winesburg,ohio-第35章

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ut　when　she　came　and　stood　by　the　door　he　lost　his　self…assurance　and　became　sullen。　　〃You　stay　away　from　that　kid；〃　he　growled；　thinking　of　George　Willard；　and　then；　not　knowing　what　else　to　say；　turned　to　go　away。　　〃If　I　catch　you　together　I　will　break　your　bones　and　his　too；〃　he　added。　　The　bartender　had　come　to　woo；　not　to　threaten；　and　was　angry　with　himself　because　of　his　failure。

When　her　lover　had　departed　Belle　went　indoors　and　ran　hurriedly　upstairs。　　From　a　window　at　the　upper　part　of　the　house　she　saw　Ed　Handby　cross　the　street　and　sit　down　on　a　horse　block　before　the　house　of　a　neighbor。　　In　the　dim　light　the　man　sat　motionless　holding　his　head　in　his　hands。　　She　was　made　happy　by　the　sight；　and　when　George　Willard　came　to　the　door　she　greeted　him　effusively　and　hurriedly　put　on　her　hat。　　She　thought　that；　as　she　walked　through　the　streets　with　young　Willard；　Ed　Handby　would　follow　and　she　wanted　to　make　him　suffer。

For　an　hour　Belle　Carpenter　and　the　young　re…　porter　walked　about　under　the　trees　in　the　sweet　night　air。　　George　Willard　was　full　of　big　words。　　The　sense　of　power　that　had　come　to　him　during　the　hour　in　the　darkness　in　the　alleyway　remained　with　him　and　he　talked　boldly；　swaggering　along　and　swinging　his　arms　about。　　He　wanted　to　make　Belle　Carpenter　realize　that　he　was　aware　of　his　former　weakness　and　that　he　had　changed。　　〃You'll　find　me　different；〃　he　declared；　thrusting　his　hands　into　his　pockets　and　looking　boldly　into　her　eyes。　　〃I　don't　know　why　but　it　is　so。　　You've　got　to　take　me　for　a　man　or　let　me　alone。　　That's　how　it　is。〃

Up　and　down　the　quiet　streets　under　the　new　moon　went　the　woman　and　the　boy。　　When　George　had　finished　talking　they　turned　down　a　side　street　and　went　across　a　bridge　into　a　path　that　ran　up　the　side　of　a　hill。　　The　hill　began　at　Waterworks　Pond　and　climbed　upward　to　the　Winesburg　Fair　Grounds。　　On　the　hillside　grew　dense　bushes　and　small　trees　and　among　the　bushes　were　little　open　spaces　carpeted　with　long　grass；　now　stiff　and　frozen。

As　he　walked　behind　the　woman　up　the　hill　George　Willard's　heart　began　to　beat　rapidly　and　his　shoulders　straightened。　　Suddenly　he　decided　that　Belle　Carpenter　was　about　to　surrender　herself　to　him。　　The　new　force　that　had　manifested　itself　in　him　had；　he　felt；　been　at　work　upon　her　and　had　led　to　her　conquest。　　The　thought　made　him　half　drunk　with　the　sense　of　masculine　power。　　Although　he　had　been　annoyed　that　as　they　walked　about　she　had　not　seemed　to　be　listening　to　his　words；　the　fact　that　she　had　accompanied　him　to　this　place　took　all　his　doubts　away。　　〃It　is　different。　　Everything　has　become　different；〃　he　thought　and　taking　hold　of　her　shoulder　turned　her　about　and　stood　looking　at　her；　his　eyes　shining　with　pride。

Belle　Carpenter　did　not　resist。　　When　he　kissed　her　upon　the　lips　she　leaned　heavily　against　him　and　looked　over　his　shoulder　into　the　darkness。　　In　her　whole　attitude　there　was　a　suggestion　of　waiting。　Again；　as　in　the　alleyway；　George　Willard's　mind　ran　off　into　words　and；　holding　the　woman　tightly　he　whispered　the　words　into　the　still　night。　　〃Lust；〃　he　whispered；　〃lust　and　night　and　women。〃

George　Willard　did　not　understand　what　hap…　pened　to　him　that　night　on　the　hillside。　　Later；　when　he　got　to　his　own　room；　he　wanted　to　weep　and　then　grew　half　insane　with　anger　and　hate。　　He　hated　Belle　Carpenter　and　was　sure　that　all　his　life　he　would　continue　to　hate　her。　　On　the　hillside　he　had　led　the　woman　to　one　of　the　little　open　spaces　among　the　bushes　and　had　dropped　to　his　knees　beside　her。　　As　in　the　vacant　lot；　by　the　laborers'　houses；　he　had　put　up　his　hands　in　gratitude　for　the　new　power　in　himself　and　was　waiting　for　the　woman　to　speak　when　Ed　Handby　appeared。

The　bartender　did　not　want　to　beat　the　boy；　who　he　thought　had　tried　to　take　his　woman　away。　　He　knew　that　beating　was　unnecessary；　that　he　had　power　within　himself　to　accomplish　his　purpose　without　using　his　fists。　　Gripping　George　by　the　shoulder　and　pulling　him　to　his　feet；　he　held　him　with　one　hand　while　he　looked　at　Belle　Carpenter　seated　on　the　grass。　　Then　with　a　quick　wide　move…　ment　of　his　arm　he　sent　the　younger　man　sprawling　away　into　the　bushes　and　began　to　bully　the　woman；　who　had　risen　to　her　feet。　　〃You're　no　good；〃　he　said　roughly。　　〃I've　half　a　mind　not　to　bother　with　you。　　I'd　let　you　alone　if　I　didn't　want　you　so　much。〃

On　his　hands　and　knees　in　the　bushes　George　Willard　stared　at　the　scene　before　him　and　tried　hard　to　think。　　He　prepared　to　spring　at　the　man　who　had　humiliated　him。　　To　be　beaten　seemed　to　be　infinitely　better　than　to　be　thus　hurled　ignominiously　aside。

Three　times　the　young　reporter　sprang　at　Ed　Handby　and　each　time　the　bartender；　catching　him　by　the　shoulder；　hurled　him　back　into　the　bushes。　The　older　man　seemed　prepared　to　keep　the　exercise　going　indefinitely　but　George　Willard's　head　struck　the　root　of　a　tree　and　he　lay　still。　　Then　Ed　Handby　took　Belle　Carpenter　by　the　arm　and　marched　her　away。

George　heard　the　man　and　woman　making　their　way　through　the　bushes。　　As　he　crept　down　the　hill…　side　his　heart　was　sick　within　him。　　He　hated　himself　and　he　hated　the　fate　that　had　brought　about　his　humiliation。　　When　his　mind　went　back　to　the　hour　alone　in　the　alleyway　he　was　puzzled　and　stopping　in　the　darkness　listened；　hoping　to　hear　again　the　voice　outside　himself　that　had　so　short　a　time　before　put　new　courage　into　his　heart。　　When　his　way　homeward　led　him　again　into　the　street　of　frame　houses　he　could　not　bear　the　sight　and　began　to　run；　wanting　to　get　quickly　out　of　the　neighborhood　that　now　seemed　to　him　utterly　squalid　and　commonplace。




〃QUEER〃

FROM　HIS　SEAT　on　a　box　in　the　rough　board　shed　that　stuck　like　a　burr　on　the　rear　of　Cowley　&　Son's　store　in　Winesburg；　Elmer　Cowley；　the　junior　member　of　the　firm；　could　see　through　a　dirty　window　into　the　printshop　of　the　Winesburg　Eagle。　　Elmer　was　putting　new　shoelaces　in　his　shoes。　　They　did　not　go　in　readily　and　he　had　to　take　the　shoes　off。　　With　the　shoes　in　his　hand　he　sat　looking　at　a　large　hole　in　the　heel　of　one　of　his　stockings。　　Then　looking　quickly　up　he　saw　George　Willard；　the　only　newspa…　per　reporter　in　Winesburg；　standing　at　the　back　door　of　the　Eagle　printshop　and　staring　absentmindedly　about。　　〃Well；　well；　what　next！〃　exclaimed　the　young　man　with　the　shoes　in　his　hand；　jumping　to　his　feet　and　creeping　away　from　the　window。

A　flush　crept　into　Elmer　Cowley's　face　and　his　hands　began　to　tremble。　　In　Cowley　&　Son's　store　a　Jewish　traveling　salesman　stood　by　the　counter　talk…　ing　to　his　father。　　He　imagined　the　reporter　could　hear　what　was　being　said　and　the　thought　made　him　furious。　　With　one　of　the　shoes　still　held　in　his　hand　he　stood　in　a　corner　of　the　shed　and　stamped　with　a　stockinged　foot　upon　the　board　floor。

Cowley　&　Son's　store　did　not　face　the　main　street　of　Winesburg。　　The　front　was　on　Maumee　Street　and　beyond　it　was　Voight's　wagon　shop　and　a　shed　for　the　sheltering　of　farmers'　horses。　　Beside　the　store　an　alleyway　ran　behind　the　main　street　stores　and　all　day　drays　and　delivery　wagons；　intent　on　bringing　in　and　taking　out　goods；　passed　up　and　down。　　The　store　itself　was　indescribable。　　Will　Henderson　once　said　of　it　that　it　sold　everything　and　nothing。　　In　the　window　facing　Maumee　Street　stood　a　chunk　of　coal　as　large　as　an　apple　barrel；　to　indicate　that　orders　for　coal　were　taken；　and　beside　the　black　mass　of　the　coal　stood　three　combs　of　honey　grown　brown　and　dirty　in　their　wooden　frames。

The　honey　had　stood　in　the　store　window　for　six　months。　　It　was　for　sale　as　were　also　the　coat　hang…　ers；　patent　suspender　buttons；　cans　of　roof　paint；　bottles　of　rheumatism　cure；　and　a　substitute　for　cof…　fee　that　companioned　the　honey　in　its　patient　will…　ingness　to　serve　the　public。

Ebenezer　Cowley；　the　man　who　stood　in　the　store　listening　to　the　eager　patter　of　words　that　fell　from　the　lips　of　the　traveling　man；　was　tall　and　lean　and　looked　unwashed。　　On　his　scrawny　neck　was　a　large　wen　partially　covered　by　a　grey　beard。　　He　wore　a　long　Prince　Albert　coat。　　The　coat　had　been　pur…　chased　to　serve　as　a　wedding　garment。　　Before　he　became　a　merchant　Ebenezer　was　a　farmer　and　after　his　marriage　he　wore　the　Prince　Albert