'sstore。ForanumberofyearsnothingcouldhaveinducedhertobelievethatNedCurriewouldnotintheendreturntoher。
　　Shewasgladtobeemployedbecausethedailyroundoftoilinthestoremadethetimeofwaitingseemlesslonganduninteresting。Shebegantosavemoney，thinkingthatwhenshehadsavedtwoorthreehundreddollarsshewouldfollowherlovertothecityandtryifherpresencewouldnotwinbackhisaffections。
　　AlicedidnotblameNedCurrieforwhathadhap-
　　penedinthemoonlightinthefield，butfeltthatshecouldnevermarryanotherman。ToherthethoughtofgivingtoanotherwhatshestillfeltcouldbelongonlytoNedseemedmonstrous。Whenotheryoungmentriedtoattractherattentionshewouldhavenothingtodowiththem。"Iamhiswifeandshallremainhiswifewhetherhecomesbackornot，"shewhisperedtoherself，andforallofherwillingnesstosupportherselfcouldnothaveunderstoodthegrowingmodernideaofawoman'sowningherselfandgivingandtakingforherownendsinlife。
　　Aliceworkedinthedrygoodsstorefromeightinthemorninguntilsixatnightandonthreeeveningsaweekwentbacktothestoretostayfromsevenuntilnine。Astimepassedandshebecamemoreandmorelonelyshebegantopracticethedevicescommontolonelypeople。Whenatnightshewentupstairsintoherownroomshekneltonthefloortoprayandinherprayerswhisperedthingsshewantedtosaytoherlover。Shebecameattachedtoinanimateobjects，andbecauseitwasherown，couldnotbaretohaveanyonetouchthefurnitureofherroom。Thetrickofsavingmoney，begunforapurpose，wascarriedonaftertheschemeofgoingtothecitytofindNedCurriehadbeengivenup。Itbecameafixedhabit，andwhensheneedednewclothesshedidnotgetthem。Sometimesonrainyafternoonsinthestoreshegotoutherbankbookand，lettingitlieopenbeforeher，spenthoursdreamingimpossibledreamsofsavingmoneyenoughsothattheinterestwouldsupportbothherselfandherfuturehusband。
　　"Nedalwayslikedtotravelabout，"shethought。
　　"I'llgivehimthechance。SomedaywhenwearemarriedandIcansavebothhismoneyandmyown，wewillberich。Thenwecantraveltogetherallovertheworld。"
　　InthedrygoodsstoreweeksranintomonthsandmonthsintoyearsasAlicewaitedanddreamedofherlover'sreturn。Heremployer，agreyoldmanwithfalseteethandathingreymustachethatdroopeddownoverhismouth，wasnotgiventoconversation，andsometimes，onrainydaysandinthewinterwhenastormragedinMainStreet，longhourspassedwhennocustomerscamein。Alicear-
　　rangedandrearrangedthestock。Shestoodnearthefrontwindowwhereshecouldlookdownthede-
　　sertedstreetandthoughtoftheeveningswhenshehadwalkedwithNedCurrieandofwhathehadsaid。"Wewillhavetosticktoeachothernow。"Thewordsechoedandre-echoedthroughthemindofthematuringwoman。Tearscameintohereyes。
　　Sometimeswhenheremployerhadgoneoutandshewasaloneinthestoresheputherheadonthecounterandwept。"Oh，Ned，Iamwaiting，"shewhisperedoverandover，andallthetimethecreep-
　　ingfearthathewouldnevercomebackgrewstrongerwithinher。
　　Inthespringwhentherainshavepassedandbe-
　　forethelonghotdaysofsummerhavecome，thecountryaboutWinesburgisdelightful。Thetownliesinthemidstofopenfields，butbeyondthefieldsarepleasantpatchesofwoodlands。Inthewoodedplacesaremanylittlecloisterednooks，quietplaceswhereloversgotositonSundayafternoons。Throughthetreestheylookoutacrossthefieldsandseefarmersatworkaboutthebarnsorpeopledrivingupanddownontheroads。Inthetownbellsringandoccasionallyatrainpasses，lookinglikeatoythinginthedistance。
　　ForseveralyearsafterNedCurriewentawayAlicedidnotgointothewoodwiththeotheryoungpeopleonSunday，butonedayafterhehadbeengonefortwoorthreeyearsandwhenherlonelinessseemedunbearable，sheputonherbestdressandsetout。Findingalittleshelteredplacefromwhichshecouldseethetownandalongstretchofthefields，shesatdown。Fearofageandineffectualitytookpossessionofher。Shecouldnotsitstill，andarose。Asshestoodlookingoutoverthelandsome-
　　thing，perhapsthethoughtofneverceasinglifeasitexpressesitselfintheflowoftheseasons，fixedhermindonthepassingyears。Withashiverofdread，sherealizedthatforherthebeautyandfresh-
　　nessofyouthhadpassed。Forthefirsttimeshefeltthatshehadbeencheated。ShedidnotblameNedCurrieanddidnotknowwhattoblame。Sadnesssweptoverher。Droppingtoherknees，shetriedtopray，butinsteadofprayerswordsofprotestcametoherlips。"Itisnotgoingtocometome。Iwillneverfindhappiness。WhydoItellmyselflies？"
　　shecried，andanoddsenseofreliefcamewiththis，herfirstboldattempttofacethefearthathadbe-
　　comeapartofhereverydaylife。
　　IntheyearwhenAliceHindmanbecametwenty-
　　fivetwothingshappenedtodisturbthedullun-
　　eventfulnessofherdays。HermothermarriedBushMilton，thecarriagepainterofWinesburg，andsheherselfbecameamemberoftheWinesburgMethod-
　　istChurch。Alicejoinedthechurchbecauseshehadbecomefrightenedbythelonelinessofherpositioninlife。Hermother'ssecondmarriagehadempha-
　　sizedherisolation。"Iambecomingoldandqueer。
　　IfNedcomeshewillnotwantme。Inthecitywhereheislivingmenareperpetuallyyoung。Thereissomuchgoingonthattheydonothavetimetogrowold，"shetoldherselfwithagrimlittlesmile，andwentresolutelyaboutthebusinessofbecomingac-
　　quaintedwithpeople。EveryThursdayeveningwhenthestorehadclosedshewenttoaprayermeetinginthebasementofthechurchandonSundayeveningattendedameetingofanorganizationcalledTheEpworthLeague。
　　WhenWillHurley，amiddle-agedmanwhoclerkedinadrugstoreandwhoalsobelongedtothechurch，offeredtowalkhomewithhershedidnotprotest。
　　"OfcourseIwillnotlethimmakeapracticeofbeingwithme，butifhecomestoseemeonceinalongtimetherecanbenoharminthat，"shetoldherself，stilldeterminedinherloyaltytoNedCurrie。
　　Withoutrealizingwhatwashappening，Alicewastryingfeeblyatfirst，butwithgrowingdetermina-
　　tion，togetanewholduponlife。Besidethedrugclerkshewalkedinsilence，butsometimesinthedarknessastheywentstolidlyalongsheputoutherhandandtouchedsoftlythefoldsofhiscoat。Whenheleftheratthegatebeforehermother'shouseshedidnotgoindoors，butstoodforamomentbythedoor。Shewantedtocalltothedrugclerk，toaskhimtositwithherinthedarknessontheporchbeforethehouse，butwasafraidhewouldnotun-
　　derstand。"ItisnothimthatIwant，"shetoldher-
　　self；"Iwanttoavoidbeingsomuchalone。IfIamnotcarefulIwillgrowunaccustomedtobeingwithpeople。"
　　Duringtheearlyfallofhertwenty-seventhyearapassionaterestlessnesstookpossessionofAlice。Shecouldnotbeartobeinthecompanyofthedrugclerk，andwhen，intheevening，hecametowalkwithhershesenthimaway。Hermindbecamein-
　　tenselyactiveandwhen，wearyfromthelonghoursofstandingbehindthecounterinthestore，shewenthomeandcrawledintobed，shecouldnotsleep。Withstaringeyesshelookedintothedark-
　　ness。Herimagination，likeachildawakenedfromlongsleep，playedabouttheroom。Deepwithinhertherewassomethingthatwouldnotbecheatedbyphantasiesandthatdemandedsomedefiniteanswerfromlife。
　　Alicetookapillowintoherarmsandheldittightlyagainstherbreasts。Gettingoutofbed，shearrangedablanketsothatinthedarknessitlookedlikeaformlyingbetweenthesheetsand，kneelingbesidethebed，shecaressedit，whisperingwordsoverandover，likearefrain。"Whydoesn'tsome-
　　thinghappen？WhyamIleftherealone？"shemut-
　　tered。AlthoughshesometimesthoughtofNedCurrie，shenolongerdependedonhim。Herdesirehadgrownvague。ShedidnotwantNedCurrieoranyotherman。Shewantedtobeloved，tohavesomethinganswerthecallthatwasgrowinglouderandlouderwithinher。
　　AndthenonenightwhenitrainedAlicehadanadventure。Itfrightenedandconfusedher。Shehadcomehomefromthestoreatnineandfoundthehouseempty。BushMiltonhadgoneofftotownandhermothertothehouseofaneighbor。Alicewentupstairstoherroomandundressedinthedarkness。
　　Foramomentshestoodbythewindowhearingtherainbeatagainsttheglassandthenastrangedesiretookpossessionofher。Withoutstoppingtothinkofwhatsheintendedtodo，sherandownstairsthroughthedarkhouseandoutintotherain。Asshestoodonthelittlegrassplotbeforethehouseandfeltthecoldrainonherbodyamaddesiretorunnakedthroughthestreetstookpossessionofher。
　　Shethoughtthattherainwouldhavesomecre-
　　ativeandwonderfuleffectonherbody。Notforyearshadshefeltsofullofyouthandcourage。Shewantedtoleapandrun，tocryout，tofindsomeotherlonelyhumanandembracehim。Onthebricksidewalkbeforethehouseamanstumbledhome-
　　ward。Alicestartedtorun。Awild，desperatemoodtookpossessionofher。"WhatdoIcarewhoitis。
　　Heisalone，andIwillgotohim，"shethought；andthenwithoutstoppingtoconsiderthepossibleresultofhermadness，calledsoftly。"Wait!"shecried。
　　"Don'tgoaway。Whoeveryouare，youmustwait。"
　　Themanonthesidewalkstoppedandstoodlis-
　　tening。Hewasanoldmanandsomewhatdeaf。
　　Puttinghishandtohismouth，heshouted。"What？
　　Whatsay？"hecalled。
　　Alicedroppedtothegroundandlaytrembling。
　　Shewassofrightenedatthethoughtofwhatshehaddonethatwhenthemanhadgoneonhiswayshedidnotdaregettoherfeet，butcrawledonhandsandkneesthroughthegrasstothehouse。
　　Whenshegottoherownroomsheboltedthedooranddrewherdressingtableacrossthedoorway。
　　Herbodyshookaswithachillandherhandstrem-
　　bledsothatshehaddifficultygettingintohernight-
　　dress。Whenshegotintobedsheburiedherfaceinthepillowandweptbrokenheartedly。"Whatisthematterwithme？IwilldosomethingdreadfulifI
　　amnotcareful，"shethought，andturningherfacetothewall，begantryingtoforceherselftofacebravelythefactthatmanypeoplemustliveanddiealone，eveninWinesburg。
　　RESPECTABILITY
　　IFYOUHAVElivedincitiesandhavewalkedintheparkonasummerafternoon，youhaveperhapsseen，blinkinginacornerofhisironcage，ahuge，grotesquekindofmonkey，acreaturewithugly，sag-
　　ging，hairlessskinbelowhiseyesandabrightpur-
　　pleunderbody。Thismonkeyisatruemonster。Inthecompletenessofhisuglinessheachievedakindofpervertedbeauty。Childrenstoppingbeforethecagearefascinated，menturnawaywithanairofdisgust，andwomenlingerforamoment，tryingper-
　　hapstorememberwhichoneoftheirmaleacquain-
　　tancesthethinginsomefaintwayresembles。