winesburg,ohio-第38章
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the boy Elmer was bold； insistent。 〃You 'wake him up；〃 he commanded。 〃You tell him to come down by the depot。 I got to see him and I'm going away on the local。 Tell him to dress and come on down。 I ain't got much time。〃
The midnight local had finished its work in Wines… burg and the trainsmen were coupling cars； swing… ing lanterns and preparing to resume their flight east。 George Willard； rubbing his eyes and again wearing the new overcoat； ran down to the station platform afire with curiosity。 〃Well； here I am。 What do you want？ You've got something to tell me； eh？〃 he said。
Elmer tried to explain。 He wet his lips with his tongue and looked at the train that had begun to groan and get under way。 〃Well； you see；〃 he began； and then lost control of his tongue。 〃I'll be washed and ironed。 I'll be washed and ironed and starched；〃 he muttered half incoherently。
Elmer Cowley danced with fury beside the groan… ing train in the darkness on the station platform。 Lights leaped into the air and bobbed up and down before his eyes。 Taking the two ten…dollar bills from his pocket he thrust them into George Willard's hand。 〃Take them；〃 he cried。 〃I don't want them。 Give them to father。 I stole them。〃 With a snarl of rage he turned and his long arms began to flay the air。 Like one struggling for release from hands that held him he struck out； hitting George Willard blow after blow on the breast； the neck； the mouth。 The young reporter rolled over on the platform half un… conscious； stunned by the terrific force of the blows。 Springing aboard the passing train and running over the tops of cars； Elmer sprang down to a flat car and lying on his face looked back； trying to see the fallen man in the darkness。 Pride surged up in him。 〃I showed him；〃 he cried。 〃I guess I showed him。 I ain't so queer。 I guess I showed him I ain't so queer。〃
THE UNTOLD LIE
RAY PEARSON and Hal Winters were farm hands em… ployed on a farm three miles north of Winesburg。 On Saturday afternoons they came into town and wandered about through the streets with other fel… lows from the country。
Ray was a quiet； rather nervous man of perhaps fifty with a brown beard and shoulders rounded by too much and too hard labor。 In his nature he was as unlike Hal Winters as two men can be unlike。
Ray was an altogether serious man and had a little sharp…featured wife who had also a sharp voice。 The two； with half a dozen thin…legged children； lived in a tumble…down frame house beside a creek at the back end of the Wills farm where Ray was employed。
Hal Winters； his fellow employee； was a young fellow。 He was not of the Ned Winters family； who were very respectable people in Winesburg； but was one of the three sons of the old man called Wind… peter Winters who had a sawmill near Unionville； six miles away； and who was looked upon by every… one in Winesburg as a confirmed old reprobate。
People from the part of Northern Ohio in which Winesburg lies will remember old Windpeter by his unusual and tragic death。 He got drunk one evening in town and started to drive home to Unionville along the railroad tracks。 Henry Brattenburg； the butcher； who lived out that way； stopped him at the edge of the town and told him he was sure to meet the down train but Windpeter slashed at him with his whip and drove on。 When the train struck and killed him and his two horses a farmer and his wife who were driving home along a nearby road saw the accident。 They said that old Windpeter stood up on the seat of his wagon； raving and swearing at the onrushing locomotive； and that he fairly screamed with delight when the team； maddened by his inces… sant slashing at them； rushed straight ahead to cer… tain death。 Boys like young George Willard and Seth Richmond will remember the incident quite vividly because； although everyone in our town said that the old man would go straight to hell and that the community was better off without him； they had a secret conviction that he knew what he was doing and admired his foolish courage。 Most boys have seasons of wishing they could die gloriously instead of just being grocery clerks and going on with their humdrum lives。
But this is not the story of Windpeter Winters nor yet of his son Hal who worked on the Wills farm with Ray Pearson。 It is Ray's story。 It will； however； be necessary to talk a little of young Hal so that you will get into the spirit of it。
Hal was a bad one。 Everyone said that。 There were three of the Winters boys in that family； John； Hal； and Edward； all broad…shouldered big fellows like old Windpeter himself and all fighters and woman…chasers and generally all…around bad ones。
Hal was the worst of the lot and always up to some devilment。 He once stole a load of boards from his father's mill and sold them in Winesburg。 With the money he bought himself a suit of cheap； flashy clothes。 Then he got drunk and when his father came raving into town to find him； they met and fought with their fists on Main Street and were ar… rested and put into jail together。
Hal went to work on the Wills farm because there was a country school teacher out that way who had taken his fancy。 He was only twenty…two then but had already been in two or three of what were spo… ken of in Winesburg as 〃women scrapes。〃 Everyone who heard of his infatuation for the school teacher was sure it would turn out badly。 〃He'll only get her into trouble； you'll see；〃 was the word that went around。
And so these two men； Ray and Hal； were at work in a field on a day in the late October。 They were husking corn and occasionally something was said and they laughed。 Then came silence。 Ray； who was the more sensitive and always minded things more； had chapped hands and they hurt。 He put them into his coat pockets and looked away across the fields。 He was in a sad； distracted mood and was affected by the beauty of the country。 If you knew the Winesburg country in the fall and how the low hills are all splashed with yellows and reds you would understand his feeling。 He began to think of the time； long ago when he was a young fellow living with his father； then a baker in Winesburg； and how on such days he had wandered away into the woods to gather nuts； hunt rabbits； or just to loaf about and smoke his pipe。 His marriage had come about through one of his days of wandering。 He had in… duced a girl who waited on trade in his father's shop to go with him and something had happened。 He was thinking of that afternoon and how it had af… fected his whole life when a spirit of protest awoke in him。 He had forgotten about Hal and muttered words。 〃Tricked by Gad； that's what I was； tricked by life and made a fool of；〃 he said in a low voice。
As though understanding his thoughts； Hal Win… ters spoke up。 〃Well； has it been worth while？ What about it； eh？ What about marriage and all that？〃 he asked and then laughed。 Hal tried to keep on laugh… ing but he too was in an earnest mood。 He began to talk earnestly。 〃Has a fellow got to do it？〃 he asked。 〃Has he got to be harnessed up and driven through life like a horse？〃
Hal didn't wait for an answer but sprang to his feet and began to walk back and forth between the corn shocks。 He was getting more and more excited。 Bending down suddenly he picked up an ear of the yellow corn and threw it at the fence。 〃I've got Nell Gunther in trouble；〃 he said。 〃I'm telling you； but you keep your mouth shut。〃
Ray Pearson arose and stood staring。 He was al… most a foot shorter than Hal； and when the younger man came and put his two hands on the older man's shoulders they made a picture。 There they stood in the big empty field with the quiet corn shocks stand… ing in rows behind them and the red and yellow hills in the distance； and from being just two indif… ferent workmen they had become all alive to each other。 Hal sensed it and because that was his way he laughed。 〃Well； old daddy；〃 he said awkwardly； 〃come on； advise me。 I've got Nell in trouble。 Per… haps you've been in the same fix yourself。 I know what everyone would say is the right thing to do； but what do you say？ Shall I marry and settle down？ Shall I put myself into the harness to be worn out like an old horse？
