第4章

Itwasteno’clockasheclimbedagainintothebuggyandstartedhisteamonaswifttrotdowntheroad。Whatwouldshethink？Hesawhernowwithtearfuleyesandpoutinglips。Shewassittingatthewindow，withhatandgloveson；theresthadgone，andshewaswaitingforhim。

Butshe’dknowsomethinghadhappened，becausehehadpromisedtobethereateight。Hehadtoldherwhatteamhe’dhave。(HehadforgottenatthismomentthedoubtanddistrusthehadgivenheronMonday。)She’dknowhe’dsurelycome。

Buttherewasnosmilingortearfulfacewatchingatthewindowashecamedownthelaneatatearingpaceandturnedintotheyard。

Thehousewassilentandthecurtainsdown。Thesilencesentachilltohisheart。Somethingroseupinhisthroattochokehim。

“Agnes!“hecalled。“Hello!I’mhereatlast!“

Therewasnoreply。Ashesatthere，theparthehadplayedonMondaycamebacktohim。Shemaybesick!hethoughtwithacoldthrilloffear。

Anoldmancamearoundthecornerofthehousewithapotatoforkinhishands，histeethdisplayedinagrin。

“Sheain’there。She’sgone。“

“Gone!“

“Yes-more’nanhourago。“

“Who’dshegowith？“

“EdKinney，“saidtheoldfellowwithamaliciousgrin。“Iguessyourgooseiscooked。“

Willlashedthehorsesintoarunandswungroundtheyardandoutofthegate。Hisfacewaswhiteasadeadman’s，andhisteethweresetlikeavise。Heglaredstraightahead。Theteamranwildly，steadilyhomeward，whiletheirdriverguidedthemunconsciously。

Hedidnotseethem。Hismindwasfilledwithatempestofrages，despairs，andshames。

Thatridehewillneverforget。Inithethrewawayallhisplans。

Hegaveuphisyear’sschooling。Hegaveuphislawaspirations。Hedesertedhisbrotherandhisfriends。Inthedizzyingwhirlofpassionshehadonlyoneclearidea-togetaway，togoWest，togetawayfromthesneersandlaughterofhisneighbors，andtomakehersufferbyitall。

Hedroveintotheyard，didnotstoptounharnesstheteam，butrushedintothehouseandbeganpackinghistrunk。Hisplanwasformed，whichwastodrivetoCedarvilleandhiresomeonetobringtheteamback。Hehadnothoughtofanythingbuttheshame，theinsultshehadputuponhim。HeractiononMondaytookonthesamelevityitworethen，andexcitedhiminthesameway。HesawherlaughingwithEdoverhisdismay。Hesatdownandwrotealettertoheratlast-aletterthatcamefromtheferocityofthemedievalsavageinhim：

“ItyouwanttogotohellwithEdKinney，youcan。Iwon’tsayaword。That’swherehe’lltakeyou。Youwon’tseemeagain。“

Thishesignedandsealed，andthenhebowedhisheadandweptlikeagirl。Buthistearsdidnotsoftentheeffectoftheletter。Itwentasstraighttoitsmarkashemeantitshould。Ittoreasearedandraggedpathtoaninnocent，happyheart，andbetookasavagepleasureinthethoughtofitasherodeawayonthecarstowardtheSouth。

Thesevenyearslyingbetween188oand1887madeagreatchangeinRockRiverandinTheadjacentfarmingland。SignschangedandfirmswentoutofbusinesswithcharacteristicWesterneaseofshift。Thetreesgrewrapidly，dwarfingThehousesbeneaththem，andcontrastsofnewnessanddecaythickened。

WillfoundThecountrychanged，ashewalkedalongThedustyroadfromRockRivertoward“TheComers。“Thelandscapewasatitsfairestandliberalest，withitsseasofcorndeepgreenandmovingwithamournfulrustle，insharpcontrasttoitsflashingblades；itsgleamingfieldsofbarley，anditswheatalreadymottledwithsoftgoldinThemidstofitspea-green。

ThechangeswereinThehedges，grownhigher，InThegreaterpredominanceofcornfieldsandcattlepastures，butespeciallyinThedestructionofhomes。AshepassedonWillsawThegrassgrowingandcattlefeedingonadozenplaceswherehomeshadoncestood。TheyhadgivenplacetoThelargefarmandThestockraiser。StillThewholescenewasbountifulandverybeautifultoTheeye。

ItwasespeciallygratefultoWill，forhehadspentnearlyallhisyearsofabsenceamongTherocks，treelessswells，andbleakcliffsofTheSouthwest。ThecricketsrisingbeforehisdustyfeetappearedtohimsomethingsweetandsuggestiveandThecattlefeedinginTheclovermovedhimtodeepthought-theyweresopeacefulandslow-motioned。

AshereachedalittlepoppletreebyTheroadside，hestopped，removedhisbroad-brimmedhat，puthiselbowsonThefence，andlookedhungrilyuponThescene。Theskywasdeeplyblue，withonlyhereandthereahuge，heavy，slow-moving，massive，sharplyoutlinedcloudsailinglikeabergoficeinashorelessseaofazure。

Inthefieldsthemenwereharvestingtheripenedoatsandbarley，andThesoundoftheirmachinesclattering，nowlow，nowloud，cametohisears。Fliesbuzzednearhim，andakingbirdclatteredoverhead。Henoticedagain，ashehadmanyatimewhenaboy，thatThesoftenedsoundofThefar-offreaperwasattimesexactlylikeThehumofabluebottleflybuzzingheedlesslyabouthisears。

AslenderandveryhandsomeyoungmanwasshockinggrainnearThefence，workingsodesperatelyhedidnotseeWilluntilgreetedbyhim。Helookedup，repliedtoThegreeting，butkeptontillhehadfinishedhislaststook，thenhecametotheshadeofthetreeandtookoffhishat“Nicedaytositunderatreeandfish。“

Willsmiled。“Ioughttoknowyou，Isuppose；Iusedtolivehereyearsago。“

“Guessnot；wecameinthreeyearsago。“

Theyoungmanwasquick-spokenandverypleasanttolookat。

Willfeltfreerwithhim。

“AreTheKinneysstilllivingoverthere？“Henoddedatagroupoflargebuildings。

“Tomlivesthere。OldmanliveswithEd。TomoustedTheoldmansomeway，nobodyseemstoknowhow，andsoheliveswithEd。“

WillwantedtoaskafterAgnes，buthardlyfeltable。“Is’poseJohnHannanisonhisoldfarm？“

“Yes。Gotagoodcropthisyear。“

WilllookedagainatThefieldsofrustlingwheatoverwhichThecloudsrippled，andsaidwithanairofconviction：“ThislaysoverArizona，deadsure。“

“You’refromArizona，then？“

“Yes-agoodwaysfromit“’Willrepliedinawaythatstoppedfurtherquestion。“Goodluck!“headdedashewalkedondownTheroadtowardThecreek，musing。“Andthespring-Iwonderifthat’sthereyet。I’dlikeadrink。“Thesunseemedhotterthanatnoon，andhewalkedslowly。Atthebridgethatspannedthemeadowbrook，justwhereitwidenedoverasandyford，hepausedagain。Hehungovertherailandlookedattheminnowsswimmingthere。

“Iwonderifthey’reThesameidenticalchapsthatusedtoboilandglittertherewhenIwasaboy-looksso。Menchangefromonegenerationtoanother，butThefishremainThesame。Thesameeternalprocessionoftypes。IsupposeDarwin’udsaytheirenvironmentremainsThesame。“

HehungforalongtimeoverTherailing，thinkingofavastnumberofthings，mostlyvague，flittingthings，lookingintothecleardepthsofthebrook，andlisteningtothedeliciousliquidnoteofablackbirdswingingonthewillow。Redliliesstarredthegrasswithfire，andgoldenrodandchicorygreweverywhere；purpleandorangeandyellow-greentheprevailingtints。

Suddenlyawatersnakewriggledacrossthedarkpoolabovetheford，andtheminnowsdisappearedundertheshadowofthebridge。ThenWillsighed，liftedhishead，andwalkedon。Thereseemedtobesomethingpropheticinit，andhedrewalongbreath。

That’sthewayhisplansbrokeandfadedaway。

Humanlifedoesnotmovewiththeregularityofaclock。Inlivingtherearegapsandsilenceswhenthesoulstandsstillinitsflightthroughabysses-andthentherecometimesoftrialandtimesofstrugglewhenwegrowoldwithoutknowingit。Bodyandsoulchangeappallingly。

Sevenyearsofhard，busylifehadmadechangesinWill。

Hisfacehadgrownbold，resolute，andrugged，someofitsdelicacyandallofitsboyishqualitygone。Hisfigurewasstouter，erectasofold，butlessgraceful。Heborehimselflikeamanaccustomedtolookoutforhimselfinallkindsofplaces。Itwasonlyattimesthattherecameintohisdeepeyesapreoccupied，almostsadlookthatshowedkinshipwithhisoldself。

Thislookwasonhisfaceashewalkedtowardtheclumpoftreesontherightoftheroad。

Hereachedthegroveofpoppletreesandmadehiswayatoncetothespring。Whenhesawit，itgavehimashock。Theyhadletitfillupwithleavesanddirt。

Overcomebythememoriesofthepast，heflunghim-selldownonthecoolandshadowybank，andgavehim-selluptothebittersweetreveriesofamanreturningtohisboyhood’shome。Hewasfilledsomehowwithastrangeandpowerfulfeelingofthepassageoftime；withavaguefeelingofthemysteryandelusivenessofhumanlife。Theleaveswhispereditoverhead，thebirdssangitinchoruswiththeinsects，andfarabove，inthemeasurelessspacesofsky，thehawktolditinthesilenceandmajestyofhisflightfromcloudtocloud。

Itwasafeelinghardlytobeexpressedinword~oneofthoseemotionswhosespringsliefarbackinthebrain。Helaysostill，thechipmunkscamecuriouslyuptoABranchRoad35

hisveryfeet，onlytoscurryawaywhenhestirredlikeasleeperinpain。

HehadcuthimselfoffentirelyfromthelifeatTheCorners。HehadsentmoneyhometoJohn，buthadconcealedhisownaddresscarefully。Theenormityofthisfollynowcamebacktohim，rackinghimtillhegroaned。

Heheardthepatteroffeetandthehalf-mumbledmonologueofarunningchild。Herousedupandfacedasmallboy，whostartedbackinterrorlikeawildfawn。Hewasdeeplysurprisedtofindamantherewhereonlyboysandsquirrelsnowcame。Hestuckhisfistinhiseye，andwasbackingawaywhenWillspoke。

“Holdon，sonny!Nobody’shityou。Come，Iain’tgoin’toeatyeh。“

Hetookabitofmoneyfromhispocket。“Comehereandtellmeyourname。Iwanttotalkwithyou。“

Theboycreptuponthedime。

Willsmiled。“YououghttobeaKinney。Whatisyourname？“

“TomathDickinthonKinney。I’mthixandahalf。I’vegotacolt，“

lispedtheyoungsterbreathlesslyashecrepttowardthemoney。

“Oh，youare，eh？Well，now，areyouTom’sboyorEd’s？“

“Tomth’sboy。UncleEdhithgal-“

“Edgotaboy？“

“Yeth，thir-liibaby。AuntAggletthmehold’im“

“Agg!Isthathername？“

“That’swhatUncleEdcallthher。“

Theman’sheadfell，anditwasalongtimebeforeheaskedhisnextquestion。

“Howisshe，anyhow？“

“Purtywell，“pipedtheboywithaprolongationofthelastwordsintoakindofchirp。“She’thbeenthick，though，“headded。

“Beensick？Howlong？“

“Oh，alongtime。Butsheain’tthickabed；she’thawuulpoor，though。Gran’pathaythshe’thpooratharake。“

“Oh，hedoes，eh？“

“Yeth，thir。UncleEdhejawthher，thenshecrieth。“

Will’sangerandremorsebrokeoutinagroaningcurse。“OmyGod!Iseeitall。Thatgreatlunkin’houn’hasmadelifeahellferher。“Thenthatlettercamebacktohismind；hehadneverbeenabletoputitoutofhismind-heneverwouldtillhesawherandaskedherpardon。

“Here，myboy，Iwantyoutotellmesomemore。WheredoesyourAuntAgneslive？“

“Atgran’pa’th。Youknowwheremygran’palivth？“

“Well，youdo。NowIwantyoutotakethislettertoher。Giveittoher。“Hewrotealittlenoteandfoldedit。“Nowdustouto’here。“

Theboyslippedawaythroughthetreeslikearabbit；hislittlebrownfeethardlyrustled。Hewaslikesomelittlewoodanimal。

Leftalone，themanwentbackintoareveriethatlastedtilltheshadowsfellonthethicklittlegrovearoundthespring。Herose~

lastand，takinghisstickinhand，walkedouttothewoodagainandstoodthere，gazingatthesky。Heseemedloathtogofarther。Theskywasfullofflame-coloredcloudsfloatinginayellow-greensea，wherebarsoffaintpinkstreamedbroadlyaway。