winesburg,ohio-第19章
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Shaking with fright and anxiety； the young re… porter lurked in the hallway outside the door of the room in which Joe Welling talked to the two Kings。 There had been an oath； the nervous giggle of old Edward King； and then silence。 Now the voice of Joe Welling； sharp and clear； broke forth。 George Willard began to laugh。 He understood。 As he had swept all men before him； so now Joe Welling was carrying the two men in the room off their feet with a tidal wave of words。 The listener in the hall walked up and down； lost in amazement。
Inside the room Joe Welling had paid no attention to the grumbled threat of Tom King。 Absorbed in an idea he closed the door and； lighting a lamp； spread the handful of weeds and grasses upon the floor。 〃I've got something here；〃 he announced sol… emnly。 〃I was going to tell George Willard about it； let him make a piece out of it for the paper。 I'm glad you're here。 I wish Sarah were here also。 I've been going to come to your house and tell you of some of my ideas。 They're interesting。 Sarah wouldn't let me。 She said we'd quarrel。 That's foolish。〃
Running up and down before the two perplexed men； Joe Welling began to explain。 〃Don't you make a mistake now；〃 he cried。 〃This is something big。〃 His voice was shrill with excitement。 〃You just fol… low me； you'll be interested。 I know you will。 Sup… pose thissuppose all of the wheat； the corn； the oats； the peas； the potatoes； were all by some mira… cle swept away。 Now here we are； you see； in this county。 There is a high fence built all around us。 We'll suppose that。 No one can get over the fence and all the fruits of the earth are destroyed； nothing left but these wild things； these grasses。 Would we be done for？ I ask you that。 Would we be done for？〃 Again Tom King growled and for a moment there was silence in the room。 Then again Joe plunged into the exposition of his idea。 〃Things would go hard for a time。 I admit that。 I've got to admit that。 No getting around it。 We'd be hard put to it。 More than one fat stomach would cave in。 But they couldn't down us。 I should say not。〃
Tom King laughed good naturedly and the shiv… ery； nervous laugh of Edward King rang through the house。 Joe Welling hurried on。 〃We'd begin； you see； to breed up new vegetables and fruits。 Soon we'd regain all we had lost。 Mind； I don't say the new things would be the same as the old。 They wouldn't。 Maybe they'd be better； maybe not so good。 That's interesting； eh？ You can think about that。 It starts your mind working； now don't it？〃
In the room there was silence and then again old Edward King laughed nervously。 〃Say； I wish Sarah was here；〃 cried Joe Welling。 〃Let's go up to your house。 I want to tell her of this。〃
There was a scraping of chairs in the room。 It was then that George Willard retreated to his own room。 Leaning out at the window he saw Joe Welling going along the street with the two Kings。 Tom King was forced to take extraordinary long strides to keep pace with the little man。 As he strode along； he leaned over； listeningabsorbed； fascinated。 Joe Welling again talked excitedly。 〃Take milkweed now；〃 he cried。 〃A lot might be done with milk… weed； eh？ It's almost unbelievable。 I want you to think about it。 I want you two to think about it。 There would be a new vegetable kingdom you see。 It's interesting； eh？ It's an idea。 Wait till you see Sarah； she'll get the idea。 She'll be interested。 Sarah is always interested in ideas。 You can't be too smart for Sarah； now can you？ Of course you can't。 You know that。〃
ADVENTURE
ALICE HINDMAN； a woman of twenty…seven when George Willard was a mere boy； had lived in Wines… burg all her life。 She clerked in Winney's Dry Goods Store and lived with her mother； who had married a second husband。
Alice's step…father was a carriage painter； and given to drink。 His story is an odd one。 It will be worth telling some day。
At twenty…seven Alice was tall and somewhat slight。 Her head was large and overshadowed her body。 Her shoulders were a little stooped and her hair and eyes brown。 She was very quiet but beneath a placid exterior a continual ferment went on。
When she was a girl of sixteen and before she began to work in the store； Alice had an affair with a young man。 The young man； named Ned Currie； was older than Alice。 He； like George Willard； was employed on the Winesburg Eagle and for a long time he went to see Alice almost every evening。 Together the two walked under the trees through the streets of the town and talked of what they would do with their lives。 Alice was then a very pretty girl and Ned Currie took her into his arms and kissed her。 He became excited and said things he did not intend to say and Alice； betrayed by her desire to have some… thing beautiful come into her rather narrow life； also grew excited。 She also talked。 The outer crust of her life； all of her natural diffidence and reserve； was tom away and she gave herself over to the emotions of love。 When； late in the fall of her sixteenth year； Ned Currie went away to Cleveland where he hoped to get a place on a city newspaper and rise in the world； she wanted to go with him。 With a trembling voice she told him what was in her mind。 〃I will work and you can work；〃 she said。 〃I do not want to harness you to a needless expense that will pre… vent your making progress。 Don't marry me now。 We will get along without that and we can be to… gether。 Even though we live in the same house no one will say anything。 In the city we will be un… known and people will pay no attention to us。〃
Ned Currie was puzzled by the determination and abandon of his sweetheart and was also deeply touched。 He had wanted the girl to become his mis… tress but changed his mind。 He wanted to protect and care for her。 〃You don't know what you're talk… ing about；〃 he said sharply； 〃you may be sure I'll let you do no such thing。 As soon as I get a good job I'll come back。 For the present you'll have to stay here。 It's the only thing we can do。〃
On the evening before he left Winesburg to take up his new life in the city； Ned Currie went to call on Alice。 They walked about through the streets for an hour and then got a rig from Wesley Moyer's livery and went for a drive in the country。 The moon came up and they found themselves unable to talk。 In his sadness the young man forgot the resolutions he had made regarding his conduct with the girl。
They got out of the buggy at a place where a long meadow ran down to the bank of Wine Creek and there in the dim light became lovers。 When at mid… night they returned to town they were both glad。 It did not seem to them that anything that could hap… pen in the future could blot out the wonder and beauty of the thing that had happened。 〃Now we will have to stick to each other； whatever happens we will have to do that；〃 Ned Currie said as he left the girl at her father's door。
The young newspaper man did not succeed in get… ting a place on a Cleveland paper and went west to Chicago。 For a time he was lonely and wrote to Alice almost every day。 Then he was caught up by the life of the city； he began to make friends and found new interests in life。 In Chicago he boarded at a house where there were several women。 One of them attracted his attention and he forgot Alice in Winesburg。 At the end of a year he had stopped writing letters； and only once in a long time； when he was lonely or when he went into one of the city parks and saw the moon shining on the grass as it had shone that night on the meadow by Wine Creek； did he think of her at all。
In Winesburg the girl who had been loved grew to be a woman。 When she was twenty…two years old her father； who owned a harness repair shop； died suddenly。 The harness maker was an old soldier； and after a few months his wife received a widow's pension。 She used the first money she got to buy a loom and became a weaver of carpets； and Alice got a place in Winney's store。 For a number of years nothing could have induced her to believe that Ned Currie would not in the end return to her。
She was glad to be employed because the daily round of toil in the store made the time of waiting seem less l
