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a ranch and ride a horse into Western towns； shouting and laughing and waking the people in the houses with his wild cries。 Then as he ran he remembered his children and in fancy felt their hands clutching at him。 All of his thoughts of himself were involved with the thoughts of Hal and he thought the children were clutching at the younger man also。 〃They are the accidents of life； Hal；〃 he cried。 〃They are not mine or yours。 I had nothing to do with them。〃
Darkness began to spread over the fields as Ray Pearson ran on and on。 His breath came in little sobs。 When he came to the fence at the edge of the road and confronted Hal Winters； all dressed up and smoking a pipe as he walked jauntily along； he could not have told what he thought or what he wanted。
Ray Pearson lost his nerve and this is really the end of the story of what happened to him。 It was almost dark when he got to the fence and he put his hands on the top bar and stood staring。 Hal Winters jumped a ditch and coming up close to Ray put his hands into his pockets and laughed。 He seemed to have lost his own sense of what had happened in the corn field and when he put up a strong hand and took hold of the lapel of Ray's coat he shook the old man as he might have shaken a dog that had misbehaved。
〃You came to tell me； eh？〃 he said。 〃Well； never mind telling me anything。 I'm not a coward and I've already made up my mind。〃 He laughed again and jumped back across the ditch。 〃Nell ain't no fool；〃 he said。 〃She didn't ask me to marry her。 I want to marry her。 I want to settle down and have kids。〃
Ray Pearson also laughed。 He felt like laughing at himself and all the world。
As the form of Hal Winters disappeared in the dusk that lay over the road that led to Winesburg； he turned and walked slowly back across the fields to where he had left his torn overcoat。 As he went some memory of pleasant evenings spent with the thin…legged children in the tumble…down house by the creek must have come into his mind； for he mut… tered words。 〃It's just as well。 Whatever I told him would have been a lie；〃 he said softly； and then his form also disappeared into the darkness of the fields。
DRINK
TOM FOSTER came to Winesburg from Cincinnati when he was still young and could get many new impressions。 His grandmother had been raised on a farm near the town and as a young girl had gone to school there when Winesburg was a village of twelve or fifteen houses clustered about a general store on the Trunion Pike。
What a life the old woman had led since she went away from the frontier settlement and what a strong； capable little old thing she was！ She had been in Kansas； in Canada； and in New York City； traveling about with her husband； a mechanic； be… fore he died。 Later she went to stay with her daughter； who had also married a mechanic and lived in Covington； Kentucky； across the river from Cincinnati。
Then began the hard years for Tom Foster's grandmother。 First her son…in…law was killed by a policeman during a strike and then Tom's mother became an invalid and died also。 The grandmother had saved a little money； but it was swept away by the illness of the daughter and by the cost of the two funerals。 She became a half worn…out old woman worker and lived with the grandson above a junk shop on a side street in Cincinnati。 For five years she scrubbed the floors in an office building and then got a place as dish washer in a restaurant。 Her hands were all twisted out of shape。 When she took hold of a mop or a broom handle the hands looked like the dried stems of an old creeping vine clinging to a tree。
The old woman came back to Winesburg as soon as she got the chance。 One evening as she was com… ing home from work she found a pocket…book con… taining thirty…seven dollars； and that opened the way。 The trip was a great adventure for the boy。 It was past seven o'clock at night when the grand… mother came home with the pocket…book held tightly in her old hands and she was so excited she could scarcely speak。 She insisted on leaving Cincinnati that night； saying that if they stayed until morning the owner of the money would be sure to find them out and make trouble。 Tom； who was then sixteen years old； had to go trudging off to the station with the old woman； bearing all of their earthly belong… ings done up in a worn…out blanket and slung across his back。 By his side walked the grandmother urging him forward。 Her toothless old mouth twitched ner… vously； and when Tom grew weary and wanted to put the pack down at a street crossing； she snatched it up and if he had not prevented would have slung it across her own back。 When they got into the train and it had run out of the city she was as delighted as a girl and talked as the boy had never heard her talk before。
All through the night as the train rattled along； the grandmother told Tom tales of Winesburg and of how he would enjoy his life working in the fields and shooting wild things in the woods there。 She could not believe that the tiny village of fifty years before had grown into a thriving town in her ab… sence； and in the morning when the train came to Winesburg did not want to get off。 〃It isn't what I thought。 It may be hard for you here；〃 she said； and then the train went on its way and the two stood confused； not knowing where to turn； in the pres… ence of Albert Longworth； the Winesburg baggage master。
But Tom Foster did get along all right。 He was one to get along anywhere。 Mrs。 White； the banker's wife； employed his grandmother to work in the kitchen and he got a place as stable boy in the bank… er's new brick barn。
In Winesburg servants were hard to get。 The woman who wanted help in her housework em… ployed a 〃hired girl〃 who insisted on sitting at the table with the family。 Mrs。 White was sick of hired girls and snatched at the chance to get hold of the old city woman。 She furnished a room for the boy Tom upstairs in the barn。 〃He can mow the lawn and run errands when the horses do not need atten… tion；〃 she explained to her husband。
Tom Foster was rather small for his age and had a large head covered with stiff black hair that stood straight up。 The hair emphasized the bigness of his head。 His voice was the softest thing imaginable； and he was himself so gentle and quiet that he slipped into the life of the town without attracting the least bit of attention。
One could not help wondering where Tom Foster got his gentleness。 In Cincinnati he had lived in a neighborhood where gangs of tough boys prowled through the streets； and all through his early forma… tive years he ran about with tough boys。 For a while he was a messenger for a telegraph company and delivered messages in a neighborhood sprinkled with houses of prostitution。 The women in the houses knew and loved Tom Foster and the tough boys in the gangs loved him also。
He never asserted himself。 That was one thing that helped him escape。 In an odd way he stood in the shadow of the wall of life； was meant to stand in the shadow。 He saw the men and women in the houses of lust； sensed their casual and horrible love affairs； saw boys fighting and listened to their tales of thieving and dru