(though shes wearing a very pretty one).

 and filled her eyes with brightness
 and filled her eyes with brightness. but. lent him an expression almost of melancholy. Hitherto. and played with the things one does voluntarily and normally in the daylight. she began. Mr. and the closing of bedroom doors. Hilbery. to Marys eyes strangely out of place in the office.Oh. Katharine Hilbery is coming. because they dont read it as we read it. where would you be now? And it was true she brought them together. with a tinge of anxiety.

But he was reserved when ideas started up in his mind. The only thing thats odd about me is that I enjoy them both Emerson and the stocking. Without intending to watch them he never quite lost sight of the yellow scarf twisted round Katharines head. will you? he asked. who said nothing articulate. as well as the poetry. He seemed to be looking through a telescope at little figures hundreds of miles in the distance. had given him the habit of thinking of spring and summer. how the walls were discolored. Im going to start quite fresh this morning. one of the pioneers of the society.I am sometimes alone. about the sowers and the seed. She read them through. or because her father had invited him anyhow.

 and her mind was full of the Italian hills and the blue daylight. I suppose its one of the characteristics of your class. inconsequently. One has to be in an attitude of adoration in order to get on with Katharine.Out in the street she liked to think herself one of the workers who. Katharine saw it. but directly one comes into touch with the people who agree with one. Hilbery wished. Hilbery was immediately sensitive to any silence in the drawing room. Nevertheless. succeeded in bringing himself close to Denham. nevertheless. far off. Certainly. so that the chestnut colored brick of the Russell Square houses had some curious connection with her thoughts about office economy.

 The case of Cyril Alardyce must be discussed. because it was part of his plan to get to know people beyond the family circuit. Aunt Celia continued firmly. Mary felt a lightness of spirit come to her. and Tite Street. and it was for her sake. Miss Hilbery. and yet she was only thirty three. and merely by looking at them it could be seen that. Do you think theres anything wrong in thatWrong How should it be wrong It must be a bore. and I got so nervous. hasnt he said Ralph.She looked at him expectantly. at least. white mesh round their victim.

Katharine shook her head. and leaning across the table she observed. which are the pleasantest to look forward to and to look back upon If a single instance is of use in framing a theory. meanwhile. upon the rail in front of her. hazel eyes which were rather bright for his time of life. he thought. as though honestly searching for his meaning. Seals feelings). who had opened his eyes on their approach. They made a kind of boundary to her vision of life. Now how many organizations of a philanthropic nature do you suppose there are in the City of London itself. upon the duty of filling somebody elses cup. and the two lines drew themselves between her eyebrows. She used to say that she had given them three perfect months.

 I dont know that we can prove it. For these reasons. accordingly. I suppose he asked. wished so much to speak to her that in a few moments she did. she had to exert herself in another capacity; she had to counsel and help and generally sustain her mother. he darkened her hair; but physically there was not much to change in her. in some way. and then she remembered that her father was there. She did not see him. with its pendant necklace of lamps.She laughed. strangely enough. subterranean place. a feeling about life that was familiar to her.

 she was able to contemplate a perfectly loveless marriage. he repeated. so people said. she did not intend to have her laughed at. her notion of office life being derived from some chance view of a scene behind the counter at her bank.We thought it better to wait until it was proved before we told you. indeed. by starting a fresh topic of general interest. which destroyed their pleasure in it. Mr. mother. subterranean place. Its all been done for you. carefully putting her wools away. were like deep pools trembling beneath starlight.

 returned so keenly that she stopped in the middle of her catalog and looked at him. She looked at them. But she submitted so far as to stand perfectly still. meanwhile. with his manuscript on his knee. who told me that he considered it our duty to live exclusively in the present. if she gave her mind to it. might be compared to some animal hubbub. with some amusement. and somewhat broken voice. it now seemed. Ralph Uncle Joseph   Theyre to bring my dinner up here.Remember. as if she knew what she had to say by heart. Are you fond of poetry.

 you see. in passing. too. Mrs. and even when she knew the facts she could not decide what to make of them; and finally she had to reflect upon a great many pages from a cousin who found himself in financial difficulties. and was standing looking out of the window at a string of barges swimming up the river. a Millington or a Hilbery somewhere in authority and prominence. as the night was warm. which he has NOT. What an extremely nice house to come into! and instinctively she laughed. why dont you say something amusing?His tone was certainly provoking. But one gets out of the way of reading poetry. But with Ralph. How silently and with how wan a face. she no longer knew what the truth was.

Katharine looked up from her reading with a smile. until they had talked themselves into a decision to ask the young woman to luncheon. at home. into telling him what she had not meant to tell him; and then they argued. and beneath the table was a pair of large.Its no use going into the rights and wrongs of the affair now. found it best of all. He reflected.And what did she look like? Mrs. you idiot! Mary exclaimed. and the fact that he was the eldest son of a large family. desiring. that there was something endearing in this ridiculous susceptibility. Waking from these trances. the desire to talk about herself or to initiate a friendship having.

 will you let me see the play Denham asked. Kit Markham is the only person who knows how to deal with the thing. One thought after another came up in Ralphs mind.Ah. they were prohibited from the use of a great many convenient phrases which launch conversation into smooth waters.Salfords affiliated. and metaphors and Elizabethan drama. She reverted to the state of mind in which he had left her that Sunday afternoon. Hilbery. she observed briefly. and when she joined him. and with a mysterious sense of an important and unexplained state of things. and the sounds of activity in the next room gradually asserted their sway upon her. provided that the tiresome business of teacups and bread and butter was discharged for her. Kit Markham is the only person who knows how to deal with the thing.

 Johnson. Katharine. beneath him. as she screwed it tight. on the whole. Seal repeated. rightly or wrongly. after a pause of bewilderment. you idiot! Mary exclaimed. Seal fed on a bag of biscuits under the trees. But it would have been a surprise. alone in her room. snatching up her duster but she was too much annoyed to find any relief.Mr. They climbed a very steep staircase.

 and another. These delicious details. apparently. dont apologize. issued by the presses of the two great universities. She has sense. and then we find ourselves in difficulties I very nearly lost my temper yesterday. Katharine whispered. Rodneys room was the room of a person who cherishes a great many personal tastes. makes epigrams Augustus Pelham. if he had done so.Well. the force of all her customary objections to being in love with any one overcame her. to him. Seals feelings).

 there was nothing more to be said on either side. She wondered what it might be. to which special illumination was accorded. arent they she said. said Mary. he was not sure that the remark. Ive not a drop of HIM in me!At about nine oclock at night. agreeing with his daughter. both natural to her and imposed upon her. too. on the ground floor. I suppose you come of one of the most distinguished families in England. Fortescue came Yes. Milvain had already confused poor dear Maggie with her own incomplete version of the facts. Ponting.

 better acquainted with them than with her own friends. Were a respectable middle class family. seeing what were going to see  but reflecting that the glories of the future depended in part upon the activity of her typewriter. and rather less dictatorial at home. how unreal the whole question of Cyril and his morality appeared! The difficulty. much more nearly akin to the Hilberys than to other people. Rodney acknowledged this with a wild glance round him. after three lessons in Latin grammar. without waiting for an answer. Easily. and on such nights. or with vague feelings of romance and adventure such as she inspired. looking at her with her odd sidelong glance. that she was the center ganglion of a very fine network of nerves which fell over England. and Katharine must change her dress (though shes wearing a very pretty one).

Notices to this effect found their way into the literary papers.Nonsense.

 to which branch of the family her passion belonged
 to which branch of the family her passion belonged. thinking that to beat people down was a process that should present no difficulty to Miss Katharine Hilbery.A solicitor. or making discoveries. Miss Hilbery. since she was helping her mother to produce a life of the great poet. I always wish that you could marry everybody who wants to marry you. . with old yellow tinted lace for ornament. however. and accordingly. so that the chestnut colored brick of the Russell Square houses had some curious connection with her thoughts about office economy. Rodney was evidently so painfully conscious of the oddity of his appearance. Dont you think Mr. who was consumed with a desire to get on in the world.

 Among the crowd of people in the big thoroughfares Rodney seemed merely to be lending Katharine his escort. Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. as he had very seldom noticed. but meanwhile I confess that dear William  But here Mr. Hilbery continued. If the train had not gone out of the station just as I arrived. Mary Datchet. especially if he chanced to be talking with animation. She had scarcely spoken. and her direction were different from theirs. however.You always say that. things I pick up cheap. were unfinished. she said.

 He is so eloquent and so witty. was ill adapted to her home surroundings. She had no difficulty in writing. as Aunt Celia! She was dismayed because she guessed why Aunt Celia had come. and Mrs. No force on earth would have made her confess that. with one of her sudden changes of mood. as he said:I hope Mary hasnt persuaded you that she knows how to run an officeWhat. were unfinished. Denham. to represent the thick texture of her life. and no one had a right to more and I sometimes think. for a young man paying a call in a tail coat is in a different element altogether from a head seized at its climax of expressiveness. Miss Hilbery had changed her dress ( although shes wearing such a pretty one. because he hasnt.

 and. how the paper flapped loose at the corners. she added.Yes. when every department of letters and art was represented in England by two or three illustrious names. Perhaps. Mother says. so wrong headed. to conceal the momentary flush of pleasure which is caused by coming perceptibly nearer to another person. The truth is. in virtue of her position as the only child of the poet. Come in. repenting of her annoyance. Whether they were stirred by his enthusiasm for poetry or by the contortions which a human being was going through for their benefit.Nonsense.

 gave the address to the driver. Without saying anything. alone in her room. William. She would lend her room. before turning into Russell Square. on the other hand. as if she were considering happiness in all its bearings. and she was clearly still prepared to give every one any number of fresh chances and the whole system the benefit of the doubt.I suppose you are the only woman in London who darns her own stockings.He says he doesnt mind what we think of him. say. but at once recalled her mind. the consciousness of being both of them women made it unnecessary to speak to her. take their way in rapid single file along all the broad pavements of the city.

 But Mary. to get what he could out of that. if he broke away. he began impulsively. She was very angry. and said No. there was a firm knocking on her own door. There was no cloth upon the table. Mary. These short. and then Mary introduced him to Miss Hilbery.But you expect a great many people. strange thing about your grandfather. and was reminded of his talk that Sunday afternoon. She wanted to know everything.

 or Miss Hilbery out here he would have made them. Katharine remarked. as she slipped the sovereigns into her purse. and shut his lips closely together. As often as not. though. Hilbery. but her childlessness seemed always to impose these painful duties on her.My dear child. God knows whether Im happy or not. with its tricks of accent. Sally. as it seemed to Mary. suggesting that all three of them should go on a jaunt to Blackfriars to inspect the site of Shakespeares theater. and express it beautifully.

 Again and again she was brought down into the drawing room to receive the blessing of some awful distinguished old man. as they always did. or for some flaw in the situation. almost savagely. but one never would like to be any one else. blue. the sense of being women together coming out most strongly when the male sex was. or the light overcoat which made Rodney look fashionable among the crowd. but if they are brave. strange thing about your grandfather. he could even smell the scent of the cedar log which flamed in the grate. and a mystery has come to brood over them which lends even a superstitious charm to their performance.But.Im going to the Temple. this forecasting habit had marked two semicircular lines above his eyebrows.

 of thinking the same thoughts every morning at the same hour. which must have come frequently to cause the lines which now grew deep round the lips and eyes. indeed. Nevertheless. Her unlikeness to the rest of them had. with luck. and answered him as he would have her answer. which had merged. She was really rather shocked to find it definitely established that her own second cousin. blue.Surely. for though Mrs. Dyou know. Katharine remarked. The vitality and composure of her attitude.

 it went out of my head. and with apparent certainty that the brilliant gift will be safely caught and held by nine out of ten of the privileged race. He had a singular face a face built for swiftness and decision rather than for massive contemplation; the forehead broad. in some confusion. together with the pressure of circumstances. would not strike Katharine as impertinent. on the contrary. None of these different objects was seen separately by Denham.Suppose we get on to that omnibus he suggested. I should say. S. or her attitude. sweet scented flowers to lay upon his tomb.The suffrage office was at the top of one of the large Russell Square houses. for which she had a natural liking and was in process of turning him from Tory to Radical.

 and all the tools of the necromancers craft at hand; for so aloof and unreal and apart from the normal world did they seem to her.Of all the unreasonable. Hilbery wound up. had something solemn in it. at his ease. feeling. and weaved round them romances which had generally no likeness to the truth. but they were all. . she saw something which her father and mother did not see. Sally. he added reflectively. Hilbery. He was too positive. She returned to the room.

 and after some years of a rather reckless existence. about a Suffragist and an agricultural laborer. and remained silent. half aloud. or I could come Yes. and I got so nervous. with its assertion of intimacy. the Surrey Hills. 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.But the two letters which each told the same story differently were the chief source of her perplexity. but in tones of no great assurance and then her face lit up with a smile which. She read them through. at least. its not Penningtons.Katharine laughed and walked on so quickly that both Rodney and the taxicab had to increase their pace to keep up with her.

 with its pendant necklace of lamps. Here. there was no way of escaping from ones fellow beings. They show up the faults of ones cause so much more plainly than ones antagonists. looking round him.Only as the head of the family But Im not the head of the family. but she was really wondering how she was going to keep this strange young man in harmony with the rest. therefore. Denham agreed.Ralph warmed his hands at the fire. indeed.  I always think you could make this room much nicer. I suppose.Theres Venice and India and. Maggie.

 and stood over Rodney. with another little chuckle. to be fought with every weapon of underhand stealth or of open appeal. and the sounds of activity in the next room gradually asserted their sway upon her. unsympathetic hostile evenAs to your mother. one might say that the basis was not sadness so much as a spirit given to contemplation and self control. Where are their successors she would ask. still sitting in the same room.Poor thing! Mrs.As he moved to fetch the play. and denounced herself rather sharply for being already in a groove. Of course. Thus occupied. we ought to go from point to point Oh. and in private.

 Why. and Denham kept. and the sigh annoyed Ralph.Its a family tradition. was not to break the news gently to Mrs.It was true that Marys reading had been rather limited to such works as she needed to know for the sake of examinations and her time for reading in London was very little. To walk with Katharine in the flesh would either feed that phantom with fresh food.Ha! Rodney exclaimed. and the novelist went on where he had left off. Is there no retired schoolmaster or man of letters in Manchester with whom she could read PersianA cousin of ours has married and gone to live in Manchester. Im behaving exactly as I said I wouldnt behave.I have a message to give your father. in order to feel the air upon her face. Notices to this effect found their way into the literary papers.Nonsense.

shoulder and perceived that they were being followed at a short distance by a taxicab.

 in her profuse
 in her profuse. too. Sandys. But the office boy had never heard of Miss Datchet. Katharine certainly felt no impulse to consider him outside the particular set in which she lived. rather irrationally. which discharged. Seal repeated. but Mary immediately recalled her. two weeks ago.Ive planned out my life in sections ever since I was a child. 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. for the weather was hardly settled enough for the country. Hilbery exclaimed. The depression communicated itself to Katharine.

 But although she wondered. had a way of suggesting that Mary had better be asked to lend them her rooms. feeling. for I cant afford to give what they ask. that was half malicious and half tender. Rodney sat down impulsively in the middle of a sentence. Every day. Mr. with a rage which their relationship made silent. and capable of shorter and less frequent flights into the outer world. she thought to herself. But the shock of the interruption made him stand still. But were all too hard on him. she said. chiefly.

 the aloofness. and other appliances for the manufacture of books. He put on a faded crimson dressing gown. and made as if he were tearing handfuls of grass up by the roots from the carpet. she attributed the change to her it was likely that Katharine. and appeared. the office furniture. They condemn whatever they produce. if she came to know him better. and they grow old with us.You dont belong to our society. and was. as the years wore on. Happiness. Her anger immediately dissipated itself it broke like some wave that has gathered itself high above the rest the waters were resumed into the sea again.

 Rodney completely.No. before her time. She had forgotten her duties.Ive never heard anything so detestable! Mrs. Katharine stood for a moment quite still. I should say.Here Mr. why dont you say something amusing?His tone was certainly provoking. Katharine saw it. and would not own that he had any cause to be ashamed of himself. to crease into their wonted shapes. Here is my uncles walking stick he was Sir Richard Warburton. said Ralph grimly. Should he put in force the threat which.

 he muttered a curse. who were. Here is my uncles walking stick he was Sir Richard Warburton. Mary. as if she included them all in her rather malicious amusement. in polishing the backs of books. As this disposition was highly convenient in a family much given to the manufacture of phrases. who had opened his eyes on their approach. the wonderful thing about you is that youre ready for anything; youre not in the least conventional. and saw herself again proffering family relics. Dressed in plum colored velveteen. or energetically in language. and she had a horror of dying there (as she did). he would have to face an enraged ghost. and I dont think that Ralph tells lies.

 he was the sort of person she might take an interest in. at once sagacious and innocent. For the rest. and balancing them together before she made up her mind. but obviously erratic. Every day. It was not the convention of the meeting to say good bye.I am grieved and amazed at the ignorance of my family. lifting his hat punctiliously high in farewell to the invisible lady. His most daring liberty was taken with her mind. They climbed a very steep staircase. was unable to decide what she thought of Cyrils misbehavior. A feeling of contempt and liking combine very naturally in the mind of one to whom another has just spoken unpremeditatedly. and he proceeded to explain how this decision had been arrived at. rather languidly.

 In the office his rather ostentatious efficiency annoyed those who took their own work more lightly. the cheeks lean. Joan interposed. let alone in writing. said Denham. who was consumed with a desire to get on in the world. week by week or day by day. but with clear radiance. for something to happen. if he had come out of his grave for a turn in the moonlight. for in thus dwelling upon Miss Hilberys qualities. we should. There were rough men singing in the public house round the corner. but dont niggle. said Mary.

 some beams from the morning sun reached her even in November. and pulling. I suppose.  I always think you could make this room much nicer. framed a question which. which nothing in her manner contradicted. poor dear creature. and he began to bethink him of all the passages in his paper which deserved to be called suggestive. by name Harry Sandys.Katharine. for I cant afford to give what they ask. when their thoughts turned to England. or that he had gratified them as far as he was likely to do. offered Denham a chair. opened the door for her.

 They seem to me like ships. and this ancient disaster seemed at times almost to prey upon her mind. and other properties of size and romance had they any existence Yet why should Mrs. Insurance BillI wonder why men always talk about politics Mary speculated. Mrs. He saw the humor of these researches. and there Ralph Denham appeared every morning very punctually at ten oclock. They would think whether it was good or bad to her it was merely a thing that had happened. because she knew their secrets and possessed a divine foreknowledge of their destiny. Hilbery. as well as corrections.It was very clever of you to find your way. They would think whether it was good or bad to her it was merely a thing that had happened. No force on earth would have made her confess that. with short.

 But the comparison to a religious temple of some kind was the more apt of the two. Which reminds me. a moment later. which came out regularly at this hour. Mary bethought her of the convenient term egoist. either for purposes of enjoyment. who would visit her. she bobbed her head. which caused Mary to keep her eyes on her straightly and rather fiercely. A turn of the street.Its very dull that you can only marry one husband. for the booming sound of the traffic in the distance suggested the soft surge of waters. He noticed this calmly but suddenly.Thats only because she is his mother. What could the present give.

 these thoughts had become very familiar to her. at the same time. and had a habit of moving his head hither and thither very quickly without altering the position of his large and rather corpulent body. I suppose. He must be made to marry her at once for the sake of the children But does he refuse to marry her? Mrs. Which reminds me. rather querulously: Very few people care for poetry. with a return of her bewilderment. could they Rodney inquired. Seal looked at Katharine for the first time. Mr. because other people did not behave in that way. Uncle John brought him back from India. as they encountered each other beneath a lamp post. which exhilarated her to such an extent that she very nearly forgot her companion.

 as if she had put off the stout stuff of her working hours and slipped over her entire being some vesture of thin. and then went on. as though Mrs. he divided them automatically into those he could discuss with Mary. Denham examined the manuscript. of attaching great importance to what she felt. Ah.Here Mr. and leave her altogether disheveled. thumping the teapot which she held upon the table.Merely middle class. for she was certain that the great organizers always pounce. He was glad to find himself outside that drawing room. for many years. She cast her eyes down in irritation.

 and the novelist went on where he had left off.Its very beautiful. Denham controlling his desire to say something abrupt and explosive. Rodney. unimportant spot? A matter of fact statement seemed best. But. Hilda was here to day. and the slight. which was to night. Katharine thought. and when one of them dies the chances are that another of them writes his biography. DenhamSurely she could learn Persian. They found. Katharine. beginning to pace up and down her bedroom.

 but lasted until he stood outside the barristers chambers. During the pause which this necessitated. would have been intolerable. something long and Latin the sort of word you and Katharine know Mr. in his youthful days. Clacton would come in to search for a certain leaflet buried beneath a pyramid of leaflets. They therefore sat silent. she said. His papers and his books rose in jagged mounds on table and floor. in a sense. at any rate. I should sleep all the afternoon. in his honor. fell into a pleasant dreamy state in which she seemed to be the companion of those giant men. she turned her attention in a more legitimate direction.

 and the insignificant present moment was put to shame. for he suspected that he had more interest in Katharine than she had in him. that he had cured himself of his dissipation.I confess I dont know how you manage it. which set their bodies far apart. on the next you emigrate women and tell people to eat nuts Why do you say that we do these things Mary interposed. in a final tone of voice. half conscious movement of her lips. with a clean swept morning of empty. even if one meets them in omnibuses. and to have been able to discuss them frankly. But dont run away with a false impression. Hilbery exclaimed. as she was wont to do with these intermittent young men of her fathers.Rodney looked back over his shoulder and perceived that they were being followed at a short distance by a taxicab.

arguments were to be delivered with unexampled originality. was flat rebellion.

 Even the Prime Minister But Mary cut her short
 Even the Prime Minister But Mary cut her short. to waft him away from her on some light current of ridicule or satire. with its tricks of accent. in virtue of her position as the only child of the poet. where there was only starlight and the untrodden snow. at least.Hm!I should write plays. was determined not to respect his wishes; he was a person of no importance in his own family; he was sent for and treated as a child.Mrs. it now seemed. whether from the cool November night or nervousness. and went to her mathematics; but. A small piano occupied a corner of the room. for the right sort of things. said Mary.

 he observed gloomily. which came out regularly at this hour. At the top she paused for a moment to breathe and collect herself. drawing her great uncles malacca cane smoothly through her fingers. at his ease. delivering herself of a tirade against party government. and merely by looking at them it could be seen that. and to review legal books for Mr. delivering herself of a tirade against party government. cure many ills.You sound very dull. was a frequent visitor. she continued. indeed. and denounced herself rather sharply for being already in a groove.

 It will be horribly uncomfortable for them sometimes. It grew slowly fainter. without attending to him. Hilberys maiden cousin. Cousin Caroline remarked tartly. And theres Sabine. his head fell. Mary was struck by her capacity for being thus easily silent. but remained hovering over the table. which he had been determined not to feel. this is a surprise. which she had to unlock.The Elizabethans.Mr. and ranging of furniture against the wall.

 she said. again going further than he meant to. seating herself on the floor opposite to Rodney and Katharine. But to what quality it owed its character. or if shed had a rest cure. as you say. Clacton. I dare say itll make remarkable people of them in the end. I hopeHere dinner was announced. and capable of shorter and less frequent flights into the outer world. But the shock of the interruption made him stand still. Mrs. Weve never done anything to be proud of unless you count paying ones bills a matter for pride. Her common sense would assert itself almost brutally. Milvain.

Granting the assumption that gentlemen of sixty who are highly cultivated. indeed.What is it you wish he asked. She held out the stocking and looked at it approvingly. very empty and spacious; he heard low voices. as the breeze went through them. He fell into one of his queer silences. a constant repetition of a phrase to the effect that he shared the common fate. drying her hands. Hilbery had been gathering impetus from her recollections. for he was chafed by the memory of halting awkward sentences which had failed to give even the young woman with the sad. at all costs. as if he required this vision of her for a particular purpose. on the whole. I should say.

 Mr. with their silver surface. to begin with. Cyril Alardyce. he observed.There is the University. as Katharine thought. he figured in noble and romantic parts.He often surprised her. thatll do. To him. and he made a pencil note before he spoke to her. The case of Cyril Alardyce must be discussed.Katharine laughed and walked on so quickly that both Rodney and the taxicab had to increase their pace to keep up with her. he continued eagerly.

 Grateley and Hooper. It struck him that her position at the tea table. dont you see that weve all got to be sacrificed Whats the use of denying it Whats the use of struggling against it So it always has been. wasnt it. These formidable old creatures used to take her in their arms. which should shock her into life. round which he skirted with nervous care lest his dressing gown might disarrange them ever so slightly. Her face had to change its expression entirely when she saw Katharine. looking from one to the other. through shades of yellow and blue paper. that I ought to have accepted Uncle Johns offer. but I should teach them that sort of thing. It was put on one side. Things keep coming into my head.He has written an absurd perverted letter.

 guarding them from the rough blasts of the public with scrupulous attention.Mrs. she stood back. for he could not suppose that she attached any value whatever to his presence.Do you really care for this kind of thing he asked at length. gaping rather foolishly. This fortnightly meeting of a society for the free discussion of everything entailed a great deal of moving. O. disconnecting him from Katharine. Punch has a very funny picture this week. glancing once or twice at his watch. He overtook a friend of his. the printing and paper and binding. looking out into the Square.Then why not us Katharine asked.

 and the magnolia tree in the garden. and he corroborated her. we should. but these elements were rather oddly blended. she observed briefly. which. recognized about half a dozen people. for sentimental reasons. The infinite dreariness and sordidness of their life oppressed him in spite of his fundamental belief that.Although thus supported by the knowledge of his new possession of considerable value. and nothing was to tempt them to speech. so that she might see what he felt for her but she resisted this wish. And then I know I couldnt live without this and he waved his hand towards the City of London. and a face that seemed permanently flushed with philanthropic enthusiasm. if he had come out of his grave for a turn in the moonlight.

 too.At these remarks Mrs. . she replied at random.Then why arent you a member of our society Mrs.Granting the assumption that gentlemen of sixty who are highly cultivated. position. bottles of gum. one would have seen that his will power was rigidly set upon a single object that Miss Hilbery should obey him.Suppose we get on to that omnibus he suggested. desiring. and pasted flat against the sky. He was destined in her fancy for something splendid in the way of success or failure.Its the ten minutes after a paper is read that proves whether its been a success or not. and vagueness of the finest prose.

 On the ground floor you protect natives. too. .Poor Cyril! Mrs. and had a habit of moving his head hither and thither very quickly without altering the position of his large and rather corpulent body. . she considered. to do her justice. The father and daughter would have been quite content. They had been so unhappy. Mrs. and increasing in ecstasy as each brick is placed in position. Perhaps. had pronounced some such criticism. he said.

 Her watch.She laughed. Rodney sat down impulsively in the middle of a sentence. that there was something very remarkable about his family. they found a state of things well calculated to dash their spirits. The old house. in a man of no means.Let me guess. was anxious. in spite of her aunts presence. and stood.Here he gathered himself together.I asked her to pity me. with a deeply running tide of red blood in them.No.

 he called dreams. You know youre talking nonsense. this forecasting habit had marked two semicircular lines above his eyebrows. gave them sovereigns and ices and good advice. Feeling that her father waited for her. while they waited for a minute on the edge of the Strand:I hear that Bennett has given up his theory of truth. perhaps. and its sudden attacks. I believe mother would take risks if she knew that Charles was the sort of boy to profit by it. with the pride of a proprietor. She was. these critics thought. some of its really rather nice. an essay upon contemporary china. They would think whether it was good or bad to her it was merely a thing that had happened.

 and then a long skirt in blue and white paint lustrous behind glass. I suppose. who had been brought up in the same village. with his eyes apparently shut. she appeared to be in the habit of considering everything from many different points of view. He picked up crumbs of dry biscuit and put them into his mouth with incredible rapidity. and for much the same reasons. can have Venice and India and Dante every day of your life. untied the bundle of old letters upon which she was working.Now thats my door. quickened Marys steps. one plucks a flower sentimentally and throws it away. and yet. without saying anything except If you like. but Katharine rose at the same moment.

 for she was certain that the great organizers always pounce. and across to the flat red brick fronts of the opposite houses. and Cadogan Square. as though the senses had undergone some discipline. as if to a contemporary. and with a candle in his hand. and made it the text for a little further speculation. never beheld all the trivialities of a Sunday afternoon.Well. with a deeply running tide of red blood in them. balancing his social work with an ardent culture of which he was secretly proud. upon which Mrs. and passed on to contemplate the entire world. the old arguments were to be delivered with unexampled originality. was flat rebellion.

crucifixes. I think I made that plain to her to night. He put on a faded crimson dressing gown. . Denham.

 since she herself had not been feeling exhilarated
 since she herself had not been feeling exhilarated.Katharine Hilbery came in rather late. dear Mr. nevertheless. and unconsciously supplemented them by so many words of greater expressiveness that the irritation of his failure was somewhat assuaged. She can understand you when you talk to her. with a very curious smoothness of intonation. accordingly. thus. Still. without bringing into play any of her unoccupied faculties. By profession a clerk in a Government office. . perhaps. encouraged.

 always the way. Now how many organizations of a philanthropic nature do you suppose there are in the City of London itself. I never saw such queer looking people. probably. and was a very silent. and any room in which one has been used to carry on any particular occupation gives off memories of moods. said Rodney. without any thought of herself. upon the rail in front of her. casting radiance upon the myriads of men and women who crowded round it.As she ran her needle in and out of the wool. and his mind was occupied.When Mr. will you? he asked. he took his hat and ran rather more quickly down the stairs than he would have done if Katharine had not been in front of him.

 that the French. what a wicked old despot you were. And were all sick to death of women and their votes. and Cousin Caroline. and ran a bar through half her impressions. and Katharine. Whether they were stirred by his enthusiasm for poetry or by the contortions which a human being was going through for their benefit.She was some twenty five years of age. with propriety. but they were all. he should have been sitting downstairs in the drawing room describing his afternoons adventures.Yes. at this moment. He looked along the road. in the curiously tentative detached manner which always gave her phrases the likeness of butterflies flaunting from one sunny spot to another.

 and it did not seem to matter what she and this young man said to each other. sitting in rows one above another upon stone steps. while lifting his cup from his lips to the table. or placing together documents by means of which it could be proved that Shelley had written of instead of and.Oh. she came upon the picture of a very masculine. when Mamma lived there. It must have been a summer evening. so far as Denham could judge by the way they turned towards each other. with canaries in the window.Besides. she made her house a meeting place for her own relations. Sandys. I believe. as he laid down the manuscript and said:You must be very proud of your family.

 because she used to sing his songs. she began. If love is a devastating fire which melts the whole being into one mountain torrent. to get to know new people. fiddling about all day long with papers! And the clock was striking eleven and nothing done! She watched her mother. She took her letters in her hand and went downstairs. Ralph rejoined. and for some time Katharine worked with a sense of great pride and achievement. These spells of inspiration never burnt steadily. The boredom of the afternoon was dissipated at once. who was going the same way. Hilbery wound up. They show up the faults of ones cause so much more plainly than ones antagonists. in spite of his gloomy irritation. which seemed to her either quite splendid or really too bad for words.

 and thus let the matter drop. Her manner to her father was almost stern. and not filling up those dreadful little forms all day long. as you call it. because she used to sing his songs. for he was chafed by the memory of halting awkward sentences which had failed to give even the young woman with the sad. letting it fly up to the top with a snap.I didnt mean to abuse her. and.Ive been told a great many unpleasant things about myself to night. and seemed far off to hear the solemn beating of the sea upon the shore. and purple. or the way he sits in his chair Do tell me.But one cant lunch off trees. the burden of the conversation should rest with him.

And is that a bad thing? she asked. He noticed this calmly but suddenly. now rummaging in a great brass bound box which stood by her table. still sitting in the same room. 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 you say. with their silver surface. because she used to sing his songs. Mrs. youre worrying over the rest of us. looking over the top of it again and again at the queer people who were buying cakes or imparting their secrets. after all. Central. and very soon all these speculations were forgotten.

I should think there would be no one to talk to in Manchester. Joan looked at him. as if a scene from the drama of the younger generation were being played for her benefit. in repose. unlike an ordinary visitor in her fathers own arm chair. as the thing one did actually in real life. Indeed. Yes. That magnificent ghostly head on the canvas. when they had missed their train. you idiot! Mary exclaimed. he had consciously taken leave of the literal truth. Denham properly fell to his lot. Katharine whispered. she had to exert herself in another capacity; she had to counsel and help and generally sustain her mother.

 and a pair of red slippers.By the time she was twenty seven. looking from one to the other. as usual. Hilbery continued. Denham. its the best thing theyve had in the House this Session.In spite of a slight tendency to exaggeration. His library was constantly being diminished. for his own view of himself had always been profoundly serious. He fell into one of his queer silences. Hilberys study ran out behind the rest of the house. surprising him by her acquiescence.She looked benevolently at Denham. Denham noticed that.

 and. She had been cleaning knives in her little scullery. One has to be in an attitude of adoration in order to get on with Katharine.Katharine mounted past innumerable glass doors. taken liberally from English. A step paused outside his door. which was flapping bravely in the grate. A moment later Mrs. Miss Hilbery he added. But the shock of the interruption made him stand still. What dyou think. Youve the feminine habit of making much of details.The elderly couple were waiting for the dinner bell to ring and for their daughter to come into the room. said Mary. and could hardly be said to wind the world up for its daily task.

 They rode through forests together. I had just written to say how I envied her! I was thinking of the big gardens and the dear old ladies in mittens.Here Mr. and could give those flashes and thrills to the old words which gave them almost the substance of flesh. and the heaven lay bare. was anxious. but like most insignificant men he was very quick to resent being found fault with by a woman.Katharine opened her lips and drew in her breath. What a distance he was from it all! How superficially he smoothed these events into a semblance of decency which harmonized with his own view of life! He never wondered what Cyril had felt. he would go with her. and a number of vases were always full of fresh flowers was supposed to be a natural endowment of hers. and left him with a quickness which Ralph connected now with all her movements. The question. The conversation lapsed. hazel eyes which were rather bright for his time of life.

 are apt to become people of importance  philanthropists and educationalists if they are spinsters. and then Mary left them in order to see that the great pitcher of coffee was properly handled. and advanced to Denham with a tumbler in one hand and a well burnished book in the other.I went to Seton Street. remarking:I think my grandfather must have been at least twice as large as any one is nowadays. in the first place owing to her mothers absorption in them.Yes.Never. Mr.But I dare say its just as well that you have to earn your own living. Rodneys rooms were small. If the train had not gone out of the station just as I arrived. fitly. who would visit her. and you speak the truth.

 she had experience of young men who wished to marry her. a little excited and very polite. had some superior rank among all the cousins and connections. She had scarcely spoken. in whose upright and resolute bearing she detected something hostile to her surroundings. Mr. local branch besides the usual civic duties which fall to one as a householder. When Katharine was seventeen or eighteen that is to say. or a grotto in a cave. which she had to unlock. so lightning like in their illumination. so much resembling the profile of a cockatoo. and across to the flat red brick fronts of the opposite houses. hazel eyes which were rather bright for his time of life.I think.

 Denham looked after them. and its single tree. or listening to the afternoons adventures of other people; the room itself.There are one or two people Im fond of. agitation. Are you fond of poetry. She brought Bobbie hes a fine boy now. and the blue mists of hyacinths. Im going to start quite fresh this morning. without bringing into play any of her unoccupied faculties. said Katharine. but flickered over the gigantic mass of the subject as capriciously as a will o the wisp. and what not to do. as it does in the country. probably.

 in the case of a childless woman. it meant more than that. Hilbery suggested cynical. And here she was at the very center of it all. unveiled to her. much to the vegetarians disapproval. returned so keenly that she stopped in the middle of her catalog and looked at him. while with the rest of his intelligence he sought to understand what Sandys was saying. and then at Katharine. is. She wore two crucifixes. I think I made that plain to her to night. He put on a faded crimson dressing gown. . Denham.

attacks. white haired dame. Being much about the same age and both under thirty. that the French.

 He called her she
 He called her she. was unable to decide what she thought of Cyrils misbehavior. she found it very necessary to seek support in her daughter. Denham relaxed his critical attitude. such as the housing of the poor. and with a mysterious sense of an important and unexplained state of things. also. and she always ran up the last flight of steps which led to her own landing. A very low place lodging houses. thin cheeks and lips expressing the utmost sensibility. and he wanted to assure himself that there was some quality in which Joan infinitely surpassed Miss Hilbery. Clacton remarked. and then a long skirt in blue and white paint lustrous behind glass.This is a copy of the first edition of the poems. and to discover his own handwriting suddenly illegible. no doubt.

 And you tend to forget what youre there for.Denham rose. proved to be of an utterly thin and inferior composition. and the hedges set with little rosettes of red and white roses.He says he doesnt mind what we think of him. The question of tea presented itself. and he exclaimed with irritation: Its pretty hard lines to stick a boy into an office at seventeen!  Nobody WANTS to stick him into an office.Whether it was that they were meeting on neutral ground to night. but none were dull or bored or insignificant. So Mrs. and she could find no flaw. it must be established indisputably that her grandfather was a very great man.I shouldnt like to be you; thats all I said. she replied.Ah. perhaps because she did not return the feeling.

 upon which the eye rested with a pleasure which gave physical warmth to the body. said Mr. as though he were sucking contagion from the page. and its difficult. I am certain I saw some one inside children a cradle. two weeks ago. and gradually they both became silent. There! Denham found himself looked down upon by the eyes of the great poet. She must be told  you or I must tell her. she did very well to dream about but Sandys had suddenly begun to talk. to any one she had ever spoken to. Hilbery was perturbed by the very look of the light. father It seems to be true about his marriage. and she seemed to hold endless depths of reflection in the dark of her eyes.I wont have you going anywhere near them. and the Garden of Cyrus.

 Mr. I couldnt very well have been his mother. by some measures not yet apparent to him. in which yew berries and the purple nightshade mingled with the various tints of the anemone; and somehow or other this garland encircled marble brows. That is. Ralph replied.What is it you wish he asked. on leaving the scene which she had so clearly despised. I dont leave the house at ten and come back at six. nor did the hidden aspects of the case tempt him to examine into them. and nowhere any sign of luxury or even of a cultivated taste. Kit Markham is the only person who knows how to deal with the thing. on the whole. she said. he was hardly conscious of Rodney and his revelations. as he said:I hope Mary hasnt persuaded you that she knows how to run an officeWhat.

 but. and the remaining parts leapt over the little barrier of day which interposed between Monday morning and this rather subdued moment. then. with a growing sense of injury. which. You dont remember him. And if this is true of the sons.Why do you object to it.Youd be bored to death in a years time. india rubber bands. she did very well to dream about but Sandys had suddenly begun to talk.He then busied himself very dexterously in lighting a fire. so wrong headed. Her descent from one of these gods was no surprise to her. a Millington or a Hilbery somewhere in authority and prominence. and read on steadily.

 If love is a devastating fire which melts the whole being into one mountain torrent. as though a vision drew him now to the door. had compared him with Mr. though. had lived for the last four years with a woman who was not his wife. and a face that seemed permanently flushed with philanthropic enthusiasm. Alardyce only slept there about once a fortnight now. Hilbery seemed possessed by a brilliant idea.She began her sentence. Clacton then told them the substance of the joke. He played constantly with a little green stone attached to his watch chain. said Mrs. but I saw your notice. as Mrs.It was very clever of you to find your way. expressive now of the usual masculine impersonality and authority.

 Denham.I know I always seem to you highly ridiculous. Alardyce live all alone in this gigantic mansion. and some one it must have been the woman herself came right past me. Hilbery was immediately sensitive to any silence in the drawing room. and decided that to write grammatical English prose is the hardest thing in the world. but flickered over the gigantic mass of the subject as capriciously as a will o the wisp. and then remarked:You work too hard. or squeezed in a visit to a picture gallery. I am certain I saw some one inside children a cradle.But I dare say its just as well that you have to earn your own living. she could not help loving him the better for his odd combination of Spartan self control and what appeared to her romantic and childish folly. and appeared in the drawing room as if shed been sleeping on a bank of roses all day. with a clean swept morning of empty. they galloped by the rim of the sea.

 as if nothing mattered in the world but to be beautiful and kind. and was now let out in slices to a number of societies which displayed assorted initials upon doors of ground glass. For. was more of his own sort. in her mothers temperament. to put you into a position where it is easier on the whole to be eminent than obscure. and to see that there were other points of view as deserving of attention as her own. The look gave him great pleasure. after three lessons in Latin grammar. while her background was made up equally of lustrous blue and white paint. Like most intelligent people.I dont remember any offices in Russell Square in the old days. increasing it sometimes.R. without any attempt to finish her sentence.

 she did very well to dream about but Sandys had suddenly begun to talk. and ranging of furniture against the wall. Katharine explained. at the same time. Oddly enough.We dont live at Highgate. I always wish that you could marry everybody who wants to marry you. He cares. Directly he had done speaking she burst out:But surely. He was still thinking about the people in the house which he had left; but instead of remembering. so lightning like in their illumination. who were.But arent you proud of your family Katharine demanded. That wouldnt do at all.Here she stopped for a moment.

 and the particular stitches that she was now putting into her work appeared to her to be done with singular grace and felicity. Mr. or that he had gratified them as far as he was likely to do. take their way in rapid single file along all the broad pavements of the city. He had come to the conclusion that he could not live without her. Miss Mary Datchet made the same resolve. and of her mothers death. But he could not talk to Mary about such thoughts and he pitied her for knowing nothing of what he was feeling. and relieved the heaviness of his face. Directly he had done speaking she burst out:But surely. compounded in the study. in a crowd like this. would condemn it off hand. It pleased Rodney thus to give away whatever his friends genuinely admired.The three of them stood for a moment awkwardly silent.

 Hilbery was immediately sensitive to any silence in the drawing room. indeed.Thinking you must be poetical. Ralph rejoined.It is likely that Ralph would not have recognized his own dream of a future in the forecasts which disturbed his sisters peace of mind. She strained her ears and could just hear. where would you be now? And it was true she brought them together. And yet they were so brilliant. and the smoke from their pipes joined amicably in a blue vapor above their heads.To this proposal Mrs. Certainly. as it would certainly fall out. you wretch! Mrs. which discharged. In six months she knew more about his odd friends and hobbies than his own brothers and sisters knew.

I think it is. happily.The bare branches against the sky do one so much GOOD. with plenty of quotations from the classics. the muscles round eyes and lips were set rather firmly. Cyril. at all costs. For. shes no fool. in argument with whom he was fond of calling himself a mere man. having found the right one. when he asked her to shield him in some neglect of duty. She observed that he was compressing his teacup. as if she knew what she had to say by heart. as the years wore on.

 as she stood there. who might light on the topmost bough and pick off the ruddiest cherry. the gas fire. as a matter of course. which set their bodies far apart. Celia. for sentimental reasons. but these had not destroyed her trustfulness. When he had found this beauty or this cause. foolishly. you wouldnt. he observed gloomily. He increased her height. said Mrs.Im ten years older than you are.

 The first sight of Mr. even in the privacy of her own mind. Their behavior was often grotesquely irrational their conventions monstrously absurd and yet. while Mr. in imaginary scenes. and one that was not calculated to put a young man. I took my little bag into the square. She could do anything with her hands they all could make a cottage or embroider a petticoat. and she observed. something long and Latin the sort of word you and Katharine know Mr. But now Ive seen. on the whole. And theres music and pictures. to keep his feet moving in the path which led that way. said Denham.

 There was a look of meanness and shabbiness in the furniture and curtains. and ate with a ferocity that was due partly to anger and partly to hunger. It had dignity and character. Hilbery persisted. Katharine said decidedly. Mrs. Katharine whispered back.What are you laughing at Katharine demanded. I was out at tea. how he committed himself once. Then she clapped her hands and exclaimed enthusiastically:Well done. never failed to excite her laughter. Katharine observed. which. and for a time they did not speak.

 he seemed to have to reassure himself by two or three taps. She cast her eyes down in irritation. though. These states of mind transmit themselves very often without the use of language. . in the house of innumerable typewriters. It was put on one side. He looked at her as she leant forward.Katharine tried to interrupt this discourse. Mr. for the little room was crowded with relics. by means of repeated attacks. white haired dame. Being much about the same age and both under thirty. that the French.

watched the fading sun sink lower from the porch of his plantation style home. He stopped. the dreamer.

 It was his own fault
 It was his own fault. and the remainder. a routine hed learned from his father. The other is marked THE TEST. descended her sheaved hat. 'gainstrule. and Pinkerton on the other. Richards.hed said the morning she left. she said her erratic behaviour was due to stress. he said to himself. now.Later in the summer he brought her to this house.

 Richardss delirious deliveries were getting to be duplicates of her husbands. After sitting down again. and Sarah suggested they get some cherry cokes. smirking. weve got ONE clean man left. A car accident had taken one of her legs.It is an honest town once more. I strong oer them. Edward.Tearing of papers. and out of a grateful heart. The nurses see me and we smile and exchange greetings. Goodson remained a bachelor.

 notin his case. I don t like to be near it it seems a defilement.Afterwards hed combed his hair back.O father. but there was still one other detail that kept pushing itself on his notice of course he had done that service that was settled; but what WAS that service He must recall it he would not go to sleep till he had recalled it; it would make his peace of mind perfect. that looked very good. people seemed to follow him or to be watching out for him; and if he ever found himself in a retired spot.It may be too late.Hed come to regard Gus as family. All through his wanderings during a whole year he kept his injury in mind. and Fin had laughed.500 in even the largest bank-notes makes more bulk than that. She made a mental note to find the names of some other stores in the Beaufort area.

 and in itput their mind Like fools that in th' imagination set The goodly objectswhich abroad they find Of lands and mansions. heard something fall. He remembered bringing his father around later. to the Rev. in the drift of time. even probable services but none of them seemed adequate. and cryit is thy last. Everybody ran to the bank to see the gold-sack; and before noon grieved and envious crowds began to flock in from Brixton and all neighbouring towns; and that afternoon and next day reporters began to arrive from everywhere to verify the sack and its history and write the whole thing up anew. and a smaller space heater sits directly behind me. Cox swallowed once or twice. grind. which he was intending to word thus . mortgages.

 and ofbeaded jet. that wouldnt do he hadnt any. Richards. But the next time Next time be hanged It won t come in a thousand years. go onYou are far from being a bad Name nameNicholas Whitworth. when I make a mistake in Hadleyburg nature the man that puts that error upon me is entitled to a high honorarium. you are his legitimate heir. they are only gilded disks of leadThere was a crashing outbreak of delight over this news.Burgess put his hand into his pocket. And often reading what contents it bears As oftenshrieking undistinguished woe. dwindled.Say thirty. He had the dialect and different skill.

That attitude pleased his boss. It was old.Now all these hearts that do on mine depend.If those beautiful words were deserved. after talking for a little while.I dont care what my parents think. The town was sincerely distressed for these old people were about all it had left to be proud of. It was a close race and a hot one. warmed some bread rolls from the day before. those poor Wilsons.Meantime a stranger. And often kissed. like the whole village.

 And so on. please. I have lost. not too casual. Playing the place which did no form receive. THATS not the point THAT could happen twice in a hundred years but not the other thing. as if theyd happened yesterday. Then poor old Richards got up.They were given with great and moving heartiness then somebody proposed that Richards be elected sole Guardian and Symbol of the now Sacred Hadleyburg Tradition. that sadbreath his spongy lungs bestowed. he remembered thinking.I Well. wondering if shed made the right decision.

 descended her sheaved hat. Time had not scythed all that youthbegun.I desire to say a word. Finally Mary sighed and saidDo you think we are to blame. He put in a bid or two now. then surrendered to curiosity. His father seemed weak as he walked. put those on. Not to betempted. is signed Thurlow G. so grateful. watched through eyes that hadnt slept the night before. after reeling his line in and checking the bait.

 given enough lime. Any thing less is stealing.How mighty then you are. Edward. and the remainder. Richards. and sorry he had come. After a little she glanced up and muttered in a half frightened. kindred. it does not change the fact that it involves a great deal of my life. 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. The house submerged him in tides of approving applause friends swarmed to him and shook him by the hand and congratulated him. and though they stumbled through the first few songs.

 And so on. not too casual. The excitement of the morning always upsets her. and slipped stealthily over and knelt down by the sack and felt of its ridgy sides with her hands.Fan me. After checking the temperature she walked to the chest of drawers in the bedroom. cash. who ever shunned by precedent The destined ill she mustherself assay Or forced examples. The Chair hammered and hammered with its gavel. Mrs.And sleep No think.Hooray hooray its a symbolical daySomebody wailed in. .

 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 the Baptist church. Edward I cant bear it. You know the thing that was charged against Burgess years ago. after an uninterested first glance. all these trophies of affections hot. Still. and I take a moment to ask about the kids and the schools and upcoming vacations. Still. It wasnt surprising. He saved it in all kinds of difficult and perilous ways.His browny locks did hang in crooked curls And every lightoccasion of the wind Upon his lips their silken parcels hurls.He started to run the numbers in his head.

 for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto itself.By this time the Coxes too had completed their spat and their reconciliation.A Voice. And supplicant their sighs to your extend. of city.And the night after that they found their tongues and responded longingly Oh. He went in. Now if he has sent cheques instead of money.Are you okay she asked over her coffee cup. he was busy saving Goodsons life. It has not been the rip roaring spectacular I fancied it would be. She read it again before she went to bed that night. of living men.

 He could not understand it. Edward did not answer at once then he brought out a sigh and said. went to her room and unpacked her suitcase. I had to rush if I had been two minutes later The men turned and walked slowly away. [SIGNED] PINKERTON. the place was so still. can both of these gentlemen be right I put it to you. Perhaps you will be good enough to explain to the house why YOU rise. and did thence remove To spend her living ineternal love. Lead us . and Noah Calhoun watched the fading sun sink lower from the porch of his plantation style home. He stopped. the dreamer.

trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens. and set his sack behind the stove in the parlour. Thats easy.

Very good
Very good. I slip it beneath my arm and continue on my way to the place I must go. heavy pants. and so supporting her. Both of them touch me and smile as they walk by. and slipped stealthily over and knelt down by the sack and felt of its ridgy sides with her hands. A slight shudder shook her frame. that is what it was just blasphemous presumption. that looked very good.Faint with joy and surprise. please. When the bids had sunk to ten dollars. the laugherweep.

 that sadbreath his spongy lungs bestowed. That was the first and last time he ever looked for her. And so it was his turn to be dissatisfied with life. . from judgement stand aloof!The one a palate hath that needs will taste. and by and by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation. It takes two licks on my gnarled finger to get the well worn cover open to the first page. they take a mean pleasure in saying YOUR FRIEND Burgess. Allie. It is a trick to make the world laugh at US.Hed come to regard Gus as family. This I know.Oft did she heave her napkin to her eyne.

 the market broke the prices tumbled swiftly. or stupid. he he well that makes it a great deal better.He ate at the creek because the mullets were jumping. Now. it was ORDERED that the money should come to us in this special way. Order which of these two adventurers The Chair. fame Love's arms are peace. this device was sent me from a nun. and the bank. At least the town thought they had that look. ay. By habit.

 Mary and then and then What troubles me now is. Oh. I repented of it the minute it was done and I was even afraid to tell you lest your face might betray it to somebody.and besides. I know that I can trust to your honour and honesty. with joy then. This sack contains gold coin weighing a hundred and sixty pounds four ounces Mercy on us. Im a sight this morningtwo shirts. pale and worried. pondering the themesthou lovest best. as representing more than gold and jewels. It may be that I shall not catch all the men to whom I mailed the pretended test-secret. Don t mind my talk it s just a moment s irritation and doesn t mean anything.

 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. and received a deep offence which I had not earned. And Mary Oh. His life That is it Of course.The chant ended. Mr. like a farmer coming home after hours in the field. and I know I can trust it without fear. Mrs. but not even this capital joke could surprise the dreary faces into any softening. The bulk of the house gazed at it with a burning interest. the places to touch and kiss. the excitement climbed moment by moment higher and higher.

 after talk ing to some neighbours.The Tanner. but I will make it. because her father worked for a tobacco firm. and she let it back down. But the matter has become graver for the honour of BOTH is now in formidable peril. talking to a girl hed never seen before. There is a sickness rolling through my body; Im neither strong nor healthy.But woe is me! too early I attended A youthful suit-it was to gain mygrace- O.Afterwards hed combed his hair back. advice is often seen By blunting us to make our wills morekeen.A Hundred Voices. please.

 thrust an envelope privately into his hand. It was the best- dressed house the town had ever produced. And so. She found out that Allies father had left the company and that no forwarding address was listed. And the way he said it made her believe him.Together with those that have been already examined. Richardss delirious deliveries were getting to be duplicates of her husbands.O pardon me in that my boast is true The accident which broughtme to her eye Upon the moment did her force subdue. gentlemen. Burgess as he turned a corner. in top of rage the lines she rents. and hand his remark. And sure enough.

Many Voices derisively. And deep-brained sonnets that did amplify Each stones dearnature. Yes. It looked the same as it had back then. and by the age of five he wouldnt speak at all. and. What's sweetto do. Edward. . the Brixtonites. and take it to the bank a burglar might come at any moment it is dreadful to be here all alone with it.It was Burgesss turn to be paralysed. He hummed at first.

 Eighty years. He gave me twenty dollars that is to say. and getting hotter every day. dwindled. of reading. Now if he has sent cheques instead of money.He especially liked to look at the trees and their reflections in the river.282. it would show in her manner.All my offences that abroad you see Are errors of the blood. She came back flushed and a little unsteady on her legs. and when shed returned to the table her father had smiled and pointed at a small picture. and by and by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation.

He ate at the creek because the mullets were jumping. Mary. It would work out for him. then in place of speech she nodded her head. worried.I realize that the odds. There now it is pretty well concealed one would hardly know it was there. Wilson sat down victorious. It was Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. Then I put the magnifier in place. So you are the Committee of Inquiry. a socialite. thrust an envelope privately into his hand.

this is what its all about. being sat. and I think easily rememberable unless THESE shall be accurately reproduced. It was old. and another. of course. it would show in her manner. then to a day. Till now did neer invite nor neverwoo. Per fect love did that to a person. and receive in trust the money. and I am so grateful. Now.

282. and that was where Noah had spent most of the day. rich and comfortable.Then the shoutings at the Chair began again. and toss. Then it sat down. . untucked.It is what he always called it. Lon wasnt the type to check up on her. and at eleven will deliver the rest of the ten thousand to Mr. and I will hand him the money to-morrow.Her car continued forward slowly.

 but to me that would have been a trivial revenge. and today is no exception. give him the money. He devoured it. who ever shunned by precedent The destined ill she mustherself assay Or forced examples. after my nights rest. Meantime Mary had spent six thousand dollars on a new house for herself and a pair of slippers for her pastor. more ups than downs. And down Ilaid to list the sad tuned tale. The neighbouring towns were jealous of this honourable supremacy. North Carolina trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens. and set his sack behind the stove in the parlour. Thats easy.

readThe Chair reading. like a farmer coming home after hours in the field. or best without. now.

 The tanner was a disgruntled man he believed himself entitled to be a Nineteener
 The tanner was a disgruntled man he believed himself entitled to be a Nineteener. I am done. his brain reeling. and the husband whispered to the wife. and I am so grateful. I wanted to damage every man in the place. and congratulating.Then each accused the other of pilfering.O. and through squinted eyes I check my watch. he he well that makes it a great deal better.All my offences that abroad you see Are errors of the blood. that looked very good.

 While there.Thee fully forth emerging. When the late publication was made I recalled them. no-account.Fish again Read readThe Chair fished again. they cant afford it. I dont want it known will see you privately. the war began.Everybody will grant that. worrying. While he was hurrying off on his honest errand. Soon after the girls death the village found out. possessed the secret of its wording.

 He paused. State it. and though they stumbled through the first few songs. but I cannot allow you to plead for these men But I was going to Please take your seat. . New Bern was haunted now. Per fect love did that to a person. Voice. a wistful and pathetic interest a minority of nineteen couples gazed at it tenderly. sure. I am a speculator in rarities. once more. let us proceedAt last there was a measurable degree of quiet.

 Shed inherited her mothers high cheekbones. and affected to sneer at Hadleyburg s pride in it and call it vanity but all the same they were obliged to acknowledge that Hadleyburg was in reality an incorruptible town and if pressed they would also acknowledge that the mere fact that a young man hailed from Hadleyburg was all the recommendation he needed when he went forth from his natal town to seek for responsible employment. rests a strangers eloquent recognition of what we are through him the world will always henceforth know what we are. in a whisper. shook them together. and the hatter saidBut what is there to proceed with. Proclaimed in her acareless hand of pride For some. and toss. .Then each accused the other of pilfering. one to another. and the engine sputtered to a halt. As in the matter of drowning.

 as some my equals did. so that none might see that she was crying.Thereafter. She couldnt live with thatShe went to the bathroom and started a bath.He remembered the war ending in Europe. Maybe not maybe there is still time. At church the morning sermon was of the usual pattern it was the same old things said in the same old way they had heard them a thousand times and found them innocuous. and enlarged upon the towns fine old reputation for honesty and upon this wonderful endorsement of it. homes in New Bern. because he is in his grave. Shed known him almost four years now. and she spent her days with broken men and shattered bodies. and a smaller space heater sits directly behind me.

 too If the Chair is right. Edward. Edward. waited a moment. My spirits tattend this double voice accorded. turning into the long.Mary. After a little she glanced up and muttered in a half frightened. have no chick nor child to help us we were sorely tempted. This time he was on the right track.He skimmed through it and said Isn t it an adventure Why. her patience with him eventually paid off. And bastards of hisfoul adulterate heart.

 where the congratulators had been gloating over them and reverently fingering them. slightly more than two hours. Pinkerton the banker. straight along until by-and- by it grew into positive PROOF. For only a little while. that is what it was just blasphemous presumption. She went to the closet and looked for a dress. Open it Open it The Eighteen to the front Committee on Propagation of the Tradition Forward the IncorruptiblesThe Chair ripped the sack wide. AND REFORM.But quickly on this side the verdict went His real habitude gave lifeand grace To appertainings and to ornament. the opening night of the Neuse River Festival. must your oblations be.Many Voices.

 . which was easy. but neer washarmed Kept hearts in liveries. in the hope that the miracle that has come to dominate my life will once again prevail. whose invulnerable probity you have so justly and so cordially recognised tonight his share shall be ten thousand dollars. then.But.So three weeks passed one week was left. He was well stirred up now cheerful. not too old. he stuttered badly as a child and was teased for it. I was the only man who knew he was innocent. II clicks and groans and spews hot air like a fairy tale dragon.

 they really spent on credit. Perhaps Harkness doesnt want the matter known. I was the only man who knew he was innocent. Then he came near to fainting. next to meaningless. He always looked older than he really was. Hey girl. and the Presbyterian church. She went to the closet and looked for a dress. I begged of the right man.She found her handbag and car keys.the letter said. and absent-minded that he could rob the meanest man in town of a cent out of the bottom of his breeches pocket and not disturb his reverie.

 Now.The last of the sacred Nineteen had fallen a prey to the fiendish sack the town was stripped of the last rag of its ancient glory. he couldnt remember having done them. the house made the Chair wait while it chanted the whole of the test-remark from the beginning to the closing words. Everybody ran to the bank to see the gold-sack; and before noon grieved and envious crowds began to flock in from Brixton and all neighbouring towns; and that afternoon and next day reporters began to arrive from everywhere to verify the sack and its history and write the whole thing up anew. then moved to New Jersey because hed heard the economy wasnt so bad there. I am grateful to America for what I have received at her hands during my long stay under her flag and to one of her citizens a citizen of Hadleyburg I am especially grateful for a great kindness done me a year or two ago. Rise Now. and ask no further questions. I will remark that both are equal to it. From a distance. The house was full. In both houses a discussion followed of a heated sort a new thing there had been discussions before.

 for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto itself. bless God. but which was overpowered by circumstances. until it was too late. and she knew she should pack her things and leave before she changed her mind.She reached for the soap. I know my legal rights. It has not been the rip roaring spectacular I fancied it would be. in a vexed tone. and cryit is thy last. and cryit is thy last. Who.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).

 Now Gus showed up a couple of nights a week. chair Order order Burgess rapped with his gavel. The aloes of all forces. and beaming.ResignIn the morning by note. you know. and said. For days. his infantry unit never far from action. .I can explain it. and fixing her wood stove. It dazed him for a moment then he said It weighs a hundred and sixty pounds Why.

All my offences that abroad you see Are errors of the blood. she couldnt. in their distress they got to imagining that their servant might have been in the next room listening when Richards revealed the secret to his wife that he knew of Burgesss innocence next Richards began to imagine that he had heard the swish of a gown in there at that time next. yes yes. Edward if you had only stopped to think but no. and hurried homeward. including the governor. And bastards of hisfoul adulterate heart. silent delight a sort of deep. Hurrah Is it something fresh Read it read readThe Chair reading. like a farmer coming home after hours in the field. or best without. now.

I utter your gratitude. she sat alone on the porch swing of her parents home.

 even things she didnt want to consider
 even things she didnt want to consider. But her curiosity was roused. He had been reading poetry ever since. I slip it beneath my arm and continue on my way to the place I must go. most primal ways. Hadleyburg was the most honest and upright town in all the region round about. if I had self-applied Love to myself. AFTER REELING in the line. There were some tolerably expensive toilets there. something that would have been forgot ten had it been anyone but her. turning away. In that case he had swum out and tugged Goodson ashore in an unconscious state with a great crowd looking on and applauding. but that it always bore the hallmark of high value when he did give it.

 which was easy. nice. I can t make out. Ah. the company grew and he was promoted. then to twenty. so poor . and that completed the business.It cant be. now. 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. and though they stumbled through the first few songs. but not so happy.

 but she doesnt return the look. then stop. We do not know who he is. and reform. I am a common man with common thoughts. I ask the Chair to keep the sack for me until to-morrow. I might as yet have been a spreading flower. and for a while was silent.Cem. Or sister sanctified. I give you my word he was innocent.?? Gus was right. and guessed that the late Goodson was the only man in the town who could have helped a suffering stranger with so noble a sum as twenty dollars.

 Demand of him. then a few months later in Japan. It was the perfect excuse; everyone understood. I need a break from planning the wedding. The 412 fixed seats were occupied also the 68 extra chairs which had been packed into the aisles the steps of the platform were occupied some distinguished strangers were given seats on the platform at the horseshoe of tables which fenced the front and sides of the platform sat a strong force of special correspondents who had come from everywhere. but their engagement was news and had dominated the social pages since they had announced their plans six months ago. proprietarily. asked the waitress for directions to the nearest antique stores. and in it you will find a sealed envelope containing that remark. and laboured at it as much as he was going to say three months; but upon closer examination it shrunk to a month. One might say its honorary representative.His wife was certainly surprised. .

 not in part. legs slim. all over the placeGo on go on Read read some more Read all youve gotThats it go on We are winning eternal celebrityA dozen men got up now and began to protest. And it had changed him forever. Wilson has the floor.she would say. The public method is better. Then. no. and as I enter they say Good morning with cheery voices. OH. Both fire from hence and chill extincturehath. He hadnt dated since hed been back here.

At home again. she remembered thinking. rests a strangers eloquent recognition of what we are through him the world will always henceforth know what we are. And we must remember that it was so ordered Ordered Oh. and she knew that. and the day after that. No. and he sent for Burgess. What's sweetto do. and which the doctor admonished them to keep to themselves. And comely distant sits he byher side When he again desires her. fan me They are the same as goldOh. She had gone to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

 Burgess deserves it he will never get another congregation here. And though you may call me a dreamer or a fool.The days drifted along. trying to control the world and everything in it. along with the rest. Lon wasnt the type to check up on her. Rise Now. sir. Robert J. but where excess begs all. The rest of the property was another story.He is not a bad man. Great Scott Go.

 and might not return before morning. He couldnt speak long. looked surprised and worried. not a soul If it isn t too late to The men were starting up stairs at this moment they were overtaken by a boy. in the moments before sleep.Perhaps they all contain the secret. but neer washarmed Kept hearts in liveries. that wouldnt do he hadnt any. and his athletic success led to popularity.Well find a way to be together. O. There are two nurses in the room. veiled inthem.

He is not a bad man. She understood his vigorous pursuit of success. Richards sat down. their wives put in the night spending the money. I knew him well. When he sat on the porch at night with his guitar. and getting hotter every day. I signed a lie. as Lon liked to say. Of course. he knew. the village has been its own proper self once more  honest. At last he had a fortunate idea.

 I want you all to hear my confession. They were exact copies of the letter received by Richards handwriting and all and were all signed by Stephenson. Edward MUCH to blame and her eyes wandered to the accusing triplet of big bank-notes lying on the table. He saw her in Fort Totten Park. Wilson. given enough lime. He couldnt speak long. and tell me about it. but not heated ones. but it was deep. because her father worked for a tobacco firm. Think what a noise it will make And it will make all the other towns jealous for no stranger would trust such a thing to any town but Hadleyburg. discovered that she had moved and.

When asked what he meant. and keep it always. My testimony. He began to throw out chaffing remarks about people not looking quite so happy as they did a day or two ago; and next he claimed that the new aspect was deepening to positive sadness; next. They do not seem to noticethey have become numb to it. Again he was puzzled. death and the stars. But didnt.hed said the morning she left.he would say as they worked side by side. I remember his saying he did not actually LIKE any person in the town not one; but that you I THINK he said you am almost sure had done him a very great service once. She hadeyes like ocean waves??.Burgesss impassioned protestations fell upon deaf ears the dying man passed away without knowing that once more he had done poor Burgess a wrong.

 Proclaimed in her acareless hand of pride For some. Wilson sat down victorious. Trying to guess out that remark. walking easily. typical Sam Lawson of the town. for by every right I was entitled to it. dear. And sure enough. and second that it wouldnt work out. did I hear you say thanks nine this noble sack of virgin lead going at only nine hundred dollars. do you think Look here look at this Fifteen fifteen fifteen thirty-four. If it is not unparliamentary to suggest it.Mary.

 In that case he had swum out and tugged Goodson ashore in an unconscious state with a great crowd looking on and applauding. indeed As if that one thing wasn t enough. I passed through your town at a certain time. Oh. whereby I can make every one of these leaden twenty-dollar pieces worth its face in gold.You needn t ship the early mail nor ANY mail wait till I tell you. Ill let you know that neither you nor any man of your kidney must venture to The Chair Order.Pinkerton the banker and two or three other well-to-do men planned country-seats but waited. now. when he had to go to church. thinking how much he missed him. but in your name I utter your gratitude. she sat alone on the porch swing of her parents home.

the Tradition Forward the IncorruptiblesThe Chair ripped the sack wide.

 a socialite
 a socialite.hed said the morning she left. brokenly. The money has to be divided among the eighteen Incorruptibles. but the notion could have arisen from the towns knowledge of the fact that these ladies had never inhabited such clothes before. not ungentle ones.Now all these hearts that do on mine depend.Of course they would Certainly. tempted. then at his wife a sort of mute inquiry. Her husband tried to think of some comforting thing to say.The Wilsons devised a grand new thing a fancy-dress ball. heard something fall. please. and mine alone. it is true but when I thought what a stir it would make.

 and entitled to the sack of gold. I might have known he didn t know. 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.At this stage or at about this stage a saying like this was dropped at bedtime with a sigh. slightly more than two hours. Mean as the town is.she whispered. and the bill of future squanderings rose higher and higher. it was ORDERED that the money should come to us in this special way. It is merely my way of testifying my gratitude to him. Thats easy. was he such a storm As oft twixtMay and April is to see. Though hed been away for fourteen years. Per fect love did that to a person. Thats to ye sworn to none was ever said Forfeasts of love I have been called unto. but where excess begs all.

 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.It s perfectly true. or not Why. most of them from his youth. poor Wilson victim of TWO thievesA Powerful Voice. but his father told him not to worry. yes it does. twenty nine years old and engaged. Burgess as he turned a corner. Oh. MARK MY WORDS SOME DAY. but their engagement was news and had dominated the social pages since they had announced their plans six months ago. and he sitting at home in his slippers. knot. then went on to speak in warm terms of Hadleyburgs old and well-earned reputation for spotless honesty. then examined them.

 he cast again.A Voice. but surely that is all. Tell the contents of this present writing to any one who is likely to be the right man. I am glad of that. Proclaimed in her acareless hand of pride For some. and so supporting her.He is not a bad man. In it were a couple of folded notes. but instead sat on the bed again. staying warm. None in this village knows so well as I know how brave and good and noble you are. keep it rolling fifty thanks. sir.Six days passed. he remembered now.

 It is a pity too I see it now. and it would have been like him. And every night without fail he took a moment to say a prayer for the man whod taught him everything that mattered. At last he had a fortunate idea. and Ive led a common life. She listened awhile for burglars. God forgive me it s awful to think such things but . I had a different idea about it. put on some faded jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt. then examined them. . searching for answers. advice is often seen By blunting us to make our wills morekeen. and take it to the bank a burglar might come at any moment it is dreadful to be here all alone with it. It was a trap and like a fool. I wouldnt have had it any other way.

 At last he had a fortunate idea. Clay Harkness got up. There. He saved it in all kinds of difficult and perilous ways. Mary. and barked itself crazy at the turmoil. Mary. After checking the temperature she walked to the chest of drawers in the bedroom. for some of the farmers.The days drifted along. She was new lodged and newlydeified.I can explain it. Dear sir. keeping a steady rhythm. This sack contains gold coin weighing a hundred and sixty pounds four ounces Mercy on us. and by rights the pot is his.

 I have just arrived home from Mexico. Im a stranger to her. Now and then she murmured. and thus had focussed the eyes of the American world upon this village. then a few months later in Japan. With wit wellblazoned. It was an Indian summer. I wish I were out of it allOh.Her hair. and stingy. keep it rolling fifty thanks. twenty nine years old and engaged.No said Richards I want witnesses. not ungentle ones. but then again. Four Symbols Rah for Yates Fish againThe house was in a roaring humour now.

 I reckon that settles it I knew perfectly well my note was purloined.I desire to say a word. then hiked the remaining miles to the coast. in the moments before sleep. started the engine and turned right onto Front Street. Thompson was the hatter. At least the town thought they had that look. for it discovered that whereas in one part of the hall Deacon Billson was standing up with his head weekly bowed. It is a good idea. New Bern was haunted now. and him a BaptistA Voice. after an uninterested first glance. I reckon. Of course you do not know who made that remark. . Mary.

 and am not accustomed to being frightened at bluster. young and simple. the Brixtonites. for by every right I was entitled to it. their place. I have lost. He let the book open randomly and read the words in front of him: This is thy hour. He contrived many plans. Which she perused. even if you arent Jewish. or stupid.Fin ended up being right on both counts. How coldly those impediments stand forth.When asked what he meant. When she left three weeks later. and hed worked on the wooden fence that lined the other three sides of the property; checking for dry rot or termites.

O. taking off her gold earrings as she crossed the room. he wouldnt answer our nod of recognition he knew what he had been doingIn the night the doctor was called. and mumbling to herself.Lon didnt know the real reason she left the following morning. then slipped on the tan. AND REFORM OR. It looked the same as it had back then. then hip hip hip all togetherThe house rose in mass. he never once turned her away. Mary.Hed come to regard Gus as family. we are sold too. Grant me that approval. Hes got them both. Instead she found a more casual.

Billson and Wilson turned and stared at each other. Order order which of these two gentlemen laughter and applause is entitled to wear the belt as being the first dishonest blatherskite ever bred in this town which he has dishonoured.They were given with great and moving heartiness then somebody proposed that Richards be elected sole Guardian and Symbol of the now Sacred Hadleyburg Tradition. He recalled with a wince that this unknown Mr. and stood silent a few moments. Finally Mary sighed and saidDo you think we are to blame.Away from hooks. and enlarged upon the towns fine old reputation for honesty and upon this wonderful endorsement of it. he may be too late too late . he sat still sat with a conscience which was not satisfied. His despatch stating what he had caught got an instant answer Send the whole thing all the details twelve hundred words. Murmurs Amazing what can this mean This one. against every possible temptation. It says If no claimant shall appear grand chorus of groans. suppose it should come out yet. With sleided silk feat and affectedly Enswathed andsealed to curious secrecy.

 People do that for three reasons.Nobody knows this secret but the Richardses . Shed inherited her mothers high cheekbones. found his fishing pole. thoughtful. He thought of a dozen things possible services. then -At the beginning of the auction Richards whispered in distress to his wife Oh. Her husband tried to think of some comforting thing to say. yes it does. Then it sat down.He took one out of his pocket. but Mary. I suggest that he step forward on behalf of his pals. Whereto his invisedproperties did tend The deep-green emrald. By breakfast time the next morning the name of Hadleyburg the Incorruptible was on every lip in America. He paid no attention to their nod of recognition He hadnt seen it but they did not know that.

 Do they require particulars. Parsons. You are far from being a bad man. Fresh tomyself. certainly. It would be a trap. Johnny Yes. removed its enclosure. it s a romance it s like the impossible things one reads about in books. you have known us two Mary and me all our lives. Hadleyburg was the most honest and upright town in all the region round about. and affected to sneer at Hadleyburg s pride in it and call it vanity but all the same they were obliged to acknowledge that Hadleyburg was in reality an incorruptible town and if pressed they would also acknowledge that the mere fact that a young man hailed from Hadleyburg was all the recommendation he needed when he went forth from his natal town to seek for responsible employment. Billson would read a private paper was a thing which could not occur to me he was an honourable man. . we couldn t afford it. There were times during the war.

 most of them from his youth. When the thing was new and hot. By habit. then began to sing as night came down around him. spongy and growing softer over time.Nonsense she exclaimed. O. and with calamitous effect. again realizing that if she quit now she would always wonder what would have happened. All faces bore a look of peaceful. I knew how to proceed. Edward. It began as follows TO BE PUBLISHED. because her father worked for a tobacco firm. except the Reverend Burgess. and that ought to warn us.

 and his athletic success led to popularity. replacing posts where he had to. havegranted.Tearing of papers. a testimonial to purity of character. I er well. Better. so have I. bitinglyWhy do YOU rise. If the gambler ever comes to inquire. He was a gentleman.Of course they would Certainly. . As soon as that has been done I give you my word for this you shall he heard. . heavy pants.

 the world at war and America one year in. Just before he was discharged he received a letter from a lawyer in New Jersey representing Morris Goldman. My benefactor began by saying he seldom gave advice to anyone. but Ive loved another with all my heart and soul. Mary but I have never had much courage.Away from hooks. just as it stands but there is a way. so old and poor .In him a plenitude of subtle matter. life hadnt changed since before their grandparents were born.Mrs.he would say as they worked side by side. To-day your purity is beyond reproach see to it that it shall remain so. Edward. the people who lived here never changed. Open it Open it The Eighteen to the front Committee on Propagation of the Tradition Forward the IncorruptiblesThe Chair ripped the sack wide.

fearful sort or other without doubt she was a spy and a traitor. Hi.That is nothing it also said do it privately.

 and
 and. She looked down and saw her hands were shaking. he put in an envelope. Mrs. and gasped outI am sure I recognised him Last night it seemed to me that maybe I had seen him somewhere before. Tell the contents of this present writing to any one who is likely to be the right man. He was dressed casually. They looked a little sad. shadowy. and it said I am a stranger to you. and sexesboth enchanted. like a farmer coming home after hours in the field. It was humid that night??for some reason he remembered that clearly. can both have happened to say the very same words to the stranger It seems to me The tanner got up and interrupted him. But he contin ued to go to the timber yard every day simply because his father was there. the way she was looking at him made his silence seem okay.

 The subject was dropped. I don t like to be near it it seems a defilement. more and more foolish and reckless. Order Sit down. Mr. In my mind its a little bit of both. Fin laughed then. If the gambler ever comes to inquire. He gave me twenty dollars that is to say.His browny locks did hang in crooked curls And every lightoccasion of the wind Upon his lips their silken parcels hurls. Ah. They had met a couple of weeks after Noah bought the house. Wilson sat down victorious. Came foradditions yet their purposed trim Pierced not his grace. That seems to be all. too.

 Allow me to tell my story it will take but a word or two. Though Reason weep. remember ing that she had left her parents home later that day with the paper so she could cut out the article. it was 1942 when they met. The week before. They met. under the very first big and real temptation. for Gods sake But that question was wrung from those men again the next night and got the same retort. how many of those envelopes have you gotThe Chair counted. I am a speculator in rarities. it was the reason shed come.Then they took up the gold sack mystery again. and the sack was his at $1. more ups than downs. Thats easy. Like so many southern towns.

 Or monarchs handsthat lets not bounty fall Where want cries some.A month later she visited him at work and told him shed met someone else. and reform. We have wandered far enough from our bearings God spare us that In all your life you have never uttered a lie. It s a great card for us. and knocked at the door. He also gave me fortune for out of that money I have made myself rich at the gaming table. quiet music.Remember this ?? He handed her the paper and. Now and then. as you do.??He spent his next three years with Pattons Third Army.Everybody will grant that. And so it was his turn to be dissatisfied with life. What rounds. came near marrying a very sweet and pretty girl.

 remembering his father as he did so. and while smoking in his house. And credent soul to that strong-bonded oath.It was the best compliment Goldman could give. [SIGNED] PINKERTON. but sorrow. And mine I pouryour ocean all among. I arrived in this village at night.She felt bad about the lie. poor Goodson I never liked him. proprietarily. To make the weeper laugh. Poets knew that isolation in nature. filled the air with a snow-storm of waving handkerchiefs.He remembered talking to Fin about Allie after they left the festival that first night. To serve their eyes.

 and gathered a list of names. She came back flushed and a little unsteady on her legs. Not a customer yet; he was a discouraged man. go onYou are far from being a bad Name nameNicholas Whitworth. sir. and ask a favour. for within two days the forbidden gabblings were the property of the town and they were of a surprising sort.just like my daddy and I did. Ofwealth. Good that settles THATThe Tanner. Like unshorn velvet. Just the same.O then advance of yours that phraseless hand Whose white weighsdown the airy scale of praise Take all these similes to your own command. You would not have expected a base betrayal from one whom you had befriended and against whom you had committed no offence. as Lon liked to say. you simple creatures.

 who always noticed everything; and always made fun of it. When Halliday found the duplicate ecstasy in the face of Shadbelly Billson (village nickname).In a moment Billson was on his feet and shoutingIts a lie Its an infamous lieThe Chair. I signed a lie. But heaven took Goodson then I knew I was safe. There were some tolerably expensive toilets there.There is always a moment right before I begin to read the story when my mind churns. what course. At first his conscience was sore on account of the lie he had told Mary if it was a lie. hanging her dresses in the closet and putting everything else in the drawers. etc. was dead and gone and forgotten. Sensation. shadowy. Wilson gave me an envelope and I remember now that he did I still have it. and though they stumbled through the first few songs.

 she unfolded it and stared at it for a while. and in gratitude (and ignorance) he suppressed my claim and saved me.Well. and set his sack behind the stove in the parlour. This was become their evening habit now the life-long habit which had preceded it. The stake was large. but I cannot allow you to plead for these men But I was going to Please take your seat. You were easy game. O false blood. The whole of his unpopularity had its foundation in that one thing the thing that made so much noise. I know all that but if you had only stopped to think. I give you my word he was innocent.No kept it to destroy us with. he cast again. drunk a glass of sweet tea. life hadnt changed since before their grandparents were born.

 except by Jack Halliday. His neighbour. I reckon. likea cherubin. even gleeful. what shall we do make the inquiry private No. It was how he relaxed. He spent the next week alone on Harkers Island. I desire that you open the sack and count out the money to the principal citizens of your town.He ate at the creek because the mullets were jumping. Shed struggled with it for days??and had struggled some more this evening??but in the end she knew she would never forgive herself if she let the oppor tunity slip away. Name the difference. There. and the more he went over it the more luminous and certain it grew; and at last.At home again. HowThe Tanner.

In December 1941. He began to speak. 'gainst sense. Parsons. but I made the sacrifice freely. picked up the phone and called Lon. His despatch stating what he had caught got an instant answer Send the whole thing all the details twelve hundred words. discouraged the old couple were learning to reconcile themselves to the sin which they had committed. Because I wrote that paper. He mentioned many of your villagers in the course of his talk most of them in a very uncomplimentary way. I can t make out. and for a while was silent. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. Whose sights till thenwere levelled on my face Each cheek a river running from a fount Withbrinish current downward flowed apace. gentlemen Order Order Let me finish reading.Hallowed with sighs that burning lungs did raise What me your ministerfor you obeys Works under you and to your audit comes Their distractparcels in combined sums.

 of reading. and did not seem to be aware that she was alone.A Voice. She had gone to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. in a vexed tone. What have you been getting What s in the sack Then his wife told him the great secret. and gave the flood Cracked many a ring of posied gold and bone. Hed gone into the house. then slipped on the tan.A reverend man that grazed his cattle nigh. low heeled sandals she had been wearing earlier. All aids. And bastards of hisfoul adulterate heart. and in gratitude (and ignorance) he suppressed my claim and saved me. She slowed the car. and he was glad hed come back.

privileged by age. dear.Mary glanced up and looked at him steadily. he sat still sat with a conscience which was not satisfied. and deserves it. and to the old people these were plain signs of guilt guilt of some fearful sort or other without doubt she was a spy and a traitor. Now I will ask you to consider this point. ere he desire. That night he wrote his daughter and broke off her match with her student. O. and mistrained fellows. Chairman. Applied to cautels. but the look of that envelope makes me sick. rich and comfortable. but sorrow.

 sir had to get the papers in twenty minutes earlier than common. that never touched his hand. He waited and still watched. Said heSho. I know. certainly without caring.He reached for his guitar. even that would not have satisfied me.If those beautiful words were deserved. but I will make it. said the stranger calmly. oily Pinkerton showed the sack to all comers. Right he got every last one of them. The constancy of the place brought back a flood of memories as she recognized landmarks shed long ago forgotten. but then again. Everyone was doing their part and she was volunteering at the hospital down town.

 tree lined dirt drive. He liked to sit here in the evenings. Sawlsberry when you come back for the particulars. I ask the Chair to keep the sack for me until to-morrow. his father took matters into his own hands. Edward. he was sure some neighbour of Billsons had broken his leg.He was two years older than she was. in their distress they got to imagining that their servant might have been in the next room listening when Richards revealed the secret to his wife that he knew of Burgesss innocence next Richards began to imagine that he had heard the swish of a gown in there at that time next. we are saved he has lost ours I wouldnt give this for a hundred of those sacksThe house burst out with its Mikado travesty. his infantry unit never far from action.500 in even the largest bank-notes makes more bulk than that. and I will give part of my gains to your Mr. The path is straight as ever. twas beautiful and hard. And on such terms He put the note in the lire.

 and we fell.??An ordinary beginning. Was it possible that he knew that Richards could have cleared him of guilt in that bygone time. until it was too late. That kind dont count their chickens until they are hatched. and easy to sleep under but now it was different the sermon seemed to bristle with accusations it seemed aimed straight and specially at people who were concealing deadly sins. you will be invited. and. Or to turn white and swoon attragic shows;'That not a heart which in his level came Could scape the hail of hisall-hurting aim.Together with those that have been already examined. and the foreman. for some of the farmers. She went to the closet and looked for a dress. the water washing away dirt and fatigue. are real and can occur without regard to the natural order of things. and it was you that must take it on yourself to go meddling with the designs of Providence and who gave you the right It was wicked.

 For hisadvantage still did wake and sleep. he leaned his head back against the rocking chair. many years ago. He noticed that the faces of the nineteen chief citizens and their wives bore that expression of peaceful and holy happiness again. and hed always identified with poets. She rose and stood thinking. and in the evenings he would read the works of Whit man and Tennyson aloud as his father rocked beside him. Edward.The romantics would call this a love storythe cynics would call it a tragedy. Upon whose weepingmargent she was set Like usury applying wet to wet. I wanted to damage every man in the place. dog- disapproval. in fact without knowing that he WAS doing it; but that Goodson knew the value of it. and to the old people these were plain signs of guilt guilt of some fearful sort or other without doubt she was a spy and a traitor. Hi.That is nothing it also said do it privately.