HadyoubeenintheearlieryearsofyourlifeacitizenofthevillageofWinesburg，Ohio，therewouldhavebeenforyounomysteryinregardtothebeastinhiscage。\"ItislikeWashWilliams，\"youwouldhavesaid。\"Ashesitsinthecornerthere，thebeastisexactlylikeoldWashsittingonthegrassinthestationyardonasummereveningafterhehasclosedhisofficeforthenight。\"
WashWilliams，thetelegraphoperatorofWines-
burg，wastheugliestthingintown。Hisgirthwasimmense，hisneckthin，hislegsfeeble。Hewasdirty。Everythingabouthimwasunclean。Eventhewhitesofhiseyeslookedsoiled。
Igotoofast。NoteverythingaboutWashwasun-
clean。Hetookcareofhishands。Hisfingerswerefat，buttherewassomethingsensitiveandshapelyinthehandthatlayonthetablebytheinstrumentinthetelegraphoffice。InhisyouthWashWilliamshadbeencalledthebesttelegraphoperatorinthestate，andinspiteofhisdegradementtotheobscureofficeatWinesburg，hewasstillproudofhisability。
WashWilliamsdidnotassociatewiththemenofthetowninwhichhelived。\"I\'llhavenothingtodowiththem，\"hesaid，lookingwithblearyeyesatthemenwhowalkedalongthestationplatformpastthetelegraphoffice。UpalongMainStreethewentintheeveningtoEdGriffith\'ssaloon，andafterdrink-
ingunbelievablequantitiesofbeerstaggeredofftohisroomintheNewWillardHouseandtohisbedforthenight。
WashWilliamswasamanofcourage。Athinghadhappenedtohimthatmadehimhatelife，andhehateditwholeheartedly，withtheabandonofapoet。Firstofall，hehatedwomen。\"Bitches，\"hecalledthem。Hisfeelingtowardmenwassomewhatdifferent。Hepitiedthem。\"Doesnoteverymanlethislifebemanagedforhimbysomebitchoran-
other？\"heasked。
InWinesburgnoattentionwaspaidtoWashWil-
liamsandhishatredofhisfellows。OnceMrs。
White，thebanker\'swife，complainedtothetele-
graphcompany，sayingthattheofficeinWinesburgwasdirtyandsmelledabominably，butnothingcameofhercomplaint。Hereandthereamanre-
spectedtheoperator。Instinctivelythemanfeltinhimaglowingresentmentofsomethinghehadnotthecouragetoresent。WhenWashwalkedthroughthestreetssuchaonehadaninstincttopayhimhomage，toraisehishatortobowbeforehim。Thesuperintendentwhohadsupervisionoverthetele-
graphoperatorsontherailroadthatwentthroughWinesburgfeltthatway。HehadputWashintotheobscureofficeatWinesburgtoavoiddischarginghim，andhemeanttokeephimthere。Whenhereceivedtheletterofcomplaintfromthebanker\'swife，hetoreitupandlaughedunpleasantly。Forsomereasonhethoughtofhisownwifeashetoreuptheletter。
WashWilliamsoncehadawife。WhenhewasstillayoungmanhemarriedawomanatDayton，Ohio。
Thewomanwastallandslenderandhadblueeyesandyellowhair。Washwashimselfacomelyyouth。
Helovedthewomanwithaloveasabsorbingasthehatredhelaterfeltforallwomen。
InallofWinesburgtherewasbutonepersonwhoknewthestoryofthethingthathadmadeuglythepersonandthecharacterofWashWilliams。HeoncetoldthestorytoGeorgeWillardandthetellingofthetalecameaboutinthisway:
GeorgeWillardwentoneeveningtowalkwithBelleCarpenter，atrimmerofwomen\'shatswhoworkedinamillineryshopkeptbyMrs。KateMcHugh。Theyoungmanwasnotinlovewiththewoman，who，infact，hadasuitorwhoworkedasbartenderinEdGriffith\'ssaloon，butastheywalkedaboutunderthetreestheyoccasionallyembraced。
Thenightandtheirownthoughtshadarousedsomethinginthem。AstheywerereturningtoMainStreettheypassedthelittlelawnbesidetherailroadstationandsawWashWilliamsapparentlyasleeponthegrassbeneathatree。OnthenexteveningtheoperatorandGeorgeWillardwalkedouttogether。
Downtherailroadtheywentandsatonapileofdecayingrailroadtiesbesidethetracks。Itwasthenthattheoperatortoldtheyoungreporterhisstoryofhate。
PerhapsadozentimesGeorgeWillardandthestrange，shapelessmanwholivedathisfather\'shotelhadbeenonthepointoftalking。Theyoungmanlookedatthehideous，leeringfacestaringaboutthehoteldiningroomandwasconsumedwithcuriosity。Somethinghesawlurkinginthestar-
ingeyestoldhimthatthemanwhohadnothingtosaytoothershadneverthelesssomethingtosaytohim。Onthepileofrailroadtiesonthesummereve-
ning，hewaitedexpectantly。Whentheoperatorre-
mainedsilentandseemedtohavechangedhismindabouttalking，hetriedtomakeconversation。\"Wereyouevermarried，Mr。Williams？\"hebegan。\"Isup-
poseyouwereandyourwifeisdead，isthatit？\"
WashWilliamsspatforthasuccessionofvileoaths。\"Yes，sheisdead，\"heagreed。\"Sheisdeadasallwomenaredead。Sheisaliving-deadthing，walkinginthesightofmenandmakingtheearthfoulbyherpresence。\"Staringintotheboy\'seyes，themanbecamepurplewithrage。\"Don\'thavefoolnotionsinyourhead，\"hecommanded。\"Mywife，sheisdead；yes，surely。Itellyou，allwomenaredead，mymother，yourmother，thattalldarkwomanwhoworksinthemillinerystoreandwithwhomIsawyouwalkingaboutyesterday——allofthem，theyarealldead。Itellyouthereissomethingrottenaboutthem。Iwasmarried，sure。Mywifewasdeadbeforeshemarriedme，shewasafoulthingcomeoutawomanmorefoul。Shewasathingsenttomakelifeunbearabletome。Iwasafool，doyousee，asyouarenow，andsoImarriedthiswoman。
Iwouldliketoseemenalittlebegintounderstandwomen。Theyaresenttopreventmenmakingtheworldworthwhile。ItisatrickinNature。Ugh!Theyarecreeping，crawling，squirmingthings，theywiththeirsofthandsandtheirblueeyes。Thesightofawomansickensme。WhyIdon\'tkilleverywomanIseeIdon\'tknow。\"
Halffrightenedandyetfascinatedbythelightburningintheeyesofthehideousoldman，GeorgeWillardlistened，afirewithcuriosity。Darknesscameonandheleanedforwardtryingtoseethefaceofthemanwhotalked。When，inthegatheringdark-
ness，hecouldnolongerseethepurple，bloatedfaceandtheburningeyes，acuriousfancycametohim。
WashWilliamstalkedinloweventonesthatmadehiswordsseemthemoreterrible。Inthedarknesstheyoungreporterfoundhimselfimaginingthathesatontherailroadtiesbesideacomelyyoungmanwithblackhairandblackshiningeyes。TherewassomethingalmostbeautifulinthevoiceofWashWil-
liams，thehideous，tellinghisstoryofhate。
ThetelegraphoperatorofWinesburg，sittinginthedarknessontherailroadties，hadbecomeapoet。
Hatredhadraisedhimtothatelevation。\"ItisbecauseIsawyoukissingthelipsofthatBelleCarpenterthatItellyoumystory，\"hesaid。\"Whathappenedtomemaynexthappentoyou。Iwanttoputyouonyourguard。Alreadyyoumaybehavingdreamsinyourhead。Iwanttodestroythem。\"
WashWilliamsbegantellingthestoryofhismar-
riedlifewiththetallblondegirlwiththeblueeyeswhomhehadmetwhenhewasayoungoperatoratDayton，Ohio。Hereandtherehisstorywastouchedwithmomentsofbeautyintermingledwithstringsofvilecurses。Theoperatorhadmarriedthedaughterofadentistwhowastheyoungestofthreesisters。Onhismarriageday，becauseofhisability，hewaspromotedtoapositionasdispatcheratanincreasedsalaryandsenttoanofficeatColumbus，Ohio。Therehesettleddownwithhisyoungwifeandbeganbuyingahouseontheinstallmentplan。
Theyoungtelegraphoperatorwasmadlyinlove。
Withakindofreligiousfervorhehadmanagedtogothroughthepitfallsofhisyouthandtoremainvirginaluntilafterhismarriage。HemadeforGeorgeWillardapictureofhislifeinthehouseatColum-
bus，Ohio，withtheyoungwife。\"inthegardenbackofourhouseweplantedvegetables，\"hesaid，\"youknow，peasandcornandsuchthings。WewenttoColumbusinearlyMarchandassoonasthedaysbecamewarmIwenttoworkinthegarden。WithaspadeIturneduptheblackgroundwhilesheranaboutlaughingandpretendingtobeafraidofthewormsIuncovered。LateinAprilcametheplanting。
Inthelittlepathsamongtheseedbedsshestoodholdingapaperbaginherhand。Thebagwasfilledwithseeds。AfewatatimeshehandedmetheseedsthatImightthrustthemintothewarm，softground。\"
Foramomenttherewasacatchinthevoiceofthemantalkinginthedarkness。\"Ilovedher，\"hesaid。\"Idon\'tclaimnottobeafool。Iloveheryet。
ThereintheduskinthespringeveningIcrawledalongtheblackgroundtoherfeetandgroveledbe-
foreher。Ikissedhershoesandtheanklesabovehershoes。WhenthehemofhergarmenttouchedmyfaceItrembled。WhenaftertwoyearsofthatlifeIfoundshehadmanagedtoacquirethreeotherlov-
erswhocameregularlytoourhousewhenIwasawayatwork，Ididn\'twanttotouchthemorher。
Ijustsentherhometohermotherandsaidnothing。
Therewasnothingtosay。Ihadfourhundreddol-
larsinthebankandIgaveherthat。Ididn\'taskherreasons。Ididn\'tsayanything。WhenshehadgoneIcriedlikeasillyboy。PrettysoonIhadachancetosellthehouseandIsentthatmoneytoher。\"
WashWilliamsandGeorgeWillardarosefromthepileofrailroadtiesandwalkedalongthetrackstowardtown。Theoperatorfinishedhistalequickly，breathlessly。
\"Hermothersentforme，\"hesaid。\"ShewrotemealetterandaskedmetocometotheirhouseatDayton。WhenIgotthereitwaseveningaboutthistime。\"
WashWilliams\'voicerosetoahalfscream。\"Isatintheparlorofthathousetwohours。Hermothertookmeinthereandleftme。Theirhousewasstyl-
ish。Theywerewhatiscalledrespectablepeople。
Therewereplushchairsandacouchintheroom。I
wastremblingallover。IhatedthemenIthoughthadwrongedher。Iwassickoflivingaloneandwantedherback。ThelongerIwaitedthemorerawandtenderIbecame。IthoughtthatifshecameinandjusttouchedmewithherhandIwouldperhapsfaintaway。Iachedtoforgiveandforget。\"
WashWilliamsstoppedandstoodstaringatGeorgeWillard。Theboy\'sbodyshookasfromachill。Againtheman\'svoicebecamesoftandlow。\"Shecameintotheroomnaked，\"hewenton。\"Hermotherdidthat。WhileIsatthereshewastakingthegirl\'sclothesoff，perhapscoaxinghertodoit。FirstI
heardvoicesatthedoorthatledintoalittlehallwayandthenitopenedsoftly。Thegirlwasashamedandstoodperfectlystillstaringatthefloor。Themotherdidn\'tcomeintotheroom。Whenshehadpushedthegirlinthroughthedoorshestoodinthehallwaywaiting，hopingwewould——well，yousee——
waiting。\"
GeorgeWillardandthetelegraphoperatorcameintothemainstreetofWinesburg。Thelightsfromthestorewindowslaybrightandshiningonthesidewalks。Peoplemovedaboutlaughingandtalk-
ing。Theyoungreporterfeltillandweak。Inimagi-
nation，healsobecameoldandshapeless。\"Ididn\'tgetthemotherkilled，\"saidWashWilliams，staringupanddownthestreet。\"Istruckheroncewithachairandthentheneighborscameinandtookitaway。Shescreamedsoloudyousee。Iwon\'teverhaveachancetokillhernow。Shediedofafeveramonthafterthathappened。\"
THETHINKER
THEHOUSEinwhichSethRichmondofWinesburglivedwithhismotherhadbeenatonetimetheshowplaceofthetown，butwhenyoungSethlivedthereitsgloryhadbecomesomewhatdimmed。ThehugebrickhousewhichBankerWhitehadbuiltonBuck-
eyeStreethadovershadowedit。TheRichmondplacewasinalittlevalleyfaroutattheendofMainStreet。Farmerscomingintotownbyadustyroadfromthesouthpassedbyagroveofwalnuttrees，skirtedtheFairGroundwithitshighboardfencecoveredwithadvertisements，andtrottedtheirhorsesdownthroughthevalleypasttheRichmondplaceintotown。AsmuchofthecountrynorthandsouthofWinesburgwasdevotedtofruitandberryraising，Sethsawwagon-loadsofberrypickers——boys，girls，andwomen——goingtothefieldsinthemorningandreturningcoveredwithdustintheevening。Thechatteringcrowd，withtheirrudejokescriedoutfromwagontowagon，sometimesirritatedhimsharply。Heregrettedthathealsocouldnotlaughboisterously，shoutmeaninglessjokesandmakeofhimselfafigureintheendlessstreamofmoving，gigglingactivitythatwentupanddowntheroad。
TheRichmondhousewasbuiltoflimestone，and，althoughitwassaidinthevillagetohavebecomerundown，hadinrealitygrownmorebeautifulwitheverypassingyear。Alreadytimehadbegunalittletocolorthestone，lendingagoldenrichnesstoitssurfaceandintheeveningorondarkdaystouchingtheshadedplacesbeneaththeeaveswithwaveringpatchesofbrownsandblacks。
ThehousehadbeenbuiltbySeth\'sgrandfather，astonequarryman，andit，togetherwiththestonequarriesonLakeErieeighteenmilestothenorth，hadbeenlefttohisson，ClarenceRichmond，Seth\'sfather。ClarenceRichmond，aquietpassionatemanextraordinarilyadmiredbyhisneighbors，hadbeenkilledinastreetfightwiththeeditorofanewspaperinToledo，Ohio。ThefightconcernedthepublicationofClarenceRichmond\'snamecoupledwiththatofawomanschoolteacher，andasthedeadmanhadbeguntherowbyfiringupontheeditor，theefforttopunishtheslayerwasunsuccessful。Afterthequarryman\'sdeathitwasfoundthatmuchofthemoneylefttohimhadbeensquanderedinspecula-
tionandininsecureinvestmentsmadethroughtheinfluenceoffriends。
Leftwithbutasmallincome，VirginiaRichmondhadsettleddowntoaretiredlifeinthevillageandtotheraisingofherson。Althoughshehadbeendeeplymovedbythedeathofthehusbandandfa-
ther，shedidnotatallbelievethestoriesconcerninghimthatranaboutafterhisdeath。Tohermind，thesensitive，boyishmanwhomallhadinstinctivelyloved，wasbutanunfortunate，abeingtoofineforeverydaylife。\"You\'llbehearingallsortsofstories，butyouarenottobelievewhatyouhear，\"shesaidtoherson。\"Hewasagoodman，fulloftendernessforeveryone，andshouldnothavetriedtobeamanofaffairs。NomatterhowmuchIweretoplananddreamofyourfuture，Icouldnotimagineanythingbetterforyouthanthatyouturnoutasgoodamanasyourfather。\"
Severalyearsafterthedeathofherhusband，Vir-
giniaRichmondhadbecomealarmedatthegrowingdemandsuponherincomeandhadsetherselftothetaskofincreasingit。Shehadlearnedstenogra-
phyandthroughtheinfluenceofherhusband\'sfriendsgotthepositionofcourtstenographeratthecountyseat。Thereshewentbytraineachmorningduringthesessionsofthecourt，andwhennocourtsat，spentherdaysworkingamongtherosebushesinhergarden。Shewasatall，straightfigureofawomanwithaplainfaceandagreatmassofbrownhair。
IntherelationshipbetweenSethRichmondandhismother，therewasaqualitythatevenateighteenhadbeguntocolorallofhistrafficwithmen。Analmostunhealthyrespectfortheyouthkeptthemotherforthemostpartsilentinhispresence。
Whenshedidspeaksharplytohimhehadonlytolooksteadilyintohereyestoseedawningtherethepuzzledlookhehadalreadynoticedintheeyesofotherswhenhelookedatthem。
Thetruthwasthatthesonthoughtwithremark-
ableclearnessandthemotherdidnot。Sheexpectedfromallpeoplecertainconventionalreactionstolife。
Aboywasyourson，youscoldedhimandhetrem-
bledandlookedatthefloor。Whenyouhadscoldedenoughheweptandallwasforgiven。Aftertheweepingandwhenhehadgonetobed，youcreptintohisroomandkissedhim。
VirginiaRichmondcouldnotunderstandwhyhersondidnotdothesethings。Aftertheseverestrepri-
mand，hedidnottrembleandlookatthefloorbutinsteadlookedsteadilyather，causinguneasydoubtstoinvadehermind。Asforcreepingintohisroom——
afterSethhadpassedhisfifteenthyear，shewouldhavebeenhalfafraidtodoanythingofthekind。
Oncewhenhewasaboyofsixteen，Sethincom-
panywithtwootherboysranawayfromhome。Thethreeboysclimbedintotheopendoorofanemptyfreightcarandrodesomefortymilestoatownwhereafairwasbeingheld。Oneoftheboyshadabottlefilledwithacombinationofwhiskeyandblackberrywine，andthethreesatwithlegsdan-
glingoutofthecardoordrinkingfromthebottle。
Seth\'stwocompanionssangandwavedtheirhandstoidlersaboutthestationsofthetownsthroughwhichthetrainpassed。Theyplannedraidsuponthebasketsoffarmerswhohadcomewiththeirfam-
iliestothefair。\"Wewillfivelikekingsandwon\'thavetospendapennytoseethefairandhorseraces，\"theydeclaredboastfully。
AfterthedisappearanceofSeth，VirginiaRich-
mondwalkedupanddownthefloorofherhomefilledwithvaguealarms。Althoughonthenextdayshediscovered，throughaninquirymadebythetownmarshal，onwhatadventuretheboyshadgone，shecouldnotquietherself。AllthroughthenightshelayawakehearingtheclocktickandtellingherselfthatSeth，likehisfather，wouldcometoasuddenandviolentend。Sodeterminedwasshethattheboyshouldthistimefeeltheweightofherwraththat，althoughshewouldnotallowthemarshaltointerferewithhisadventure，shegotoutapencilandpaperandwrotedownaseriesofsharp，sting-
ingreproofssheintendedtopouroutuponhim。
Thereproofsshecommittedtomemory，goingaboutthegardenandsayingthemaloudlikeanactormemorizinghispart。
Andwhen，attheendoftheweek，Sethreturned，alittlewearyandwithcoalsootinhisearsandabouthiseyes，sheagainfoundherselfunabletoreprovehim。Walkingintothehousehehunghiscaponanailbythekitchendoorandstoodlookingsteadilyather。\"Iwantedtoturnbackwithinanhourafterwehadstarted，\"heexplained。\"Ididn\'tknowwhattodo。Iknewyouwouldbebothered，butIknewalsothatifIdidn\'tgoonIwouldbeashamedofmyself。Iwentthroughwiththethingformyowngood。Itwasuncomfortable，sleepingonwetstraw，andtwodrunkenNegroescameandsleptwithus。WhenIstolealunchbasketoutofafarmer\'swagonIcouldn\'thelpthinkingofhischil-
drengoingalldaywithoutfood。Iwassickofthewholeaffair，butIwasdeterminedtostickitoutuntiltheotherboyswerereadytocomeback。\"
\"I\'mgladyoudidstickitout，\"repliedthemother，halfresentfully，andkissinghimupontheforeheadpretendedtobusyherselfwiththeworkaboutthehouse。
OnasummereveningSethRichmondwenttotheNewWillardHousetovisithisfriend，GeorgeWillard。Ithadrainedduringtheafternoon，butashewalkedthroughMainStreet，theskyhadpartiallyclearedandagoldenglowlitupthewest。Goingaroundacorner，heturnedinatthedoorofthehotelandbegantoclimbthestairwayleadinguptohisfriend\'sroom。Inthehotelofficetheproprietorandtwotravelingmenwereengagedinadiscussionofpolitics。
OnthestairwaySethstoppedandlistenedtothevoicesofthemenbelow。Theywereexcitedandtalkedrapidly。TomWillardwasberatingthetravel-
ingmen。\"IamaDemocratbutyourtalkmakesmesick，\"hesaid。\"Youdon\'tunderstandMcKinley。
McKinleyandMarkHannaarefriends。Itisimpossi-
bleperhapsforyourmindtograspthat。Ifanyonetellsyouthatafriendshipcanbedeeperandbiggerandmoreworthwhilethandollarsandcents，orevenmoreworthwhilethanstatepolitics，yousnickerandlaugh。\"
Thelandlordwasinterruptedbyoneoftheguests，atall，grey-mustachedmanwhoworkedforawholesalegroceryhouse。\"DoyouthinkthatI\'velivedinClevelandalltheseyearswithoutknowingMarkHanna？\"hedemanded。\"Yourtalkispiffle。
Hannaisaftermoneyandnothingelse。ThisMcKin-
leyishistool。HehasMcKinleybluffedanddon\'tyouforgetit。\"
Theyoungmanonthestairsdidnotlingertoheartherestofthediscussion，butwentonupthestairwayandintothelittledarkhall。Somethinginthevoicesofthementalkinginthehotelofficestartedachainofthoughtsinhismind。Hewaslonelyandhadbeguntothinkthatlonelinesswasapartofhischaracter，somethingthatwouldalwaysstaywithhim。Steppingintoasidehallhestoodbyawindowthatlookedintoanalleyway。AtthebackofhisshopstoodAbnerGroff，thetownbaker。Histinybloodshoteyeslookedupanddownthealley-
way。Inhisshopsomeonecalledthebaker，whopretendednottohear。Thebakerhadanemptymilkbottleinhishandandanangrysullenlookinhiseyes。
InWinesburg，SethRichmondwascalledthe\"deepone。\"\"He\'slikehisfather，\"mensaidashewentthroughthestreets。\"He\'llbreakoutsomeofthesedays。Youwaitandsee。\"
Thetalkofthetownandtherespectwithwhichmenandboysinstinctivelygreetedhim，asallmengreetsilentpeople，hadaffectedSethRichmond\'soutlookonlifeandonhimself。He，likemostboys，wasdeeperthanboysaregivencreditforbeing，buthewasnotwhatthemenofthetown，andevenhismother，thoughthimtobe。Nogreatunderlyingpurposelaybackofhishabitualsilence，andhehadnodefiniteplanforhislife。Whentheboyswithwhomheassociatedwerenoisyandquarrelsome，hestoodquietlyatoneside。Withcalmeyeshewatchedthegesticulatinglivelyfiguresofhiscom-
panions。Hewasn\'tparticularlyinterestedinwhatwasgoingon，andsometimeswonderedifhewouldeverbeparticularlyinterestedinanything。Now，ashestoodinthehalf-darknessbythewindowwatch-
ingthebaker，hewishedthathehimselfmightbe-
comethoroughlystirredbysomething，evenbythefitsofsullenangerforwhichBakerGroffwasnoted。
\"ItwouldbebetterformeifIcouldbecomeexcitedandwrangleaboutpoliticslikewindyoldTomWil-
lard，\"hethought，asheleftthewindowandwentagainalongthehallwaytotheroomoccupiedbyhisfriend，GeorgeWillard。
GeorgeWillardwasolderthanSethRichmond，butintheratheroddfriendshipbetweenthetwo，itwashewhowasforevercourtingandtheyoungerboywhowasbeingcourted。ThepaperonwhichGeorgeworkedhadonepolicy。Itstrovetomentionbynameineachissue，asmanyaspossibleoftheinhabitantsofthevillage。Likeanexciteddog，GeorgeWillardranhereandthere，notingonhispadofpaperwhohadgoneonbusinesstothecountyseatorhadreturnedfromavisittoaneigh-
boringvillage。Alldayhewrotelittlefactsuponthepad。\"A。P。Wringlethadreceivedashipmentofstrawhats。EdByerbaumandTomMarshallwereinClevelandFriday。UncleTomSinningsisbuildinganewbarnonhisplaceontheValleyRoad。\"
TheideathatGeorgeWillardwouldsomedaybe-
comeawriterhadgivenhimaplaceofdistinctioninWinesburg，andtoSethRichmondhetalkedcon-
tinuallyofthematter，\"It\'stheeasiestofalllivestolive，\"hedeclared，becomingexcitedandboastful。
\"Hereandthereyougoandthereisnoonetobossyou。ThoughyouareinIndiaorintheSouthSeasinaboat，youhavebuttowriteandthereyouare。
WaittillIgetmynameupandthenseewhatfunI
shallhave。\"
InGeorgeWillard\'sroom，whichhadawindowlookingdownintoanalleywayandonethatlookedacrossrailroadtrackstoBiffCarter\'sLunchRoomfacingtherailroadstation，SethRichmondsatinachairandlookedatthefloor。GeorgeWillard，whohadbeensittingforanhouridlyplayingwithaleadpencil，greetedhimeffusively。\"I\'vebeentryingtowritealovestory，\"heexplained，laughingner-
vously。Lightingapipehebeganwalkingupanddowntheroom。\"IknowwhatI\'mgoingtodo。I\'mgoingtofallinlove。I\'vebeensittinghereandthink-
ingitoverandI\'mgoingtodoit。\"
Asthoughembarrassedbyhisdeclaration，Georgewenttoawindowandturninghisbacktohisfriendleanedout。\"IknowwhoI\'mgoingtofallinlovewith，\"hesaidsharply。\"It\'sHelenWhite。Sheistheonlygirlintownwithany\'get-up\'toher。\"
Struckwithanewidea，youngWillardturnedandwalkedtowardhisvisitor。\"Lookhere，\"hesaid。
\"YouknowHelenWhitebetterthanIdo。IwantyoutotellherwhatIsaid。YoujustgettotalkingtoherandsaythatI\'minlovewithher。Seewhatshesaystothat。Seehowshetakesit，andthenyoucomeandtellme。\"
SethRichmondaroseandwenttowardthedoor。
Thewordsofhiscomradeirritatedhimunbearably。
\"Well，good-bye，\"hesaidbriefly。
Georgewasamazed。RunningforwardhestoodinthedarknesstryingtolookintoSeth\'sface。
\"What\'sthematter？Whatareyougoingtodo？Youstayhereandlet\'stalk，\"heurged。
Awaveofresentmentdirectedagainsthisfriend，themenofthetownwhowere，hethought，perpet-
uallytalkingofnothing，andmostofall，againsthisownhabitofsilence，madeSethhalfdesperate。
\"Aw，speaktoheryourself，\"heburstforthandthen，goingquicklythroughthedoor，slammeditsharplyinhisfriend\'sface。\"I\'mgoingtofindHelenWhiteandtalktoher，butnotabouthim，\"hemuttered。
Sethwentdownthestairwayandoutatthefrontdoorofthehotelmutteringwithwrath。Crossingalittledustystreetandclimbingalowironrailing，hewenttosituponthegrassinthestationyard。
GeorgeWillardhethoughtaprofoundfool，andhewishedthathehadsaidsomorevigorously。Al-
thoughhisacquaintanceshipwithHelenWhite，thebanker\'sdaughter，wasoutwardlybutcasual，shewasoftenthesubjectofhisthoughtsandhefeltthatshewassomethingprivateandpersonaltohimself。
\"Thebusyfoolwithhislovestories，\"hemuttered，staringbackoverhisshoulderatGeorgeWillard\'sroom，\"whydoeshenevertireofhiseternaltalking。\"
ItwasberryharvesttimeinWinesburganduponthestationplatformmenandboysloadedtheboxesofred，fragrantberriesintotwoexpresscarsthatstooduponthesiding。AJunemoonwasinthesky，althoughinthewestastormthreatened，andnostreetlampswerelighted。Inthedimlightthefig-
uresofthemenstandingupontheexpresstruckandpitchingtheboxesinatthedoorsofthecarswerebutdimlydiscernible。Upontheironrailingthatprotectedthestationlawnsatothermen。Pipeswerelighted。Villagejokeswentbackandforth。
Awayinthedistanceatrainwhistledandthemenloadingtheboxesintothecarsworkedwithre-
newedactivity。
SetharosefromhisplaceonthegrassandwentsilentlypastthemenperchedupontherailingandintoMainStreet。Hehadcometoaresolution。\"I\'llgetoutofhere，\"hetoldhimself。\"WhatgoodamI
here？I\'mgoingtosomecityandgotowork。I\'lltellmotheraboutittomorrow。\"
SethRichmondwentslowlyalongMainStreet，pastWacker\'sCigarStoreandtheTownHall，andintoBuckeyeStreet。Hewasdepressedbythethoughtthathewasnotapartofthelifeinhisowntown，butthedepressiondidnotcutdeeplyashedidnotthinkofhimselfasatfault。IntheheavyshadowsofabigtreebeforeDoctorWelling\'shouse，hestoppedandstoodwatchinghalf-wittedTurkSmollet，whowaspushingawheelbarrowintheroad。Theoldmanwithhisabsurdlyboyishmindhadadozenlongboardsonthewheelbarrow，and，ashehurriedalongtheroad，balancedtheloadwithextremenicety。\"Easythere，Turk!Steadynow，oldboy!\"theoldmanshoutedtohimself，andlaughedsothattheloadofboardsrockeddangerously。
SethknewTurkSmollet，thehalfdangerousoldwoodchopperwhosepeculiaritiesaddedsomuchofcolortothelifeofthevillage。HeknewthatwhenTurkgotintoMainStreethewouldbecomethecen-
terofawhirlwindofcriesandcomments，thatintruththeoldmanwasgoingfaroutofhiswayinordertopassthroughMainStreetandexhibithisskillinwheelingtheboards。\"IfGeorgeWillardwerehere，he\'dhavesomethingtosay，\"thoughtSeth。
\"Georgebelongstothistown。He\'dshoutatTurkandTurkwouldshoutathim。They\'dbothbese-
cretlypleasedbywhattheyhadsaid。It\'sdifferentwithme。Idon\'tbelong。I\'llnotmakeafussaboutit，butI\'mgoingtogetoutofhere。\"
Sethstumbledforwardthroughthehalf-darkness，feelinghimselfanoutcastinhisowntown。Hebegantopityhimself，butasenseoftheabsurdityofhisthoughtsmadehimsmile。Intheendhede-
cidedthathewassimplyoldbeyondhisyearsandnotatallasubjectforself-pity。\"I\'mmadetogotowork。Imaybeabletomakeaplaceformyselfbysteadyworking，andImightaswellbeatit，\"hedecided。
SethwenttothehouseofBankerWhiteandstoodinthedarknessbythefrontdoor。Onthedoorhungaheavybrassknocker，aninnovationintroducedintothevillagebyHelenWhite\'smother，whohadalsoorganizedawomen\'sclubforthestudyofpo-
etry。Sethraisedtheknockerandletitfall。Itsheavyclattersoundedlikeareportfromdistantguns。
\"HowawkwardandfoolishIam，\"hethought。\"IfMrs。Whitecomestothedoor，Iwon\'tknowwhattosay。\"
ItwasHelenWhitewhocametothedoorandfoundSethstandingattheedgeoftheporch。Blush-
ingwithpleasure，shesteppedforward，closingthedoorsoftly。\"I\'mgoingtogetoutoftown。Idon\'tknowwhatI\'lldo，butI\'mgoingtogetoutofhereandgotowork。IthinkI\'llgotoColumbus，\"hesaid。\"PerhapsI\'llgetintotheStateUniversitydownthere。Anyway，I\'mgoing。I\'lltellmothertonight。\"
Hehesitatedandlookeddoubtfullyabout。\"Perhapsyouwouldn\'tmindcomingtowalkwithme？\"
SethandHelenwalkedthroughthestreetsbe-
neaththetrees。Heavycloudshaddriftedacrossthefaceofthemoon，andbeforetheminthedeeptwi-
lightwentamanwithashortladderuponhisshoul-
der。Hurryingforward，themanstoppedatthestreetcrossingand，puttingtheladderagainstthewoodenlamp-post，lightedthevillagelightssothattheirwaywashalflighted，halfdarkened，bythelampsandbythedeepeningshadowscastbythelow-branchedtrees。Inthetopsofthetreesthewindbegantoplay，disturbingthesleepingbirdssothattheyflewaboutcallingplaintively。Inthelightedspacebeforeoneofthelamps，twobatswheeledandcircled，pursuingthegatheringswarmofnightflies。
SinceSethhadbeenaboyinkneetrouserstherehadbeenahalfexpressedintimacybetweenhimandthemaidenwhonowforthefirsttimewalkedbesidehim。ForatimeshehadbeenbesetwithamadnessforwritingnoteswhichsheaddressedtoSeth。Hehadfoundthemconcealedinhisbooksatschoolandonehadbeengivenhimbyachildmetinthestreet，whileseveralhadbeendeliveredthroughthevillagepostoffice。
Thenoteshadbeenwritteninaround，boyishhandandhadreflectedamindinflamedbynovelreading。Sethhadnotansweredthem，althoughhehadbeenmovedandflatteredbysomeofthesen-
tencesscrawledinpenciluponthestationeryofthebanker\'swife。Puttingthemintothepocketofhiscoat，hewentthroughthestreetorstoodbythefenceintheschoolyardwithsomethingburningathisside。Hethoughtitfinethatheshouldbethusselectedasthefavoriteoftherichestandmostat-
tractivegirlintown。
HelenandSethstoppedbyafencenearwherealowdarkbuildingfacedthestreet。Thebuildinghadoncebeenafactoryforthemakingofbarrelstavesbutwasnowvacant。Acrossthestreetupontheporchofahouseamanandwomantalkedoftheirchildhood，theirvoicescomingdearlyacrosstothehalf-embarrassedyouthandmaiden。Therewasthesoundofscrapingchairsandthemanandwomancamedownthegravelpathtoawoodengate。Stand-
ingoutsidethegate，themanleanedoverandkissedthewoman。\"Foroldtimes\'sake，\"hesaidand，turning，walkedrapidlyawayalongthesidewalk。
\"That\'sBelleTurner，\"whisperedHelen，andputherhandboldlyintoSeth\'shand。\"Ididn\'tknowshehadafellow。Ithoughtshewastoooldforthat。\"Sethlaugheduneasily。Thehandofthegirlwaswarmandastrange，dizzyfeelingcreptoverhim。Intohismindcameadesiretotellhersome-
thinghehadbeendeterminednottotell。\"GeorgeWillard\'sinlovewithyou，\"hesaid，andinspiteofhisagitationhisvoicewaslowandquiet。\"He\'swrit-
ingastory，andhewantstobeinlove。Hewantstoknowhowitfeels。Hewantedmetotellyouandseewhatyousaid。\"
AgainHelenandSethwalkedinsilence。TheycametothegardensurroundingtheoldRichmondplaceandgoingthroughagapinthehedgesatonawoodenbenchbeneathabush。
OnthestreetashewalkedbesidethegirlnewanddaringthoughtshadcomeintoSethRichmond\'smind。Hebegantoregrethisdecisiontogetoutoftown。\"ItwouldbesomethingnewandaltogetherdelightfultoremainandwalkoftenthroughthestreetswithHelenWhite，\"hethought。Inimagina-
tionhesawhimselfputtinghisarmaboutherwaistandfeelingherarmsclaspedtightlyabouthisneck。
Oneofthoseoddcombinationsofeventsandplacesmadehimconnecttheideaoflove-makingwiththisgirlandaspothehadvisitedsomedaysbefore。HehadgoneonanerrandtothehouseofafarmerwholivedonahillsidebeyondtheFairGroundandhadreturnedbyapaththroughafield。Atthefootofthehillbelowthefarmer\'shouseSethhadstoppedbeneathasycamoretreeandlookedabouthim。A
softhummingnoisehadgreetedhisears。Foramo-
menthehadthoughtthetreemustbethehomeofaswarmofbees。
Andthen，lookingdown，Sethhadseenthebeeseverywhereallabouthiminthelonggrass。Hestoodinamassofweedsthatgrewwaist-highinthefieldthatranawayfromthehillside。Theweedswereabloomwithtinypurpleblossomsandgaveforthanoverpoweringfragrance。Upontheweedsthebeesweregatheredinarmies，singingastheyworked。
Sethimaginedhimselflyingonasummereve-
ning，burieddeepamongtheweedsbeneaththetree。Besidehim，inthescenebuiltinhisfancy，layHelenWhite，herhandlyinginhishand。Apeculiarreluctancekepthimfromkissingherlips，buthefelthemighthavedonethatifhewished。Instead，helayperfectlystill，lookingatherandlisteningtothearmyofbeesthatsangthesustainedmasterfulsongoflaborabovehishead。
OnthebenchinthegardenSethstirreduneasily。
Releasingthehandofthegirl，hethrusthishandsintohistrouserpockets。Adesiretoimpressthemindofhiscompanionwiththeimportanceoftheresolutionhehadmadecameoverhimandhenod-
dedhisheadtowardthehouse。\"Mother\'llmakeafuss，Isuppose，\"hewhispered。\"Shehasn\'tthoughtatallaboutwhatI\'mgoingtodoinlife。ShethinksI\'mgoingtostayonhereforeverjustbeingaboy。\"
Seth\'svoicebecamechargedwithboyishearnest-
ness。\"Yousee，I\'vegottostrikeout。I\'vegottogettowork。It\'swhatI\'mgoodfor。\"
HelenWhitewasimpressed。Shenoddedherheadandafeelingofadmirationsweptoverher。
\"Thisisasitshouldbe，\"shethought。\"Thisboyisnotaboyatall，butastrong，purposefulman。\"Cer-
tainvaguedesiresthathadbeeninvadingherbodyweresweptawayandshesatupverystraightonthebench。Thethundercontinuedtorumbleandflashesofheatlightninglituptheeasternsky。Thegardenthathadbeensomysteriousandvast，aplacethatwithSethbesidehermighthavebecomethebackgroundforstrangeandwonderfuladven-
tures，nowseemednomorethananordinaryWines-
burgbackyard，quitedefiniteandlimitedinitsoutlines。
\"Whatwillyoudoupthere？\"shewhispered。
Sethturnedhalfaroundonthebench，strivingtoseeherfaceinthedarkness。Hethoughtherinfi-
nitelymoresensibleandstraightforwardthanGeorgeWillard，andwasgladhehadcomeawayfromhisfriend。Afeelingofimpatiencewiththetownthathadbeeninhismindreturned，andhetriedtotellherofit。\"Everyonetalksandtalks，\"hebegan。\"I\'msickofit。I\'lldosomething，getintosomekindofworkwheretalkdon\'tcount。MaybeI\'lljustbeamechanicinashop。Idon\'tknow。IguessIdon\'tcaremuch。Ijustwanttoworkandkeepquiet。
That\'sallI\'vegotinmymind。\"
Setharosefromthebenchandputouthishand。
Hedidnotwanttobringthemeetingtoanendbutcouldnotthinkofanythingmoretosay。\"It\'sthelasttimewe\'llseeeachother，\"hewhispered。
AwaveofsentimentsweptoverHelen。PuttingherhanduponSeth\'sshoulder，shestartedtodrawhisfacedowntowardherownupturnedface。Theactwasoneofpureaffectionandcuttingregretthatsomevagueadventurethathadbeenpresentinthespiritofthenightwouldnowneverberealized。\"I
thinkI\'dbetterbegoingalong，\"shesaid，lettingherhandfallheavilytoherside。Athoughtcametoher。
\"Don\'tyougowithme；Iwanttobealone，\"shesaid。\"Yougoandtalkwithyourmother。You\'dbetterdothatnow。\"
Sethhesitatedand，ashestoodwaiting，thegirlturnedandranawaythroughthehedge。Adesiretorunafterhercametohim，butheonlystoodstaring，perplexedandpuzzledbyheractionashehadbeenperplexedandpuzzledbyallofthelifeofthetownoutofwhichshehadcome。Walkingslowlytowardthehouse，hestoppedintheshadowofalargetreeandlookedathismothersittingbyalightedwindowbusilysewing。Thefeelingofloneli-
nessthathadvisitedhimearlierintheeveningre-
turnedandcoloredhisthoughtsoftheadventurethroughwhichhehadjustpassed。\"Huh!\"heex-
claimed，turningandstaringinthedirectiontakenbyHelenWhite。\"That\'showthings\'llturnout。
She\'llbeliketherest。Isupposeshe\'llbeginnowtolookatmeinafunnyway。\"Helookedatthegroundandponderedthisthought。\"She\'llbeem-
barrassedandfeelstrangewhenI\'maround，\"hewhisperedtohimself。\"That\'showit\'llbe。That\'showeverything\'llturnout。Whenitcomestolovingsomeone，itwon\'tneverbeme。It\'llbesomeoneelse——somefool——someonewhotalksalot——some-
onelikethatGeorgeWillard。\"
TANDY
UNTILSHEWASsevenyearsoldshelivedinanoldunpaintedhouseonanunusedroadthatledoffTrunionPike。Herfathergaveherbutlittleattentionandhermotherwasdead。Thefatherspenthistimetalkingandthinkingofreligion。Heproclaimedhim-
selfanagnosticandwassoabsorbedindestroyingtheideasofGodthathadcreptintothemindsofhisneighborsthatheneversawGodmanifestinghimselfinthelittlechildthat，halfforgotten，livedhereandthereonthebountyofherdeadmother\'srelatives。
AstrangercametoWinesburgandsawinthechildwhatthefatherdidnotsee。Hewasatall，red-
hairedyoungmanwhowasalmostalwaysdrunk。
SometimeshesatinachairbeforetheNewWillardHousewithTomHard，thefather。AsTomtalked，declaringtherecouldbenoGod，thestrangersmiledandwinkedatthebystanders。HeandTombecamefriendsandweremuchtogether。
ThestrangerwasthesonofarichmerchantofClevelandandhadcometoWinesburgonamission。
Hewantedtocurehimselfofthehabitofdrink，andthoughtthatbyescapingfromhiscityassociatesandlivinginaruralcommunityhewouldhaveabetterchanceinthestrugglewiththeappetitethatwasdestroyinghim。
HissojourninWinesburgwasnotasuccess。Thedullnessofthepassinghoursledtohisdrinkingharderthanever。Buthedidsucceedindoingsome-
thing。HegaveanamerichwithmeaningtoTomHard\'sdaughter。