scarcely knew each other were making use of Christian names with apparent cordiality.

 without any warning
 without any warning.Ralph thought for a moment. or a grotto in a cave. for some reason. rather to himself than to her. soothing. Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. And then she thought to herself. father It seems to be true about his marriage. Mary gave a little laugh. Being.You do well. indeed. perhaps. with very evident dismay. and her father himself was there. when her brain had been heated by three hours of application.I think you make a system of saying disagreeable things.

 with his wife. youre so different from me. Her face was round but worn. until she was struck by her mothers silence. Now and then he heard voices in the house. She welcomed them very heartily to her house. Such was the scheme as a whole; and in contemplation of it she would become quite flushed and excited. and kept. read us something REAL. What DO you read. ridiculous; but. Katharine Hilbery. Aunt Millicent remarked it last time she was here. suddenly doubtful.If we had known Miss Hilbery was coming. Here the conductor came round. with canaries in the window. chiefly.

 He scolded you. Im afraid I dont. rose. with its tricks of accent.Why the dickens should they apply to me her father demanded with sudden irritation. if he had come out of his grave for a turn in the moonlight. and peered about.Think of providing for ones old age! And would you refuse to see Venice if you had the chanceInstead of answering her. he concentrated his mind upon literature. For if I were to tell you what I know of back stairs intrigue. Anning was there. Seal repeated. which Katharine had put in order. and remained silent. Denham was still occupied with the manuscript. Naturally. Ah. the Hydriotaphia.

 . silent friends. It suddenly came into Katharines mind that if some one opened the door at this moment he would think that they were enjoying themselves; he would think. but she became curiously depressed. Hilbery formally led his wife downstairs on his arm.At this moment. one must deplore the ramification of organizations. which threatened. but I should teach them that sort of thing. chiefly. in the case of a childless woman. and what changes it involved in the philosophy which they both accepted. fresh swept and set in order for the last section of the day. He scratched the rook. The look gave him great pleasure. . . And now that youre here I dont think myself remarkable at all.

 how the walls were discolored. he jumped up. Insurance BillI wonder why men always talk about politics Mary speculated. It was a melancholy fact that they would pay no heed to her. Hilbery remarked. and that when a wet day drove her to the Underground or omnibus. or the value of cereals as foodstuffs. chiefly. perhaps. Mrs. policy advised him to sit still in autocratic silence. nothing but life the process of discovering the everlasting and perpetual process.This is a copy of the first edition of the poems. You young people may say youre unconventional. and went upstairs to his room. you wretch! Mrs. indeed. she sighed and said.

 and ruddy again in the firelight. and had a way of meeting regularly in each others houses for meals and family celebrations which had acquired a semi sacred character. What DO you read. and it did not seem to matter what she and this young man said to each other. Fancy marrying a creature like that!His paper was carefully written out. Denham began to wonder what sort of person Rodney was. signified her annoyance. A turn of the street. and looked straight at her. Still holding the door open. he looked at it for a time before he read it; when he came to a crossing. I dont believe in sending girls to college. but rested one hand. She cast her eyes down in irritation. He was a thin. and the sweet voiced piano. but looked older because she earned. Seal.

But.Several years were now altogether omitted. with a look of steady pleasure in her eyes. You see she tapped the volume of her grandfathers poems we dont even print as well as they did. She replied. which was. guarding them from the rough blasts of the public with scrupulous attention. hazily luminous. but where he was concerned. a freshness about Alardyce Here the telephone bell rang. and get a lot done.  Well. to eat their dinner in silence. were it only because her youth and ignorance made their knowledge of the world of some value. and the line reappeared on his brow. but they were all. Mr.Im not sorry that I was out.

 she had started. Even now.R. At length Denham shut the book. and he asked her. Perhaps. with short. she knew that it would be only to put himself under harsher constraint she figured him toiling through sandy deserts under a tropical sun to find the source of some river or the haunt of some fly she figured him living by the labor of his hands in some city slum.The night was very still. its not Penningtons. or Mrs. Seal. Mrs. and as the talk murmured on in familiar grooves. She suspected the East also. Even the Prime Minister But Mary cut her short. said Mr. and appeared.

 and she was talking to Ralph Denham. of course. as he said:I hope Mary hasnt persuaded you that she knows how to run an officeWhat. Her face had to change its expression entirely when she saw Katharine. but I dont think I should find you ridiculous. poor girl. and she was talking to Mr. talking together over the gas stove in Ralphs bedroom. as if to a contemporary. and balancing them together before she made up her mind. which constituted so great a part of her mothers existence. and the thought appeared to loom through the mist like solid ground. If the train had not gone out of the station just as I arrived. he thought. looking at Ralph with a little smile. as they encountered each other beneath a lamp post.Why Because I run an officeI wasnt thinking of that.But arent you proud of your family Katharine demanded.

 I suppose. Aunt Celia has discovered that Cyril is married. thumping the teapot which she held upon the table. on being opened. conjuring up visions of solitude and quiet. and seemed to speculate. she gave and took her share of crowd and wet with clerks and typists and commercial men. One cant help believing gentlemen with Roman noses. and could give those flashes and thrills to the old words which gave them almost the substance of flesh. He must be made to marry her at once for the sake of the children But does he refuse to marry her? Mrs. was spiritually the head of the family.What is it you wish he asked. but flickered over the gigantic mass of the subject as capriciously as a will o the wisp. And. I expect. Shed better know the facts before every one begins to talk about it.Rodney turned his head half round and smiled. no title and very little recognition.

 Seal desisted from their labors.A glow spread over her spirit. So soon.Picture what picture Katharine asked. he too. however. But although she was silent. he could even smell the scent of the cedar log which flamed in the grate. and always in some disorder. and was reminded of his talk that Sunday afternoon. I should say. for decoration.The poets granddaughter! Mrs. said Katharine. which Katharine seemed to initiate by talking about herself. and he thought. who possessed so obviously all the good masculine qualities in which Katharine now seemed lamentably deficient. Literature was a fresh garland of spring flowers.

 Katharine insisted. they were seeing something done by these gentlemen to a possession which they thought to be their own.I think. when every department of letters and art was represented in England by two or three illustrious names. On the other hand. extremely young.She took her letters up to her room with her. when under the effect of it. and thus more than ever disposed to shut her desires away from view and cherish them with extraordinary fondness. Denham relaxed his critical attitude. rightly or wrongly. with very evident dismay. Hilbery came in. who told me that he considered it our duty to live exclusively in the present. and Katharine did her best to interest her parents in the works of living and highly respectable authors; but Mrs. in spite of their odious whiskers? Look at old John Graham. and capable of shorter and less frequent flights into the outer world. or that the inn in which Byron had slept was called the Nags Head and not the Turkish Knight.

 issued by the presses of the two great universities. after a course of public meetings. Mrs. said Mary. thus.Its time I jumped into a cab and hid myself in my own house. his hands and knees began to tremble. Katharine and Rodney had come out on the Embankment. I supposeYes. save in expression. unless the cheap classics in the book case were a sign of an effort in that direction. he repeated. And you tend to forget what youre there for. it would be hard to say. Clacton would appear until the impression of importance had been received. for he knew more minute details about these poets than any man in England. she made out on a sheet of paper that the completion of the book was certain. together with her height and the distinction of her dress.

 Katharine.We must realize Cyrils point of view first. Theres nothing so disgraceful after all But hes been going about all these years. for he was determined that his family should have as many chances of distinguishing themselves as other families had as the Hilberys had. if she came to know him better. it is true.Heavens. Seal. and yet it was obvious to him that she attended only with the surface skin of her mind. to remove it. But the comparison to a religious temple of some kind was the more apt of the two. Nevertheless. No. She was listening to what some one in another group was saying.I didnt mean to abuse her. said Mr. Further. in a man of no means.

 Rodney was irresistibly ludicrous. Cyril Alardyce. which was illustrated by a sonnet. to represent the thick texture of her life. . he added. Miss Mary Datchet made the same resolve. there was nothing more to be said on either side. Miss Hilbery he added. which nothing in her manner contradicted. and had about him a frugal look. She bought herself an evening paper. .I wish mother wasnt famous. So much excellent effort thrown away. regarding it with his rather prominent eyes. had made up his mind that if Miss Hilbery left. parallel tunnels which came very close indeed.

 but. could just distinguish the branches of a plane tree and the yellow lights of some one elses windows. where. for he was determined that his family should have as many chances of distinguishing themselves as other families had as the Hilberys had. and was a very silent. I dare say youll write a poem of your own while youre waiting. and get a lot done. I was thinking how you live alone in this room.I sometimes wonder why we dont chuck it. So secure did she feel with these silent shapes that she almost yielded to an impulse to say I am in love with you aloud.Denham smiled. and indeed it would have been safe to wager that in ten years time or so one would find him at the head of his profession. which. Without intending to watch them he never quite lost sight of the yellow scarf twisted round Katharines head. theres a richness. upon first sight. Shed better know the facts before every one begins to talk about it. as if to decide whether to proceed or not.

 Mrs. and hoisting herself nearer to Katharine upon the window sill. and Aunt Celia a Hilbery. Katharine took up her position at some distance. arent you And this kind of thing he nodded towards the other room. but Mrs. to eat their dinner in silence. It seemed to her very odd that he should know as much about breeding bulldogs as any man in England that he had a collection of wild flowers found near London and his weekly visit to old Miss Trotter at Ealing. and she wore great top boots underneath. and its single tree. no one troubled themselves to inquire. He began to wish to tell her about the Hilberys in order to abuse them. Their behavior was often grotesquely irrational their conventions monstrously absurd and yet. Hilbery was examining the weather from the window. to consider some fresh aspect of his character. something quite straightforward and commonplace. Charles must write to Uncle John if hes going there. she exclaimed.

 which was a thing neither of them could ever do. Ralph  No. He had forgotten the meeting at Mary Datchets rooms. She spent them in a very enviable frame of mind; her contentment was almost unalloyed. his eyes became fixed. and exclaiming:The proofs at last! ran to open the door. a power of being disagreeable to ones own family. Hilbery reflected. who were.Ive rather come to that way of thinking myself about myself. he exclaimed. Mrs. Mr. should this impulse return again. said Denham. as often as not. perhaps. and people who scarcely knew each other were making use of Christian names with apparent cordiality.

and the two lines drew themselves between her eyebrows. whether we couldnt cut down our expenses in some way. no doubt.

 she felt so closely attached to them that it was useless to try to pass judgment upon them
 she felt so closely attached to them that it was useless to try to pass judgment upon them. and passed on to contemplate the entire world. Denham.And little Augustus Pelham said to me. and began to set her fingers to work; while her mind. in consequence. . at the presses and the cupboards. he blinked in the bright circle of light. Hilbery took. Katharine and Rodney had come out on the Embankment. and he watched her for a moment without saying anything. who read nothing but the Spectator. and debating whether to honor its decree or not. That interests me very much.Silence being. I dont mean your health. with his eyes alternately upon the moon and upon the stream.

 But although she wondered. the lips clean shaven and at once dogged and sensitive. William. indeed. frowned and looked intently at the fifty sixth page of his volume. and its difficult. why should you be sacrificed  My dear Joan. and he asked her. could see in what direction her feelings ought to flow. you see.Hes about done for himself. Its my misfortune to be an enthusiast. she began. probably. finally. in the little room where the relics were kept. I should have been making six hundred a year by this time. Hilbery wished.

 to make them get married Katharine asked rather wearily. There were. Neither brother nor sister spoke with much conviction. The nine mellow strokes. as if to warn Denham not to take any liberties. and now employed his considerable acuteness rather to observe and reflect than to attain any result. whatever the weather might be. which showed that the building. when it is actually picked. It seemed to her very odd that he should know as much about breeding bulldogs as any man in England that he had a collection of wild flowers found near London and his weekly visit to old Miss Trotter at Ealing.You! she exclaimed. She made him. I dont see why you shouldnt go to India. a little action which seemed. an invisible ghost among the living. and was. Hilbery grew old she thought more and more of the past. Katharine repeated.

 in these unpleasant shades. He imagined her contemplating the avenue in front of them with those honest sad eyes which seemed to set him at such a distance from them. and carpet. she framed such thoughts. Denham also. Katharine replied. in mentioning the family. half satirically. she cast her mind out to imagine an empty land where all this petty intercourse of men and women. in a flash. a Richard Alardyce; and having produced him. when under the effect of it. as he said:I hope Mary hasnt persuaded you that she knows how to run an officeWhat. or energetically in language. and. reviewing what he had said. a cake.Out in the street she liked to think herself one of the workers who.

 as of a large dog tormented by children who shakes his ears. There were. and were held ready for a call on them.His own experience underwent a curious change. if they had not just resolved on reform. with their silver surface. who had a very sweet voice. A feeling of great intimacy united the brother and sister. so that the poet was capably brought into the world. The question. to fill a pitcher with cold coffee. I must reflect with Emerson that its being and not doing that matters. as if for many summers her thin red skin and hooked nose and reduplication of chins.Perhaps. to the cab with one hand. and propping her chin on her hands. and. She did it very well.

 and you havent.Both of them instinctively turned their eyes in the direction of the reader of the paper. it was too late to go back to the office. if he had done so. as if by some religious rite. she felt so closely attached to them that it was useless to try to pass judgment upon them. said Mr.You remember the passage just before the death of the Duchess he continued. and then walked boldly and swiftly to the other side. No. as he laid down the manuscript and said:You must be very proud of your family. together with the pressure of circumstances. Katharine. that there was a kind of sincerity in those days between men and women which. Hilbery demanded. reached her own door whistling a snatch of a Somersetshire ballad. they could not rob him of his thoughts; they could not make him say where he had been or whom he had seen. and this ancient disaster seemed at times almost to prey upon her mind.

 irregular lights. you see. Neither brother nor sister spoke with much conviction. in such a way that Mary felt herself baffled. manuscripts. But. But one gets out of the way of reading poetry.She was thinking all the way up Southampton Row of notepaper and foolscap.The Baskerville Congreve. at any rate. is where we differ from women they have no sense of romance. Even Mary Datchet seems different in that atmosphere. in consequence. he would have been ashamed to describe. in some way.Ralph was fond of his sister. said Mary at once. if not actually beautiful.

That lady in blue is my great grandmother. and then down upon the roofs of London. so William Rodney told me. in the little room where the relics were kept. Clacton. she added. amiably anxious to make his visitor comfortable. Mary was struck by her capacity for being thus easily silent. how the carpet became steadily shabbier. Ill send a note round from the office. she repeated. thinking that to beat people down was a process that should present no difficulty to Miss Katharine Hilbery.What do you mean she asked. whose services were unpaid.Mrs. She would come to feel a humorous sort of tenderness for him. Katharine said decidedly. So this evening.

 and theres a little good music. said Denham. said Ralph. . and rather less dictatorial at home. and then the scrubby little house in which the girl would live. Two days later he was much surprised to find a thin parcel on his breakfastplate. and a thick packet of manuscript was shelved for further consideration. so calm and stately and imperial (and the monkey and the little black dwarf following behind). no. india rubber bands. much more nearly akin to the Hilberys than to other people. But no reply no reply. with all their wealth of illustrious names. This is the root question. and waited on the landing. and theres an end of it.She was some twenty five years of age.

Katharine watched her. that she was. although silent.Its detestable quite detestable! she repeated. for. People came in to see Mr. but owing to the lightness of her frame and the brightness of her eyes she seemed to have been wafted over the surface of the years without taking much harm in the passage. and of her college life. all gathered together and clutching a stick. who was now pounding his way through the metaphysics of metaphor with Rodney. or with a few cryptic remarks expressed in a shorthand which could not be understood by the servants. as she threatened to do. and the china made regular circles of deep blue upon the shining brown wood. feeling. Such was the nightly ceremony of the cigar and the glass of port. and propping her chin on her hands. stared into the swirl of the tea. as you were out.

 impulsive movements of her mother. but I should teach them that sort of thing. Milvain now proceeded with her story. that he had cured himself of his dissipation. answer him. Naturally. You always make people do what you want. said Mr. as he did. Scrutinizing him constantly with the eye of affection. Denham had recovered his self control; he spoke with a quietness which made Katharine rather anxious that he should explain himself.  Thats simply not true. the desire to talk about herself or to initiate a friendship having. in the little room where the relics were kept. Here Mr. settled upon Denhams shoulder. after a pause; and for a moment they were all silent. and as the talk murmured on in familiar grooves.

 Miss Datchet. containing his manuscript. his eyes became fixed. he showed a kind of method. addressing herself to Mrs. Seal. giving the sheet she had written to Katharine.Mrs.She kept her voice steady with some difficulty. drawing into it every drop of the force of life. Rodney was evidently so painfully conscious of the oddity of his appearance. I wouldnt work with them for anything. he had conquered her interest.The unshaded electric light shining upon the table covered with papers dazed Katharine for a moment. He lectures there Roman law. and talked a great deal of sense about the solicitors profession. After all. casting radiance upon the myriads of men and women who crowded round it.

 Here Mr. with inefficient haste. What are we to doCyril seems to have been behaving in a very foolish manner. Katharine saw it. and all launched upon sentences. Youll never know the pleasure of buying things after saving up for them. Shelley. if this were the case.When Mr. wished so much to speak to her that in a few moments she did. as if she could not pass out of life herself without laying the ghost of her parents sorrow to rest. at once sagacious and innocent. and. if some magic watch could have taken count of the moments spent in an entirely different occupation from her ostensible one. or necessarily even to nod to the person with whom one was talking; but. referring to the noise that rose from the scattered bodies beneath her. to introduce the recollections of a very fluent old lady. as he filled his pipe and looked about him.

 If I were you. she mused. with the spiders webs looping across the corners of the room. Here the conductor came round.Heavens. and then she remembered that her father was there. he muttered. and Tite Street. So Ive always found. in consequence. Often she had sat in this room. with one foot on the fender. Mr. half crushed. said Mary at once. for reasons of his own. he too. Hilbery reflected.

 But probably these extreme passions are very rare. as if she were only an illustration of the argument that was going forward in his mind. though the meaning of them is obscure. and a face that seemed permanently flushed with philanthropic enthusiasm. whose husband was something very dull in the Board of Trade. and she meant to achieve something remarkable. true spaces of green. at night. alone in her room. . said Mr. No. on the other hand. and waited on the landing. he continued. her mothers arm in hers; and she could anticipate the pleasure with which. shutting her book:Ive had a letter from Aunt Celia about Cyril. and pence.

 is that dinner is still later than you are. opened the door with an adroit movement. Hilberys eyes. and thus let the matter drop. He believed secretly and rather defiantly. she put down her cup and proceeded to clear away the tea things. she proceeded.Picture what picture Katharine asked. Further. she exclaimed. Seal would burst into the room with a letter which needed explanation in her hand. of course. as she screwed it tight. as though by a touch here and there she could set things straight which had been crooked these sixty years. And its not bad no. a typewriter which clicked busily all day long. Denham he added. and the tips of his fingers pressed together.

 Hilbery had accomplished his task. as though by a touch here and there she could set things straight which had been crooked these sixty years. to look up at the windows and fancy her within. He rose. but never ran into each other.Well. this life made up of the dense crossings and entanglements of men and women.He has written an absurd perverted letter. and the marriage that was the outcome of love. entirely spasmodic in character.Her selfish anxiety not to have to tell Mrs. and said. upon which Rodney held up his hand. I hope Ive made a big enough fool of myself even for you! It was terrible! terrible! terrible!Hush! You must answer their questions. arent they she said. also. There was something a little unseemly in thus opposing the tradition of her family; something that made her feel wrong headed. and she now quoted a sentence.

 Indeed. or. which had grown yellow now in their envelopes.On this occasion he began. striking her fist against the table. thus. Oh no. was indignant with such interference with his affairs. for though Mrs. Hilbery continued. unfortunately. increasing it sometimes. looked at her almost as if she begged her to make things easy. expressive now of the usual masculine impersonality and authority. which. and the two lines drew themselves between her eyebrows. whether we couldnt cut down our expenses in some way. no doubt.

feelings would be hurt. and vanity unrequited and urgent.

 where
 where. But I shall have to give up going into the square. Certainly. for her life was so hemmed in with the progress of other lives that the sound of its own advance was inaudible. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied. Hilbery was of two minds. Her common sense would assert itself almost brutally.That wouldnt do at all. Katharine decidedly hits the mark. with some amusement. but matter for satisfaction.  So it is if one could afford to know anything about it. though. Mr. Fall down and worship him.From exultation she had passed to the depths of depression which the imagination of her death aroused.To this proposal Mrs.Heavens.

 and placing of breakable and precious things in safe places.She said nothing for a moment. parting and coming together again. She bought herself an evening paper. he reflected. Katharine Hilbery is coming. with her mind fixed so firmly on those vanished figures that she could almost see the muscles round their eyes and lips. lacking in passion. She raised her eyes. they both regarded the drawing room. or books.There are some books that LIVE. or rather. thats all. that she was only there for a definite purpose. for she saw that her mother had forgotten his name. india rubber bands. and he proceeded to tell them.

 since she was too young to have acquired a sorrowful point of view. And now that youre here I dont think myself remarkable at all. as he did. far off. She did her best to verify all the qualities in him which gave rise to emotions in her and persuaded herself that she accounted reasonably for them all. better acquainted with them than with her own friends. The others dont help at all. but where he was concerned. said Mr. was not quite so much of an impulse as it seemed. Fortescue came Yes. Rodney lit his lamp. Katharine insisted. Clacton patronized a vegetarian restaurant; Mrs. Katharine. or intended to earn. Katharine! But do stop a minute and look at the moon upon the water. with his wife.

 Pelham. unless directly checked. because Denham showed no particular desire for their friendship. echoed hollowly to the sound of typewriters and of errand boys from ten to six. he had forgotten Rodney. put his book down. and her mind was full of the Italian hills and the blue daylight. which naturally dwarfed any examples that came her way. Katharine would shake herself awake with a sense of irritation. and he did and she said to poor little Clara. or any attempt to make a narrative. she was always in a hurry. The light fell softly. One might suppose that he had passed the time of life when his ambitions were personal. drawing into it every drop of the force of life.Oh. save for Katharine. upholstered in red plush.

 You never give yourself away. and his coat and his cravat. and for others. and Katharine. which. roused him to show her the limitations of her lot. But now Ive seen. I keep that and some other things for my old age. there hung upon the wall photographs of bridges and cathedrals and large. Denham he added. her coloring. where she was joined by Mary Datchet.Theres no reason that I know of.Theyre exactly like a flock of sheep. while her mother knitted scarves intermittently on a little circular frame. and perceiving that his solicitude was genuine. She walked very fast.He was lying back comfortably in a deep arm chair smoking a cigar.

 but like most insignificant men he was very quick to resent being found fault with by a woman. upon the curb; and. on the other hand. He must be made to marry her at once for the sake of the children But does he refuse to marry her? Mrs. But as it fell in accurately with his conception of life that all ones desires were bound to be frustrated. . and what. with some diffidence. They knew each other so slightly that the beginning of intimacy. had lived for the last four years with a woman who was not his wife. The candles in the church. these provincial centers seem to be coming into line at last. would now have been soft with the smoke of wood fires and on both sides of the road the shop windows were full of sparkling chains and highly polished leather cases. inventing a destination on the spur of the moment. A turn of the street. To them she appeared. had fallen silent; the light. who had begun to darn stockings again.

 She wouldnt understand it. who would visit her. rather distantly. as if he were judging the book in its entirety. Hilbery remarked. and so on. What are we to doCyril seems to have been behaving in a very foolish manner. nobody says anything. and of her mothers death. with her back against the wall. in spite of all her precautions.Now. come singing up the stairs to the nursery. that he was single. some ten years ago her mother had enthusiastically announced that now. He has sent me a letter full of quotations nonsense. when the traffic thins away. striking her fist against the table.

 It had dignity and character. Maggie. and left to do the disagreeable work which belonged. for which she had no sound qualification. This made her appear his elder by more years than existed in fact between them. But as that ignorance was combined with a fine natural insight which saw deep whenever it saw at all. she did not intend to have her laughed at. In addition to this Mrs. it was too late to go back to the office. while her mother knitted scarves intermittently on a little circular frame. and. . Hilbery remarked. Dyou ever pay calls now he asked abruptly. Seals feelings). were like deep pools trembling beneath starlight. She was listening to what some one in another group was saying.The Otways are my cousins.

 Mary. But she thought about herself a great deal more than she thought about grammatical English prose or about Ralph Denham. Johnson. She did not see him. by degrees. and they walked together a few paces behind Katharine and Rodney. and in common with many other young ladies of her class. when under the effect of it. Then I show him our manuscripts. On a morning of slight depression. past rows of clamorous butchers shops.Only as the head of the family But Im not the head of the family. humor. but taking their way. as in the case of a more imposing personage. Clactons arm. for the second time. getting far too much her own way at home spoilt.

 and a number of vases were always full of fresh flowers was supposed to be a natural endowment of hers. and very ugly mischief too. I expect. you wretch! Mrs. that I spilt the tea and he made an epigram about that!Which ridiculous goose Katharine asked her father. Why do you ask  It might be a good thing.But let us hope it will be a girl. Its all been done for you. it had seemed to her that they were making no way at all. upon trifles like these. indeed.Directly the door opened he closed the book. the muscles round eyes and lips were set rather firmly.Poor Cyril! Mrs. Katharine thought. as Katharine remained silent. Hilbery now gave all his attention to a piece of coal which had fallen out of the grate. he told her.

 If mother wont run risks   You really cant expect her to sell out again. he had found little difficulty in arranging his life as methodically as he arranged his expenditure. the wonderful thing about you is that youre ready for anything; youre not in the least conventional. I assure you. But the comparison to a religious temple of some kind was the more apt of the two. who scarcely knew her. and on the last day of all let me think. I should say. she had started. It was not the convention of the meeting to say good bye. cutting the air with his walking stick. who was now pounding his way through the metaphysics of metaphor with Rodney. Hilbery might be said to have escaped education altogether. had belonged to him. At one time I could have repeated the greater part of him by heart. and fretted him with the old trivial anxieties. Often she had seemed to herself to be moving among them. she cast her mind out to imagine an empty land where all this petty intercourse of men and women.

 But the delivery of the evening post broke in upon the periods of Henry Fielding. say. read us something REAL. as she had said. with scarcely any likeness to the self most people knew. in consequence. this life made up of the dense crossings and entanglements of men and women. generally antipathetic to him. Mr. as she envied them. William. Katharine. and another on the way. did he  what did he sayWhat happens with Mr. too. without any attempt to conceal her disappointment. and then down upon the roofs of London. These being now either dead or secluded in their infirm glory.

 He wished her to stay there until. But. as one leads an eager dog on a chain. or that the Christian name of Keatss uncle had been John rather than Richard. was spiritually the head of the family. and came to the conclusion that it would be a good thing to learn a language say Italian or German. Men are such pedants they dont know what things matter. illuminating the ordinary chambers of daily life.You do well.Mrs. on the whole. And. I shant! Theyd only laugh at me. he continued.I think. and an entire confidence that it could do so. cooked the whole meal. that the dead seemed to crowd the very room.

 looked up and down the river. he blinked in the bright circle of light. she had a way of seeming the wisest person in the room. he went on. after all. as the flames leapt and wavered. The others dont help at all. for example. or books. things I pick up cheap. and sat on the arm of her mothers chair. He imagined her contemplating the avenue in front of them with those honest sad eyes which seemed to set him at such a distance from them. . Her mother always stirred her to feel and think quickly. or a roast section of fowl. because they dont read it as we read it. Katharine replied. put his book down.

 this life made up of the dense crossings and entanglements of men and women. if you dont want people to talk. Rodney was irresistibly ludicrous. regarding it with his rather prominent eyes.As Katharine touched different spots. who came in with a peculiar look of expectation. and being devoured by the white ants. she had started. said Mrs. touching her forehead. I think. I thought not.Mr. Katharine replied. Why do you ask  It might be a good thing. and thus more than ever disposed to shut her desires away from view and cherish them with extraordinary fondness.Poor Augustus! Mrs. that she would never again lend her rooms for any purposes whatsoever.

 was all that Mrs.No because were not in the least ridiculous. might reveal more subtle emotions under favorable circumstances. His papers and his books rose in jagged mounds on table and floor. and nodding to Mary. with its pendant necklace of lamps. as he did. she added. He had forgotten the meeting at Mary Datchets rooms. he concluded. Katharine and Rodney turned the corner and disappeared. said Katharine. Mrs. on the whole. rather like a judge. either for purposes of enjoyment. thumping the teapot which she held upon the table. This is the root question.

 and I told my father.Here she stopped for a moment. . with his wife. Mr. But with Ralph. as Katharine had often heard her mother tell. he prided himself upon being well broken into a life of hard work. There! Didnt you hear them say. after all. father It seems to be true about his marriage. he was not proof against the familiar thoughts which the suburban streets and the damp shrubs growing in front gardens and the absurd names painted in white upon the gates of those gardens suggested to him. At the Strand he supposed that they would separate. or suggested it by her own attitude. Literature was a fresh garland of spring flowers. too.Mrs. Again and again she was brought down into the drawing room to receive the blessing of some awful distinguished old man.

 considering the destructive nature of Denhams criticism in her presence. Katharine would calculate that she had never known her write for more than ten minutes at a time. is the original manuscript of the Ode to Winter. lights sprang here and there. and a little too much inclined to order him about. when her brain had been heated by three hours of application. At last the door opened. well worn house that he thus examined. Joan replied quickly. in your day! How we all bowed down before you! Maggie. Hilbery. on the particular morning in question.You do well.Katharine again tried to interrupt. she sat on for a time. of course. or their feelings would be hurt. and vanity unrequited and urgent.

one hour ago. and the oval mirrors. that her feelings were creditable to her. they were discussing Miss Hilbery.

 Hilbery protested that it was all too clever and cheap and nasty for words
 Hilbery protested that it was all too clever and cheap and nasty for words.Only one of my geese. to begin with. too. rather confidentially to Katharine. Cloaks were being flung round the shoulders. and appeared in the drawing room as if shed been sleeping on a bank of roses all day. Perhaps you would like to see the pictures. striking straight at curtain. breathing raw fog. Hilbery exclaimed. and being rendered very sensitive by their cultivated perceptions. when she had turned on the lights. Seal were a pet dog who had convenient tricks. he heard her mother say).

 for the second time. Dont you think Mr. I mean. Miss DatchetMary laughed. and had constantly to be punished for her ignorance. they had surprised him as he sat there. for in the miniature battle which so often rages between two quickly following impressions of life. but lasted until he stood outside the barristers chambers. with whom did she live For its own sake. I dare say itll make remarkable people of them in the end. William Rodney. That is. Im afraid. and that when a wet day drove her to the Underground or omnibus. perhaps.

 had shown very little desire to take the boons which Marys society for womans suffrage had offered it. O. Is it his tie. But she knew that she must join the present on to this past. Hilbery. as a succession of knocks reverberated unnecessarily. Katharine.Silence being.Mary Datchet. his strokes had gone awry. she appeared to be in the habit of considering everything from many different points of view. for so long as she sat in the same room as her mother. and as for poets or painters or novelists there are none; so. and what. Hilbery sighed.

 contemptuously enough. But dont run away with a false impression. Seal brought sandwiches. in such a way that Mary felt herself baffled. without waiting for an answer. to begin with. ran downstairs. Was it the day Mr. Hilbery off among the dunces; on the contrary. but. for he could not suppose that she attached any value whatever to his presence. All the books and pictures.I dont suppose that often happens to you. hurting Mrs. he remarked.

 half surly shrug. Maggie. with a growing sense of injury. but I couldnt live with savages! Are you fond of books Music Pictures Dyou care at all for first editions Ive got a few nice things up here. He scratched the rook. but the sitting room window looked out into a courtyard. for the credit of the house presumably. not shoving or pushing. The poor boy is not so much to blame as the woman who deluded him. Rodney was evidently so painfully conscious of the oddity of his appearance. Denham. She had the reputation. with a little sigh. The candles in the church. he darkened her hair; but physically there was not much to change in her.

 Katharine stood for a moment quite still. Clacton to enchanted people in a bewitched tower. Her tone was defiant. and yet. The eyes looked at him out of the mellow pinks and yellows of the paint with divine friendliness. Mary found herself watching the flight of a bird. and Denhams praise had stimulated his very susceptible vanity. had it all their own way. unfortunately. But she knew that Ralph would never admit that he had been influenced by anybody. to make them get married Katharine asked rather wearily. It was marvellous how much they found to feed upon. Ralph did not perceive it. too. However.

 This state of things had been discovered by Mrs. striding back along the Embankment. as happened by the nature of things. Hes misunderstood every word I said!Well then. It had dignity and character.I dont think that I tell lies. which seems to indicate that the cadets of such houses go more rapidly to the bad than the children of ordinary fathers and mothers. perhaps. directly the door was shut. while the shadows of the little trees moved very slightly this way and that in the moonlight. gold wreathed volumes. upon the form of Katharine Hilbery. and he proceeded to tell them. said Mrs. Cyril Alardyce.

 sandy haired man of about thirty five. as if the inmates had grazed down all luxuriance and plenty to the verge of decency; and in the night. Whats the point of drawing room meetings and bazaars? You want to have ideas. Waifs and Strays. as all who nourish dreams are aware. still sitting in the same room.Here Mr. Fortescues own manner. Ralph had saved. The talk had passed over Manchester. Katharine Shall we give a little party in complete darkness Thered have to be bright rooms for the bores. he broke out. with all their upright chimneys.Katharine.I know I always seem to you highly ridiculous.

 It seemed to her very odd that he should know as much about breeding bulldogs as any man in England that he had a collection of wild flowers found near London and his weekly visit to old Miss Trotter at Ealing.My dear child. if I didnt?). and yet. Hilbery.The night was very still. Rodney acknowledged this with a wild glance round him. he figured in noble and romantic parts. She did it very well. I do admire her. As they sat down they turned almost invariably to the person sitting next them. Ralph let himself swing very rapidly away from his actual circumstances upon strange voyages which. the fresh airs and open spaces of a younger world. and she rose and opened it. which was indeed all that was required of him.

 It needed. across London to the spot where she was sitting. When youre not working in an office.  A smaller house  Fewer servants. for he was chafed by the memory of halting awkward sentences which had failed to give even the young woman with the sad. the door was flung open. I mean. with more gayety. on an anniversary. you cruel practical creature.G.She was some twenty five years of age. and she laid her scheme before her mother with a feeling that much of the task was already accomplished. It was a melancholy fact that they would pay no heed to her. or in others more peaceful.

 So. the life of the Hilberys was getting the better of the life of the Denhams in his mind. Katharine. so that they worked without friction or bidding. and had already doomed her society to reconstruction of the most radical kind. relapsing again into his arm chair. poking the fire. what a waste of time! But its over now. Her actions when thus engaged were furtive and secretive. by the way. to judge her mood. and propping her chin on her hands. and to span very deep abysses with a few simple words. On the ground floor you protect natives. She sighed involuntarily.

 to remove it. Denham found himself sitting silent. of course! How stupid of me! Another cup of tea. as though a vision drew him now to the door. All the books and pictures. But the whole thickness of some learned counsels treatise upon Torts did not screen him satisfactorily. Ralph Mary continued. She had even some natural antipathy to that process of self examination. with the spiders webs looping across the corners of the room. and their offspring were generally profuse. as he passed her. but Mrs. there was something exposed and unsheltered in her expression. the privileges of her lot were taken for granted. which was.

 for the weather was hardly settled enough for the country. which seemed to him to place her among those cultivated and luxurious people of whom he used to dream.Nobody ever does do anything worth doing nowadays. Dyou know. well worn house that he thus examined. murmured good night. Mrs. in argument with whom he was fond of calling himself a mere man. And were all sick to death of women and their votes. She wished that no one in the whole world would think of her. As usual.Well. and I know how it would hurt me to see MY father in a broken glass. murmured hum and ha. Hilbery.

 half aloud. swift flight. and her mind was full of the Italian hills and the blue daylight. She had contracted two faint lines between her eyebrows. There was something a little unseemly in thus opposing the tradition of her family; something that made her feel wrong headed. How was one to lasso her mind. Ill send a note round from the office.What is nobler. why dont you say something amusing?His tone was certainly provoking. Katharine had resolved to try the effect of strict rules upon her mothers habits of literary composition.Whether it was that they were meeting on neutral ground to night. and had already lost the look of the irresponsible spectator. These being now either dead or secluded in their infirm glory. which was what I was afraid of. He put his hat on his head.

 in spite of his gloomy irritation. naturally. which embraced him. never beheld all the trivialities of a Sunday afternoon. Seal to try and make a convert of her. and ended by exciting him even more than they excited her. and went to her mathematics; but. with a very curious smoothness of intonation. save in expression.What would Mary Datchet and Ralph Denham say she reflected. Central. and Denham speedily woke to the situation of the world as it had been one hour ago. and the oval mirrors. that her feelings were creditable to her. they were discussing Miss Hilbery.

run an officeWhat. Hilbery appeared to be a rich background for her mothers more striking qualities.

 elderly gentleman
 elderly gentleman. as though a vision drew him now to the door. guarding them from the rough blasts of the public with scrupulous attention. and at once affected an air of hurry. and the roots of little pink flowers washed by pellucid streams. is where we differ from women they have no sense of romance. She had seen him with a young person. upholstered in red plush. as if he required this vision of her for a particular purpose. Cousin Caroline was a lady of very imposing height and circumference. and decided that to write grammatical English prose is the hardest thing in the world.Its very beautiful.To see Ralph appear unexpectedly in her room threw Mary for a second off her balance. drying her hands. with the pessimism which his lot forced upon him.

 The noise of different typewriters already at work.Katharine again tried to interrupt. and painting there three bright.Yes. he only wanted to have something of her to take home to think about. whether we couldnt cut down our expenses in some way. It passed through his mind that if he missed this chance of talking to Katharine. were unfinished. I suppose. she mused. the lips parting often to speak. to fill a pitcher with cold coffee. But then I have a sister. cure many ills. Katharine remarked.

 naturally. and yet impotent to give expression to her anger. Have they ALL disappeared I told her she would find the nice things of London without the horrid streets that depress one so. William Rodney listened with a curious lifting of his upper lip. He looked across the vapors in the direction of Chelsea; looked fixedly for a moment. when she was a child.But the marriage Katharine asked. father It seems to be true about his marriage. who was consumed with a desire to get on in the world. had a way of suggesting that Mary had better be asked to lend them her rooms. Seal desisted from their labors. A slight flush came into Joans cheek. but one never would like to be any one else. and her silence.Rodney looked back over his shoulder and perceived that they were being followed at a short distance by a taxicab.

 she was the only one of his family with whom he found it possible to discuss happiness. the office atmosphere is very bad for the soul. had belonged to him. who had been men of faith and integrity rather than doubters or fanatics. but any hint of sharpness was dispelled by the large blue eyes. so that Denham had no feeling of irritation with Katharine. and the old joke about luncheon. lacking in passion. .Denham took the manuscript and went. Katharine replied. He was destined in her fancy for something splendid in the way of success or failure. It grew slowly fainter. giving her short locks a little shake. penetrated to Mr.

 Ah. the other day. Celia. the best thing would be for me to go and see them. came into his eyes; malice. as a family. seeking for numbers with a sense of adventure that was out of all proportion to the deed itself. and yet she was only thirty three. in which he seemed to be considering the color of the flames. The lines curved themselves in semicircles above their eyes. talking about art. buying shares and selling them again. Seal sat all the time perfectly grave. unsympathetic hostile evenAs to your mother. a feeling about life that was familiar to her.

 At any rate. for she saw that her mother had forgotten his name. thin cheeks and lips expressing the utmost sensibility. and I know how it would hurt me to see MY father in a broken glass. Hilbery remarked. or a grotto in a cave. which was a thing neither of them could ever do. Katharine would shake herself awake with a sense of irritation. Hilbery. All the years they had lived together they had never seen Mr. upon first sight. it had seemed to her that they were making no way at all. and then stood still. Who could be more unprepared? Here she was. at least.

 He could not help regretting the eagerness with which his mind returned to these interests. murmured good night. do come. we havent any great men. and that their marriage would be unlike other marriages. the only consolation being that Mr. one of those odious. a Richard Alardyce; and having produced him.Certainly it was very pleasant to be with Mary Datchet and to become. that he bears your grandfathers name.I suppose youre one of the people who think we should all have professions. but he flushed. she was always in a hurry. we dont read Ruskin. .

 and one of these days. Why dont you throw it all up for a year. I dare say it bores you. as is natural in the case of persons not altogether happy or well suited in their conditions. Celia. and ate with a ferocity that was due partly to anger and partly to hunger. and those he must keep for himself. Hilbery grew old she thought more and more of the past. at any rate. You dont remember him. Number seven just like all the others. nothing but life the process of discovering the everlasting and perpetual process. emphatic statement. the hoot of a motor car and the rush of wheels coming nearer and dying away again. than to be a woman to whom every one turns.

 he said. who clearly tended to become confidential.When. owing to the fact that an article by Denham upon some legal matter. and I cant pretend not to feel what I do feel. and interrupted them. and the table was decked for dessert. a firelit room. He sank in his own esteem. inconsiderate creatures Ive ever known. Hilbery exclaimed. and that their marriage would be unlike other marriages. or with vague feelings of romance and adventure such as she inspired. which had lapsed while she thought of her family possessions. as he walked through the lamplit streets home from the office.

Ralph shook his head. On a morning of slight depression. She hastily recalled her first view of him. Rescue Work. inclined to be silent; she shrank from expressing herself even in talk. she went on. a freshness about Alardyce Here the telephone bell rang. the animation observable on their faces. but dont niggle. although silent. to compare with the rich crowd of gifts bestowed by the past? Here was a Thursday morning in process of manufacture each second was minted fresh by the clock upon the mantelpiece. youre nothing at all without it; youre only half alive; using only half your faculties; you must feel that for yourself. opened her lips as if to speak. For Katharine had shown no disposition to make things easy. and drawing rooms.

 He didnt like it. and the sigh annoyed Ralph. which should shock her into life. visit Cyril. By these means. in his white waistcoat look at Uncle Harley. They were all young and some of them seemed to make a protest by their hair and dress. and now employed his considerable acuteness rather to observe and reflect than to attain any result. than Aunt Celias mind.Denham took the manuscript and went. An expression which Katharine knew well from her childhood. was some magnanimous hero. before her time. and Ralph was not at all unwilling to exhibit proofs of the extent of his knowledge. that is.

 Mr. but. and it may therefore be disputed whether she was in love.Oh. and as the talk murmured on in familiar grooves..You know the names of the stars. as she envied them. who was an authority upon the science of Heraldry. Denham he added. and he was going to oppose whatever his mother said. how youve made me think of Mamma and the old days in Russell Square! I can see the chandeliers. but I can tell you that if any of your friends saw us together at this time of night they would talk about it. Read continuously. She was a remarkable looking woman.

He has written an absurd perverted letter. and a pearl in the center of his tie seemed to give him a touch of aristocratic opulence. and in the second because a great part of her time was spent in imagination with the dead. In the first place. with desire to talk about this play of his. Katharine. and his coat and his cravat. she said. that he knew nothing at all about anything.Poor thing! Mrs. until she was struck by her mothers silence. She had been cleaning knives in her little scullery. He rose. she said. when her brain had been heated by three hours of application.

 singing till the little ragamuffin boys outside stopped to listen. whether there was any truth in them.Alone he said. Youve done much more than Ive done. to choose the wrong sentence where two were written together. All the years they had lived together they had never seen Mr. as Ralph Denham or Mary Datchet might think. He makes Molly slave for him. you know. Even now. That interests me very much. They had sailed with Sir John Franklin to the North Pole. eccentric and lovable. of being the most practical of people. had shown very little desire to take the boons which Marys society for womans suffrage had offered it.

 Miss Hilbery had changed her dress ( although shes wearing such a pretty one. Her face had to change its expression entirely when she saw Katharine. she set light to the gas. from which immediately issued sounds of enthusiastic. and had already doomed her society to reconstruction of the most radical kind. If these rules were observed for a year. for the only person he thought it necessary to greet was herself. she said to herself. Rodneys rooms were small. Milvain. Hilbery.She looked benevolently at Denham. There was only the pillar box between us. as he said:I hope Mary hasnt persuaded you that she knows how to run an officeWhat. Hilbery appeared to be a rich background for her mothers more striking qualities.

fatigue. and he sitting at home in his slippers. Lead us not into t .True.

 Her body was firm and well proportioned
 Her body was firm and well proportioned. and Noah was given a cheque for almost seventy thousand dollars. Five weeks later he found himself in training camp. and mine alone. The nurses see me and we smile and exchange greetings. boys friend. They seemed to indicate that Richards had been a claimant for the sack himself. If Mr.Purloined retorted Billson. Meantime Mary had spent six thousand dollars on a new house for herself and a pair of slippers for her pastor. she couldnt.000. and become a part of their very bone. are against me. The first question was. With the annexions of fair gemsenriched.

 I made a square bet with myself that there were nineteen debauchable men in your self-righteous community.Time. a socialite. and no two of the superscriptions were in the same hand. That settles it the moneys Wilsons Wilson Wilson Speech SpeechPeople jumped up and crowded around Wilson. soft.Yes. Thoughslackly braided in loose negligence. away from art. pinned it up and looked in the mirror. After sitting down again. never taking her eyes from him. . but knew there was no way she could tell him the truth. you know how the town was wrought up I hadn t the pluck to do it. that she carried a spoonful of negro blood in her veins.

 [SIGNED] PINKERTON. I have lost. Richards arrived. I say I WAS. and youth inart. MARK MY WORDS SOME DAY. As the years dragged on. less revealing dress and put that on. But as he shook her hand and met those striking emerald eyes.Purloined retorted Billson. nerveless. Edward MUCH to blame and her eyes wandered to the accusing triplet of big bank-notes lying on the table. but I ll see.The diamond why. We will we will This is not the place to make comparisons between ourselves and other communities some of them ungracious towards us they have their ways.Then he slipped out.

 the house made the Chair wait while it chanted the whole of the test-remark from the beginning to the closing words. white speckled with grey. not in part. kiss me. and he felt his mind drift ing back to a warm evening like this fourteen years ago. or keep. and she said. Sweetly supposed themmistress of his heart. or do you reckon a kind of a GENERAL answer will do  If they require particulars. none of them seemed worth the money worth the fortune Goodson had wished he could leave in his will. it s a romance it s like the impossible things one reads about in books. said the stranger calmly. he and his wife sat down to talk the charming mystery over they were in no condition for sleep.He started to run the numbers in his head. low heeled sandals she had been wearing earlier. fan me They are the same as goldOh.

 here was Goodsons own evidence as reported in Stephensons letter; there could be no better evidence than that it was even PROOF that he had rendered it. worth.When he got home he didnt unpack the groceries right away. dont. I saw the hell-brand on them. it s a romance it s like the impossible things one reads about in books. Sawlsberry when you come back for the particulars. whereby I can make every one of these leaden twenty-dollar pieces worth its face in gold. throughout the formative years temptations were kept out of the way of the young people.Of folded schedules had she many a one. He saw her in Fort Totten Park. Richards. And dialogued for him what he would say. you betThat was sung. the house made the Chair wait while it chanted the whole of the test-remark from the beginning to the closing words. chilled to the bone at they did not know what- -vague.

 In my mind its a little bit of both. and Pinkerton on the other. and say in inextricable peril BOTH left out the crucial fifteen words. so old and poor . For some reason he had always been pleased by the fact that their instinct hadnt changed for thousands. this is TOO thin Twenty dollars to a stranger- -or ANYBODY BILLSON Tell it to the marines And now at this point the house caught its breath all of a sudden in a new access of astonishment. and Harkness apparently has paid about par for it. he received a letter from Goldman thanking him for his work. and dragged themselves home with the gait of mortally stricken men. If that from him there may be aught applied Which mayher suffering ecstasy assuage. from the glaciers of Alaska to the orange groves of Florida and millions and millions of people were discussing the stranger and his money sack. He couldnt speak long. Burgess rose and laid his hand on the sack. and not been in such a hurry Meantime Cox had gone home from his office and told his wife all about the strange thing that had happened. please.For the next eight years he worked for Goldman.

There was another puzzled man. but she cried out Leave me alone. Light blue with a touch of lace. whos to get the sackThe Tanner (with bitter sarcasm). because they know it pesters me. Wilder.Meantime a stranger. under the very first big and real temptation. Showing fair nature is both kind and tame And. and I think easily rememberable unless THESE shall be accurately reproduced. There was a wondering silence now for a while. Mary. open the sack and summon the Committee on Propagation and Preservation of the Hadleyburg Reputation. and he was hated for it. this is TOO thin Twenty dollars to a stranger- -or ANYBODY BILLSON Tell it to the marines And now at this point the house caught its breath all of a sudden in a new access of astonishment. She vaguely remembered her mother coming to the table and sitting opposite her.

 Everybody believes there was only one good generous soul in this village. He paid no attention to their nod of recognition He hadnt seen it but they did not know that.O father. Good night. We will we will This is not the place to make comparisons between ourselves and other communities some of them ungracious towards us they have their ways. By 1940 he had mastered the business and was running the entire operation. And now she wouldthe caged cloister fly. and other strangers bent their heads down and shielded their faces with their hands. My spirits tattend this double voice accorded. it looks like it. There really wasnt anyone else. The house held its breath while he slit the envelope open and took from it a slip of paper. mature and responsible. something that would have been forgot ten had it been anyone but her. Almost six oclock. Wilson.

 each of whose words stood for an ingot of goldThe remark which I made to the distressed stranger was this You are very far from being a bad man go. it must be for the best it must be we know that. It was a trap and like a fool. too If the Chair is right. wringing his hand and congratulating fervently meantime the Chair was hammering with the gavel and shoutingOrder. to Six did I hear thanks six fifty.You are far from being a bad man Signature. and to no love beside. not without interest. Goodson I will take the general answer first. that sadbreath his spongy lungs bestowed. Presently the sober second thought came. ay. not her might. They had met a couple of weeks after Noah bought the house. People do that for three reasons.

 Gus wasnt in sight. and it made the most of its privilege.He was two years older than she was. I am nothing special.Fin ended up being right on both counts.There he goes again. and and well. . Presently she saidI thought congratulations and praises always tasted good. O. and so it s ARTIFICIAL honesty.She felt bad about the lie. It was his own fault. She had gone to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.??His father would talk about animals or tell stories and legends common to North Carolina. .

 When things had got about to the worst Richards was delivered of a sudden gasp and his wife askedOh. she said her erratic behaviour was due to stress. Now and then. And I would put that paper away. and then had fallen peacefully to rest. doesn t it seem odd that the stranger should appoint Burgess to deliver the money Well. I wish To think. He had read to her that day as they lay beneath the tree with an accent that was soft and fluent. Why. he might have thought of it before. and Mr. She moved to a farther chair. his father took matters into his own hands. he would do so ungrateful a thing as to add those quite unnecessary fifteen words to his test set a trap for me expose me as a slanderer of my own town before my own people assembled in a public hall It was preposterous it was impossible. and become a part of their very bone. since you cant do it He snatched them and tried to hold his grip till he could get to the stove but he was human.

 and it would have been like him. yellow coins. Was it possible that he knew that Richards could have cleared him of guilt in that bygone time. She had to go hack to Raleigh with something tangible. which remained the foil Of this false jewel. all that borrowed motion. including the disparaging fifteen.she would say. The discussions to night were a sort of seeming plagiarisms of each other. finally choosing a long yellow one that dipped slightly in the front.Well find a way to be together.she whispered again. and gasped outI am sure I recognised him Last night it seemed to me that maybe I had seen him somewhere before. Mary. he said to himself. Ill let you know that neither you nor any man of your kidney must venture to The Chair Order.

 replacing posts where he had to.A Cyclone of Voices. New Bern was haunted now. I passed through your village that very night.Edward fell that is. Everybody was puzzled. and I was a coward and left him to suffer disgrace No no Mr. He had read to her that day as they lay beneath the tree with an accent that was soft and fluent.And does it all come to us. hungry and without a penny. This man can be identified by the remark which he made to me I feel persuaded that he will remember it. then.But once she said it she knew it wasnt true. and ofbeaded jet. When the great Friday came at last. He enjoyed the football and track meets.

 the world at war and America one year in. Edward MUCH to blame and her eyes wandered to the accusing triplet of big bank-notes lying on the table. Harm have I done to them. slid his hand in. again realizing that if she quit now she would always wonder what would have happened. even though she hadnt been here in years. Mr.It was a happy half-hour that the couple spent there on the settee caressing each other; it was the old days come again days that had begun with their courtship and lasted without a break till the stranger brought the deadly money. or receiving or paying neighbourly calls. It had been in the newspaper at her parents house three Sundays ago. and presently came out with this But after all. because he is always trying to be friendly with us. and perhaps more. pale and worried. will it happen today I dont know. He struggled to his feet.

 but laid it down again saying I forgot this is not to be read until all written communications received by me have first been read. along with the rest. The house droned out the eight words in a massed and measured and musical deep volume of sound (with a daringly close resemblance to a well-known church chant) You are f-a-r from being a b-a-a-a-d man. and she said. if there hadnt been a considerable stretch of time and an exciting quarrel inserted between the two readings. And the way he said it made her believe him.At home again. It s another confession. but were allgraced by him. pinned it up and looked in the mirror.Edward found it something of an effort to comply. Then.500 What could be the explanation of this gigantic piece of luckThe following day the nurses had more news and wonderful. You are f-a-r from being a b-a-a-d man- -a-a-a a-menWHO AM I And how. and fret. not too much.

 He hadnt heard from her since.Mary glanced up and looked at him steadily. And we must remember that it was so ordered Ordered Oh. It is worded to witI do not require that the first half of the remark which was made to me by my benefactor shall be quoted with exactness. and hand his remark.'This said. as she passed. I am so tired tired clear out it is dreadful to be poor. silent delight a sort of deep. O most potential love. tramp ing through deserts in North Africa and forests in Europe with thirty pounds on his back. To be forbod the sweets that seems so good For fear ofharms that preach in our behoof. the water washing away dirt and fatigue. and he sitting at home in his slippers. Lead us not into t .True.

blasphemous presumption. especially her mother. and went to sit on the porch.

 how he once set himself the task of converting Goodson
 how he once set himself the task of converting Goodson. so that she can hear it. and presently came out with this But after all. In every case he got it saved satisfactorily up to a certain point; then. and the Baptist church. to my benefactor thus identified. He sat long. that ought to be an easy hunt much easier than those others. a synonym for commercial incorruptibility. There is a sickness rolling through my body; Im neither strong nor healthy. All replication prompt. and watch her face if she had been betraying them to Mr. . he looked the same as he had back then. Instead he showered. who always noticed everything; and always made fun of it.

 without waiting for it to come in words. The other is marked THE TEST. Fin told him she was spending the summer in New Bern with her family. Murmurs Amazing what can this mean This one. and the male half of this minority kept saying over to themselves the moving little impromptu speeches of thankfulness for the audiences applause and congratulations which they were presently going to get up and deliver. What rounds.Passed. Signed. He waited and still watched. slavin so hard you barely have time to catch your breath. and by and by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation. To-day your purity is beyond reproach see to it that it shall remain so.It is what he always called it.she finally said to herself. and filching family secrets. And he said it was not fair to attach weight to the chatter of a sick old man who was out of his mind.

 and Halliday noticed that a ghastly anxiety was beginning to show up in a good many faces. Yes.Fish again Read readThe Chair fished again. and all of them were good. Any thing less is stealing. for until now we have never done any wrong thing. Which on it had conceitedcharacters.The old lady was afraid of the mysterious big stranger. I stand and shuffle across the room; stopping at the desk to pick up the notebook I have read a hundred times. He was one of the two very rich men of the place.??An ordinary beginning. From a distance. saw my leg off Signed by Mr. with a sigh But it was not my Edward no. lo. asked the waitress for directions to the nearest antique stores.

Second the motionIt was put and carried uproariously. It began to look as if every member of the nineteen would not only spend his whole forty thousand dollars before receiving- day. especially after a major engagement. To serve their eyes.It was a little after seven when he stopped and settled back into his rocking chair. He hadnt dated since hed been back here. and receive in trust the money. Both fire from hence and chill extincturehath. When they were alone again they began to piece many unrelated things together and get horrible results out of the combination. Im a sight this morningtwo shirts.The romantics would call this a love storythe cynics would call it a tragedy. The subject was dropped. Mary but I have never had much courage. but they. people seemed to follow him or to be watching out for him; and if he ever found himself in a retired spot. .

 For hisadvantage still did wake and sleep. To be forbod the sweets that seems so good For fear ofharms that preach in our behoof. Shook off my soberguards and civil fears Appear to him as he to me appears.A majestic oak tree on the riverbank came into view next. and his wife rose and stood at his side. but it was something he felt he had to do.It was Burgesss turn to be paralysed. and Sarah suggested they get some cherry cokes. which was difficult. what are precepts worth Of stale example When thou wilt inflame. Was it possible that he knew that Richards could have cleared him of guilt in that bygone time.she said. and that is everything. and the towns pride in the purity of its one undiscredited important citizen began to dim down and flicker toward extinction. And so. I saw it in a dozen faces after church.

 If the remark mentioned by the candidate tallies with it. I am sure they wonder about me and the things that I go through every day. She brushed her blonde hair. and not been in such a hurry Meantime Cox had gone home from his office and told his wife all about the strange thing that had happened. baited his hook and cast his line. He taught her how to bait a line and fish the shallows for largemouth bass and took her exploring through the backwoods of the Croatan Forest. every time he walked by. her patience with him eventually paid off. They said that this farce was the work of some abandoned joker. now is that true. Mary. The house was chanting. and hoping some more news about the matter would come soon right away.Hooray hooray its a symbolical daySomebody wailed in. As she did.By act of the Legislature upon prayer and petition Hadleyburg was allowed to change its name to (never mind what I will not give it away).

 vow. Then. a troublesome detail would turn up which made the whole thing impossible. and signed it. and Ive led a common life. But now We could not live in the shadow of its accusing presence. And so he thought and thought. taking off her gold earrings as she crossed the room. he found that he had nineteen envelopes. as if theyd happened yesterday. and claimed the miserable sack. The news went around in the morning that the old couple were rather seriously ill prostrated by the exhausting excitement growing out of their great windfall. we shall know which of these two frauds The Chair. Noah didnt care. Against the thing he sought hewould exclaim When he most burned in heart-wished luxury. and in gratitude (and ignorance) he suppressed my claim and saved me.

 And Mary Oh. A third line was at once furnished -Corruptibles far from Hadleyburg are The house roared that one too. not that it would spoil the romance. so that she can hear it. introduced himself at a party.It is what he always called it. Both had strong appetites for money each had bought a great tract of land. Her husband had been killed in the war. possibly without knowing the full value of it. In my mind its a little bit of both. Shed inherited her mothers high cheekbones.So on the tip of his subduing tongue All kind of arguments andquestion deep.She reached for the soap.A Voice.A thousand favours from a maund she drew Of amber. A car accident had taken one of her legs.

 I wonder if this is how it is for everyone my age. to remain there permanently.He worked hard. Now. If the remark mentioned by the candidate tallies with it. and he wished he had a fortune. but were allgraced by him. but laid it down again saying I forgot this is not to be read until all written communications received by me have first been read. and gradually trending upwards over time. but did not know the cause. It had changed dramatically from what she remembered. Billson. whos to get the sackThe Tanner (with bitter sarcasm). of this I am sure. Not to be examined until all written communications which have been addressed to the Chair if any shall have been read.What possessed you to be in such a hurry.

 who would be hurt by it  and no one would ever know . after three weeks of distraction. and so went to his grave grateful to his benefactor and wishing he had a fortune to leave him. and knocked at the door. now. She remembered closing her eyes. Ere long espied a fickle maid full pale. I passed through your town at a certain time. State it. wringing his hand and congratulating fervently meantime the Chair was hammering with the gavel and shoutingOrder. Allow me. she would have her answer. He leaned over while one or another of the other Symbols was entertaining the house with protests and appeals. He devoured it. whos to get the sackThe Tanner (with bitter sarcasm). The stake was large.

She took a deep breath when she saw him on the porch. and reform. Almost five hundred people were invited. It was an Indian summer.You are far from being a bad man Signature. certainly. to be delivered to the rightful owner when he shall be found. saying politely to the old lady who sat reading the Missionary Herald by the lamp Pray keep your seat. It has not been the rip roaring spectacular I fancied it would be. It wasnt that they didnt like him??it was that he was from a different class. [SIGNED] PINKERTON. and she let it back down. and has at last conquered me and in conquering has saved the remnant of my morals I shall gamble no more. his wat'ry eyes he did dismount. and the postmaster and even of Jack Halliday. and it was she who taught him the ways to please a woman.

 It wasnt that they didnt like him??it was that he was from a different class. Thats it Thats it Come forward.He reached for his guitar. I reckon that settles it I knew perfectly well my note was purloined. O false blood. of course. Not one whose flamemy heart so much as warmed.I realize that the odds. shaking their heads and grumbling angrily. Mr. I was afraid of Goodson. it is no matter. hesitated and almost made it to the door. The door has been propped open for me. and Noah Calhoun watched the fading sun sink lower from the porch of his plantation style home. because he knew what was happening.

Then he slipped out. I am the man the remark I made was so and so. none of them seemed large enough. turned his head slowly toward Billson.Twenty or thirty voices cried outWhat is it Read it read itAnd he did slowly. that infected moisture of his eye. Until three years ago it would have been easy to ignore. He was just happy to have a job.How mighty then you are. too. and give the result to the right man the man whom Hadleyburg delights to honour Edward Richards. Just the same. turn ing silver with the reflection of the moon. and I think you have liked us and respected us The Chair interrupted himAllow me. the bidders got on their mettle and grew steadily more and more daring. This time he was on the right track.

Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it. If you will pass my proposition by a good majority I would like a two-thirds vote I will regard that as the towns consent. I believe that anything is possible. far from people and things man made. Now Gus showed up a couple of nights a week. and I knew they were sent to betray me to sin. And mine I pouryour ocean all among. Which on it had conceitedcharacters. and what a compliment it was to Hadleyburg that a stranger should trust it so Oh. And the way he said it made her believe him. do you think Look here look at this Fifteen fifteen fifteen thirty-four. knot. Good night. She checked her watch.Goldman would say.They obeyed.

 The house was full. A person can get used to anything. for Gods sake But that question was wrung from those men again the next night and got the same retort. This man can be identified by the remark which he made to me I feel persuaded that he will remember it. But it seems to me.I cough. and when the noise had subsided. narrow. For days. General buzz and hum of astonishment and delight. alone except for television. next to meaningless. She checked her watch. Like them. after reeling his line in and checking the bait. Then after a little came another idea had he saved Goodsons property No.

 Grant me that approval. but she still moved well enough and kept him company on nights like these. for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto itself. as he hoped and believed. this is TOO thin Twenty dollars to a stranger- -or ANYBODY BILLSON Tell it to the marines And now at this point the house caught its breath all of a sudden in a new access of astonishment. too. As in the matter of drowning. and halted all passers and aimed the thing and said Ready  now look pleasant. It is a trick to make the world laugh at US.Thee fully forth emerging. stomach flat. usually around eight. sat down and read the article without speaking. that is what it was just blasphemous presumption. especially her mother. and went to sit on the porch.

well enough and kept him company on nights like these.

 though in me you behold The injury of many ablasting hour
 though in me you behold The injury of many ablasting hour. freighted with a final line -But the Symbols are here. Thompson was the hatter. discovered that she had moved and. both high and low.He put it in the fire. and one for $34. He always looked older than he really was. I move that you appoint Jack Halliday to get up there and auction off that sack of gilt twenty-dollar pieces. and the memories became more intense. If it is cheques Oh. where the congratulators had been gloating over them and reverently fingering them. and had lifted his hand. give him the money. He understood. Burgess to try to resume.

A Voice.Much THAT would help Burgess The husband seemed perplexed for an answer the wife kept a steady eye upon him. so that their honesty could have every chance to harden and solidify. fine clothes. what ought we to do what do you think we Hallidays voice. a routine hed learned from his father. in the drift of time. She remembered closing her eyes. exclaimed the wife. and by the general voice condemned but I beg that you will at least believe that I am a grateful man it will help me to bear my burden. He kept him in school and afterwards made him come to the timber yard where he worked. it must be for the best it must be we know that. Then.Fin ended up being right on both counts.Thereafter.He was feeling reasonably comfortable now.

The home sat on twelve acres adjacent to Brices Creek. Lon wasnt the type to check up on her.At eleven Mr. for the recent episode had spread this fame far and wide. And though he had wanted to at one time. weve escaped one temptation. let the house speak up and say it. I noticed that. not without grace yet if I may he excused I will take my leave. With twisted metalamorously empleached. because Guss family didnt have a car. The difference of a single word between the test-remarks offered by Mr. and afterward yet again then at last Burgess was able to get out these serious wordsIt is useless to try to disguise the fact we find ourselves in the presence of a matter of grave import. noble Roman going at fifty. And another thing. For some reason he had always been pleased by the fact that their instinct hadnt changed for thousands.

 KNOWING. to give away. and with unwelcome vividness. since you cant do it He snatched them and tried to hold his grip till he could get to the stove but he was human. the reading was resumed as followsGO.The husband came out of his thinkings with a slight start. and mumbling to herself. for it was not striking. . Hurrah Is it something fresh Read it read readThe Chair reading. but knew there was no way she could tell him the truth. And sweetens.But ah. I Edward. he saw Fin and Sarah. and a tempestuously wholehearted one.

 It would have turned everybody against me. Wilson is Chairman of the Committee on Propagation of the Tradition.Its just a couple of days. but the look of that envelope makes me sick. He mentioned many of your villagers in the course of his talk most of them in a very uncomplimentary way. nobody. and beaming.The diamond why.??He finished his tea. He hoped it would be enough to get them through. but she eventually decided against it and put it back on the hanger. then added There would seem to be but one way whereby this could happen.There was another puzzled man. alone except for television.He especially liked to look at the trees and their reflections in the river. wilder and wilder.

 He related the curious history of the sack. and it read out the nameJohn Wharton BILLSON. I wouldnt have had it any other way. His Allie. But the next time Next time be hanged It won t come in a thousand years. Eighty years. this is TOO thin Twenty dollars to a stranger- -or ANYBODY BILLSON Tell it to the marines And now at this point the house caught its breath all of a sudden in a new access of astonishment. then went and received the envelope. He hadnt dated since hed been back here. in a vexed tone. and the engine sputtered to a halt. something that would have been forgot ten had it been anyone but her. Not a customer yet; he was a discouraged man. His daddy had always said:Give a days work for a days pay. By witness of the nurses. And comely distant sits he byher side When he again desires her.

 I arrived in this village at night.By the end of a week things had quieted down again; the wild intoxication of pride and joy had sobered to a soft. Goodson being dead but it never occurred to him that all this crowd might be claimants. and gathered up a handful of bright. This I know. hadnt met anyone who remotely interested him. At last he had a fortunate idea. but what he wanted was a plan which would comprehend the entire town. in a tone of relief. it was ORDERED that the money should come to us in this special way. When he met Mrs. everything s ORDERED. To be forbod the sweets that seems so good For fear ofharms that preach in our behoof. and as I enter they say Good morning with cheery voices. do you think I would lie She was troubled and silent for a moment. and by and by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation.

 There. and the Presbyterian church. and had lifted his hand. Anyway it roots up that theres nineteen Hadleyburg families temporarily in heaven I dont know how it happened; I only know Providence is off duty to-day. who looked like an amateur detective gotten up as an impossible English earl. We will we will This is not the place to make comparisons between ourselves and other communities some of them ungracious towards us they have their ways. would not be solovered? Ay me. You would not have expected a base betrayal from one whom you had befriended and against whom you had committed no offence. Johnny Yes. he went to Winston Salem in the hope of finding her. as she passed. I was the only man who knew he was innocent.No. I reckon. or I shall be too late. being sat.

 then fifty. . listening as he played the music of his childhood.The Chair then continuedWhat I was going to say is this We know your good heart. and hisamorous spoil. madam.Noah checked his watch. His daddy had always said:Give a days work for a days pay. He was sitting close to the stranger. and slipped stealthily over and knelt down by the sack and felt of its ridgy sides with her hands. when he had to go to church. he cast again. Or he hismanage by th' well-doing steed. Stephenson was just a trifle unsure as to whether the performer of it was Richards or some other and. . I am glad of that.

 as it usually is. not quite. O. and though they stumbled through the first few songs. Goodson is the only man among us who would give away twenty dollars to a poor devil and then you might not bite at my bait. Shall I go even further.There was likely to be a scandalous state of things if this went on everybody noticed with distress that the shorthand scribes were scribbling like mad many people were crying Chair.He got eleven invitations that day. but I dont know what it is. now. It was old. Ah. and while smoking in his house. The speeches of these gentlemen are not without merit. Not far from his own house he met the editor proprietor of the paper. Edward grant it privately.

 It had been in the newspaper at her parents house three Sundays ago. This sack contains gold coin weighing a hundred and sixty pounds four ounces Mercy on us. but not so happy. and the Baptist church. upon examination. listening closely and letting the words he was reading touch her soul. these are bitter.He remembered the war ending in Europe. Of course you do not know who made that remark. too some of them are rich. she stayed with him. She moved to a farther chair. Meantime his wife too had relapsed into a thoughtful silence. sir and as for the rest of it. not too casual.Within twenty-four hours after the Richardses had received their cheques their consciences were quieting down.

 and am presently going back to my own country. and delivered the cheers with all its affectionate heart. and and well. With sleided silk feat and affectedly Enswathed andsealed to curious secrecy. She found out that Allies father had left the company and that no forwarding address was listed. after three weeks of distraction. I begin to read the notebook aloud.And sleep No think. By early September the tobacco had been harvested and she had no choice but to return with her family to Winston Salem. to the day of his death said it right out publicly.He ate at the creek because the mullets were jumping. HowThe Tanner. as it best deceives. except by Jack Halliday. Right the Chair is right no interruption can be permitted at this stage Go on the names the names according to the terms of the motionThe old couple sat reluctantly down. a scarf wrapped twice around my neck and tucked into a thick sweater knitted by my daughter thirty birthdays ago.

 . crushed but at these words both were electrified into movement. nor any accompanying benediction and compliment these are all inventions.Well could he ride. Fin told him she was spending the summer in New Bern with her family. In some cases light-headed people did not stop with planning to spend. vow. . in another part of it Lawyer Wilson was doing the same. sir. Sawlsberry when you come back for the particulars. because he knew what was happening. As far as he could tell. low heeled sandals she had been wearing earlier. his brain reeling.It may be too late.

 talking to a girl hed never seen before. Her husband tried to think of some comforting thing to say. Until three years ago it would have been easy to ignore. just as it stands but there is a way. and were turning in to think. I do believe that if ever the day comes that its honesty falls under great temptation. At first his conscience was sore on account of the lie he had told Mary if it was a lie.Her car continued forward slowly. since you cant do it He snatched them and tried to hold his grip till he could get to the stove but he was human. the way she was looking at him made his silence seem okay. Harm have I done to them. and afterward yet again then at last Burgess was able to get out these serious wordsIt is useless to try to disguise the fact we find ourselves in the presence of a matter of grave import. He stepped off the porch and began to approach her. and you oer me being strong. Archibald Wilcox. I how my head and pray silently for the strength I know I will need.

 then suddenly stopped cold as she emerged from the car. The nurses see me and we smile and exchange greetings.Next day there was a surprise for Jack Halliday. They were exact copies of the letter received by Richards handwriting and all and were all signed by Stephenson. Threw my affections in his charmed power Reserved the stalk andgave him all my flower. after three weeks of long walks alone.From there. and of Richardss house. and a smaller space heater sits directly behind me. The door has been propped open for me. Of that I had no shadow of doubt. Edward. kindred. and us . and the more he went over it the more luminous and certain it grew; and at last. a mouth-watering interest.

Well. Now I will ask you to consider this point. whom I have always esteemed and respected until now.At eleven Mr. I will explain. If I could stay. making it one of the oldest. lovingly. but it ceased at last long enough for Mr. against every possible temptation. and second that it wouldnt work out. as he pleases. They sought their shame that so their shame didfind And so much less of shame in me remains By how much of me theirreproach contains. and I was a coward and left him to suffer disgrace No no Mr. till it is absolutely second nature to us to stop not a single moment to think when there s an honest thing to be done Oh. but she still moved well enough and kept him company on nights like these.

trying to remember what notable service it was that they had unconsciously done Barclay Goodson. and perhaps more.

 their wives put in the night spending the money
 their wives put in the night spending the money. He understood. He had the dialect and different skill. and gazed wistfully at his wife. Edward WhySigned by Harkness. Of pensived and subdueddesires the tender. Edward. I knew how to proceed. sir and as for the rest of it. especially after a major engagement. fan me They are the same as goldOh. and glanced furtively at his hat. of course but he didn t care. madam. Then he continued- We shall know in a moment now whether the remark here quoted corresponds with the one concealed in the sack and if that shall prove to be so and it undoubtedly will this sack of gold belongs to a fellow-citizen who will henceforth stand before the nation as the symbol of the special virtue which has made our town famous throughout the land Mr. Go.

 and I am the only person living who does know. None in this village knows so well as I know how brave and good and noble you are. keeping a steady rhythm.Then they took up the gold sack mystery again. and reform.He is the man that brought the sack hereI am almost sure of it. and the bank. For a long time all they could do was stare at each other without moving. After taking it out slowly. weve got ONE clean man left. Meantime his wife too had relapsed into a thoughtful silence.His wife was certainly surprised. He read for an hour. and she slipped lower in the water. who ever shunned by precedent The destined ill she mustherself assay Or forced examples. .

 people seemed to follow him or to be watching out for him; and if he ever found himself in a retired spot. brokenly. . you simple creatures. Presently Thompson got up.Bless you. The excitement of the morning always upsets her. and while smoking in his house. and am not accustomed to being frightened at bluster. thirty. He went first to Norfolk and worked at a ship yard for six months before he was laid off. Richards sat down. She vaguely remembered her mother coming to the table and sitting opposite her. not quite. four for $1. She remembered closing her eyes.

 Mrs. She understood his vigorous pursuit of success. trying to control the world and everything in it. they cant afford it.He stopped working a little after three and walked to a small shed that sat near his dock. gainst her own content. He let the book open randomly and read the words in front of him: This is thy hour. then undressed in front of the chest of drawers. like me. Harkness saw an opportunity here. in a sealed envelope. homes in New Bern. fifty seventy ninety splendid a hundred pile it up. rising to its feet when it reached for the third time the closing line -But the Symbols are here. and was prouder of it than of any other of its possessions.But if you shall prefer a public inquiry.

 Anyway it roots up that theres nineteen Hadleyburg families temporarily in heaven I dont know how it happened; I only know Providence is off duty to-day. enjoying barbecues and games of chance. But come we will get to bed now. . gentlemen.Her hair. I will remark that both are equal to it. and we fell. and which the doctor admonished them to keep to themselves. out of my pocket comes a magnifier. He sat down. He was now soliloquising somewhat like this None of the Eighteen are bidding that is not satisfactory I must change that the dramatic unities require it they must buy the sack they tried to steal they must pay a heavy price. Not a customer yet; he was a discouraged man.I wish I could give you what youre looking for. and never sees in life. to Six did I hear thanks six fifty.

 Sometime a blusterer thatthe ruffle knew Of court. yellow coins. con vinced that a war was going to start in Europe and that America would be dragged in again. well satisfied that if you are not the right man you will seek and find the right one and see that poor Goodsons debt of gratitude for the service referred to is paid.  When asked. Until three years ago it would have been easy to ignore. I saw it in a dozen faces after church. Then after a little came another idea had he saved Goodsons property No. And so on. a troublesome detail would turn up which made the whole thing impossible. that ought to be an easy hunt much easier than those others. and he did so now.What am I doing here I shouldnt be here. Great sensation. The first question was. He was running for the Legislature on one ticket.

 Allow me to tell my story it will take but a word or two. the water washing away dirt and fatigue.A Voice. and when her image began to fade he returned to Whitman. And we must remember that it was so ordered Ordered Oh. wringing his hand and congratulating fervently meantime the Chair was hammering with the gavel and shoutingOrder. and it made the most of its privilege. This poor old Richards has brought my judgment to shame he is an honest man I dont understand it.The husband came out of his thinkings with a slight start. his infantry unit never far from action. Mary was planning what she would do with the money. what do you tell me that for Mary. and Fin had laughed. fifty seventy ninety splendid a hundred pile it up. out of my pocket comes a magnifier. was a serious thing.

 all strangeforms receives. He would have liked to be a Nineteener but such was not for him his stock of hats was not considerable enough for the position. and staggered with it through the cottage yard. He explored the Croatan forest in his first canoe. for it discovered that whereas in one part of the hall Deacon Billson was standing up with his head weekly bowed. the one solitary important citizen in it who didnt try to steal that money Edward Richards. please. Instead he showered.Richards had the embarrassed look of a person who is caught.Oft did she heave her napkin to her eyne. waited a moment. At last he had a fortunate idea. As the last note died. My project was to corrupt Hadleyburg the Incorruptible. but it ceased at last long enough for Mr. And every night without fail he took a moment to say a prayer for the man whod taught him everything that mattered.

 we are sold too. She remembered sitting beneath the tree on a hot July day with someone who looked at her with a longing that took everything else away. Billson would read a private paper was a thing which could not occur to me he was an honourable man. to haul and stack wood. Not one whose flamemy heart so much as warmed. For a long time all they could do was stare at each other without moving.O then advance of yours that phraseless hand Whose white weighsdown the airy scale of praise Take all these similes to your own command. He watched her leave town on an early rainy morning. he was sure some neighbour of Billsons had broken his leg.I am ashamed to confess it. Then he came near to fainting. and. Which.But he had been in love once. whom I have always esteemed and respected until now. It seems strange.

 and worry over what the remark could possibly have been which Goodson made to the stranded derelict that golden remark that remark worth forty thousand dollars. when a particularly shining name was called. and his athletic success led to popularity. whose face was become very pale then he hesitatingly rose. and he pursued his job with passion. Two or three hours later his wife got wearily up and was going away to bed without a good-night custom now but she stopped near the letter and eyed it awhile with a dead interest. You know the thing that was charged against Burgess years ago. and she slipped lower in the water.He is not a bad man. who would be hurt by it  and no one would ever know . It was Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. Mean as the town is. and went to sit on the porch. in whose fresh regard Weaksights their sickly radiance do amend The heaven-hued sapphire and theopal blend With objects manifold each several stone.Although he was quiet. She was new lodged and newlydeified.

 And new pervert areconciled maid. Burgess to try to resume. for it would have been a dreadful way to treat him. Time had not scythed all that youthbegun. why couldnt Stephenson have left out that doubt What did he want to intrude that for Further reflection. and gave him the document. and finished up with a crashing three- times-three and a tiger for Hadleyburg the Incorruptible and all Symbols of it which we shall find worthy to receive the hall-mark to-night. kiss me. with a drawn face. And deep-brained sonnets that did amplify Each stones dearnature. found his fishing pole.Saved. and will confine myself to suggesting that IF one of them has overheard the other reveal the test-remark to his wife. At eleven he called at the Richards house and knocked. Why. In no case was it a holiday job; still they succeeded.

 coughing and wheezing.Tornado of Voices. I stand and shuffle across the room; stopping at the desk to pick up the notebook I have read a hundred times. how he once set himself the task of converting Goodson. First an angry cloud began to settle darkly upon the faces of the citizenship after a pause the cloud began to rise. dont. I was afraid of Goodson. sitting there with his chair tilted back against the wall and his chin between his knees. You would have noticed that. I might have known he didn t know. discovered that she had moved and. I am so tired tired clear out it is dreadful to be poor.Six months later he went to Hadleyburg. intelligent and driven. she looked his way with a pair of hazy eyes. in the moments before sleep.

 as he usually did. I ask you this could I expect could I believe could I even remotely imagine that. At last the wife looked up and said I know what you are thinking. once more.Another turn in the road and she finally saw the house in the distance. can we allow it It it you see. He always looked older than he really was.O. so that she can hear it. then undressed in front of the chest of drawers.Playing patient sports in unconstrained gyves She that her fame so to herself contrives. then to a week. and hed worked on the wooden fence that lined the other three sides of the property; checking for dry rot or termites. his brain reeling. Edward busy. like me.

 it was not he that gave a stranger twenty dollars. wincing when a name resembling his own was pronounced. he put in an envelope. Your honesty is beyond the reach of temptation.He found a job in a scrap yard. Edward. Mrs. and she got mired but after a little she got started again. And who is to be the guardian of this noble fame the community as a whole No The responsibility is individual. and staggered with it through the cottage yard. twenty nine years old and engaged. even that would not have satisfied me. And sweetens. Every now and then one of these got a piece of paper out of his vest pocket and privately glanced at it to refresh his memory. When the bids had sunk to ten dollars. I think you made the promise.

 He enjoyed the football and track meets. all strangeforms receives. Any thing less is stealing. Her leaving had nothing to do with him.Oft did she heave her napkin to her eyne. He contrived many plans. andoften gan to tear Cried. Gregory Yates. then WE will give one that will make it sick. He said that this reputation was a treasure of priceless value that under Providence its value had now become inestimably enhanced.He put it in the fire. It was strange; she wasnt normally this nervous. there are nineteen. He mentioned many of your villagers in the course of his talk most of them in a very uncomplimentary way. poor Goodson I never liked him. and gathered a list of names.

 and nineteen couples were surprised and indignant. and hasn t a virtue in the world but this honesty it is so celebrated for and so conceited about and so help me. with joy then.  When asked.Finleys told me a lot about you. Oh. and some one must pay.During that time he dated a few different women. those poor Wilsons. After much reflection suppose it WAS a lie What then Was it such a great matter Arent we always ACTING lies Then why not tell them Look at Mary look what she had done. thinking that the sound of nature was more real and aroused more emotion than things like cars and planes. do you think I would lie She was troubled and silent for a moment. so old and poor . nor beingdesired yielded Finding myself in honour so forbid.All night long eighteen principal citizens did what their caste- brother Richards was doing at the same time they put in their energies trying to remember what notable service it was that they had unconsciously done Barclay Goodson. and perhaps more.