winesburg,ohio-第32部分

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nd　taking　out　goods；　passed　up　and　down。　　The　store　itself　was　indescribable。　　Will　Henderson　once　said　of　it　that　it　sold　everything　and　nothing。　　In　the　window　facing　Maumee　Street　stood　a　chunk　of　coal　as　large　as　an　apple　barrel；　to　indicate　that　orders　for　coal　were　taken；　and　beside　the　black　mass　of　the　coal　stood　three　combs　of　honey　grown　brown　and　dirty　in　their　wooden　frames。

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

Ebenezer　Cowley；　the　man　who　stood　in　the　store　listening　to　the　eager　patter　of　words　that　fell　from　the　lips　of　the　traveling　man；　was　tall　and　lean　and　looked　unwashed。　　On　his　scrawny　neck　was　a　large　wen　partially　covered　by　a　grey　beard。　　He　wore　a　long　Prince　Albert　coat。　　The　coat　had　been　pur…　chased　to　serve　as　a　wedding　garment。　　Before　he　became　a　merchant　Ebenezer　was　a　farmer　and　after　his　marriage　he　wore　the　Prince　Albert　coat　to　church　on　Sundays　and　on　Saturday　afternoons　when　he　came　into　town　to　trade。　　When　he　sold　the　farm　to　become　a　merchant　he　wore　the　coat　constantly。　　It　had　become　brown　with　age　and　was　covered　with　grease　spots；　but　in　it　Ebenezer　always　felt　dressed　up　and　ready　for　the　day　in　town。

As　a　merchant　Ebenezer　was　not　happily　placed　in　life　and　he　had　not　been　happily　placed　as　a　farmer。　　Still　he　existed。　　His　family；　consisting　of　a　daughter　named　Mabel　and　the　son；　lived　with　him　in　rooms　above　the　store　and　it　did　not　cost　them　much　to　live。　　His　troubles　were　not　financial。　　His　unhappiness　as　a　merchant　lay　in　the　fact　that　when　a　traveling　man　with　wares　to　be　sold　came　in　at　the　front　door　he　was　afraid。　　Behind　the　counter　he　stood　shaking　his　head。　　He　was　afraid；　first　that　he　would　stubbornly　refuse　to　buy　and　thus　lose　the　opportunity　to　sell　again；　second　that　he　would　not　be　stubborn　enough　and　would　in　a　moment　of　weakness　buy　what　could　not　be　sold。

In　the　store　on　the　morning　when　Elmer　Cowley　saw　George　Willard　standing　and　apparently　lis…　tening　at　the　back　door　of　the　Eagle　printshop；　a　situation　had　arisen　that　always　stirred　the　son's　wrath。　　The　traveling　man　talked　and　Ebenezer　lis…　tened；　his　whole　figure　expressing　uncertainty。　　〃You　see　how　quickly　it　is　done；〃　said　the　traveling　man；　who　had　for　sale　a　small　flat　metal　substitute　for　collar　buttons。　　With　one　hand　he　quickly　unfastened　a　collar　from　his　shirt　and　then　fastened　it　on　again。　He　assumed　a　flattering　wheedling　tone。　　〃I　tell　you　what；　men　have　come　to　the　end　of　all　this　fooling　with　collar　buttons　and　you　are　the　man　to　make　money　out　of　the　change　that　is　coming。　　I　am　offer…　ing　you　the　exclusive　agency　for　this　town。　　Take　twenty　dozen　of　these　fasteners　and　I'll　not　visit　any　other　store。　　I'll　leave　the　field　to　you。〃

The　traveling　man　leaned　over　the　counter　and　tapped　with　his　finger　on　Ebenezer's　breast。　　〃It's　an　opportunity　and　I　want　you　to　take　it；〃　he　urged。　〃A　friend　of　mine　told　me　about　you。　　'See　that　man　Cowley；'　he　said。　　'He's　a　live　one。'〃

The　traveling　man　paused　and　waited。　　Taking　a　book　from　his　pocket　he　began　writing　out　the　order。　　Still　holding　the　shoe　in　his　hand　Elmer　Cow…　ley　went　through　the　store；　past　the　two　absorbed　men；　to　a　glass　showcase　near　the　front　door。　　He　took　a　cheap　revolver　from　the　case　and　began　to　wave　it　about。　　〃You　get　out　of　here！〃　he　shrieked。　〃We　don't　want　any　collar　fasteners　here。〃　An　idea　came　to　him。　　〃Mind；　I'm　not　making　any　threat；〃　he　added。　　〃I　don't　say　I'll　shoot。　　Maybe　I　just　took　this　gun　out　of　the　case　to　look　at　it。　　But　you　better　get　out。　　Yes　sir；　I'll　say　that。　　You　better　grab　up　your　things　and　get　out。〃

The　young　storekeeper's　voice　rose　to　a　scream　and　going　behind　the　counter　he　began　to　advance　upon　the　two　men。　　〃We're　through　being　fools　here！〃　he　cried。　　〃We　ain't　going　to　buy　any　more　stuff　until　we　begin　to　sell。　　We　ain't　going　to　keep　on　being　queer　and　have　folks　staring　and　listening。　You　get　out　of　here！〃

The　traveling　man　left。　　Raking　the　samples　of　col…　lar　fasteners　off　the　counter　into　a　black　leather　bag；　he　ran。　　He　was　a　small　man　and　very　bow…legged　and　he　ran　awkwardly。　　The　black　bag　caught　against　the　door　and　he　stumbled　and　fell。　　〃Crazy；　that's　what　he　iscrazy！〃　he　sputtered　as　he　arose　from　the　sidewalk　and　hurried　away。

In　the　store　Elmer　Cowley　and　his　father　stared　at　each　other。　　Now　that　the　immediate　object　of　his　wrath　had　fled；　the　younger　man　was　embarrassed。　〃Well；　I　meant　it。　　I　think　we've　been　queer　long　enough；〃　he　declared；　going　to　the　showcase　and　replacing　the　revolver。　　Sitting　on　a　barrel　he　pulled　on　and　fastened　the　shoe　he　had　been　holding　in　his　hand。　　He　was　waiting　for　some　word　of　under…　standing　from　his　father　but　when　Ebenezer　spoke　his　words　only　served　to　reawaken　the　wrath　in　the　son　and　the　young　man　ran　out　of　the　store　without　replying。　　Scratching　his　grey　beard　with　his　long　dirty　fingers；　the　merchant　looked　at　his　son　with　the　same　wavering　uncertain　stare　with　which　he　had　confronted　the　traveling　man。　　〃I'll　be　starched；〃　he　said　softly。　　〃Well；　well；　I'll　be　washed　and　ironed　and　starched！〃

Elmer　Cowley　went　out　of　Winesburg　and　along　a　country　road　that　paralleled　the　railroad　track。　　He　did　not　know　where　he　was　going　or　what　he　was　going　to　do。　　In　the　shelter　of　a　deep　cut　where　the　road；　after　turning　sharply　to　the　right；　dipped　under　the　tracks　he　stopped　and　the　passion　that　had　been　the　cause　of　his　outburst　in　the　store　began　to　again　find　expression。　　〃I　will　not　be　queerone　to　be　looked　at　and　listened　to；〃　he　declared　aloud。　〃I'll　be　like　other　people。　　I'll　show　that　George　Wil…　lard。　　He'll　find　out。　　I'll　show　him！〃

The　distraught　young　man　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　road　and　glared　back　at　the　town。　　He　did　not　know　the　reporter　George　Willard　and　had　no　spe…　cial　feeling　concerning　the　tall　boy　who　ran　about　town　gathering　the　town　news。　　The　reporter　had　merely　come；　by　his　presence　in　the　office　and　in　the　printshop　of　the　Winesburg　Eagle；　to　stand　for　something　in　the　young　merchant's　mind。　　He　thought　the　boy　who　passed　and　repassed　Cowley　&　Son's　store　and　who　stopped　to　talk　to　people　in　the　street　must　be　thinking　of　him　and　perhaps　laughing　at　him。　　George　Willard；　he　felt；　belonged　to　the　town；　typified　the　town；　represented　in　his　person　the　spirit　of　the　town。　　Elmer　Cowley　could　not　have　believed　that　George　Willard　had　also　his　days　of　unhappiness；　that　vague　hungers　and　secret　unnam…　able　desires　visited　also　his　mind。　　Did　he　not　repre…　sent　public　opinion　and　had　not　the　public　opinion　of　Winesburg　condemned　the　Cowleys　to　queerness？　Did　he　not　walk　whistling　and　laughing　through　Main　Street？　Might　not　one　by　striking　his　person　strike　also　the　greater　enemythe　thing　that　smiled　and　went　its　own　waythe　judgment　of　Winesburg？

Elmer　Cowley　was　extraordinarily　tall　and　his　arms　were　long　and　powerful。　　His　hair；　his　eye…　brows；　and　the　downy　beard　that　had　begun　to　grow　upon　his　chin；　were　pale　almost　to　whiteness。　His　teeth　protruded　from　between　his　lips　and　his　eyes　were　blue　with　the　colorless　blueness　of　the　marbles　called　〃aggies〃　that　the　boys　of　Winesburg　carried　in　their　pockets。　　Elmer　had　lived　in　Wines…　burg　for　a　year　and　had　made　no　friends。　　He　was；　he　felt；　one　condemned　to　go　through　life　without　friends　and　he　hated　the　thought。

Sullenly　the　tall　young　man　tramped　along　the　road　with　his　hands　stuffed　into　his　trouser　pockets。　The　day　was　cold　with　a　raw　wind；　but　presently　the　sun　began　to　shine　and　the　road　became　soft　and　muddy。　　The　tops　of　the　ridges　of　frozen　mud　that　formed　the　road　began　to　melt　and　the　mud　clung　to　Elmer's　shoes。　　His　feet　became　cold。　　When　he　had　gone　several　miles　he　turned　off　the　road；　crossed　a　field　and　entered　a　wood。　　In　the　wood　he　gathered　sticks　to　build　a　fire；　by　which　he　sat　trying　to　warm　himself；　miserable　in　body　and　in　mind。

For　two　hours　he　sat　on　the　log　by　the　fire　and　then；　arising　and　creeping　cautiously　through　a　mass　of　underbrush；　he　went　to　a　fence　and　looked　across　fields　to　a　small　farmhouse　surrounded　by　low　sheds。　　A　smile　came　to　his　lips　and　he　began　making　motions　with　his　long　arms　to　a　man　who　was　husking　corn　in　one　of　the　fields。

In　his　hour　of　misery　the　young　merchant　had　returned　to　the　farm　where　he　had　lived　through　boyhood　and　where　there　was　another　human　being　to　whom　he　felt　he　could　explain　himself。　　The　man　on　the　farm　was　a　half…witted　old　fellow　named　Mook。　　He　had　once　been　employed　by　Ebenezer　Cowley　and　had　stayed　on　the　farm　when　it　was　sold。　　The　old　man　lived　in　one　of　the　unpainted　sheds　back　of　the　farmhouse　and　puttered　about　all　day　in　the　fields。

Mook　the　half…wit　lived　happily。　　With　childlike　faith　he　believed　in　the　intelligence　of　the　animals　that　lived　in　the　sheds　with　him；　and　when　he　was　lonely　held　long　conversations　with　the　cows；　the　pigs；　and　even　with　the　chickens　that　ran　about　the　barnyard。　　He　it　was　who　had　put　the　expression　regarding　being　〃laundered〃　into　the　mouth　of　his　former　employ