winesburg,ohio-第34部分

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bbed　up　and　down　before　his　eyes。　　Taking　the　two　ten…dollar　bills　from　his　pocket　he　thrust　them　into　George　Willard's　hand。　　〃Take　them；〃　he　cried。　　〃I　don't　want　them。　Give　them　to　father。　　I　stole　them。〃　With　a　snarl　of　rage　he　turned　and　his　long　arms　began　to　flay　the　air。　　Like　one　struggling　for　release　from　hands　that　held　him　he　struck　out；　hitting　George　Willard　blow　after　blow　on　the　breast；　the　neck；　the　mouth。　　The　young　reporter　rolled　over　on　the　platform　half　un…　conscious；　stunned　by　the　terrific　force　of　the　blows。　Springing　aboard　the　passing　train　and　running　over　the　tops　of　cars；　Elmer　sprang　down　to　a　flat　car　and　lying　on　his　face　looked　back；　trying　to　see　the　fallen　man　in　the　darkness。　　Pride　surged　up　in　him。　　〃I　showed　him；〃　he　cried。　　〃I　guess　I　showed　him。　　I　ain't　so　queer。　　I　guess　I　showed　him　I　ain't　so　queer。〃




THE　UNTOLD　LIE

RAY　PEARSON　and　Hal　Winters　were　farm　hands　em…　ployed　on　a　farm　three　miles　north　of　Winesburg。　On　Saturday　afternoons　they　came　into　town　and　wandered　about　through　the　streets　with　other　fel…　lows　from　the　country。

Ray　was　a　quiet；　rather　nervous　man　of　perhaps　fifty　with　a　brown　beard　and　shoulders　rounded　by　too　much　and　too　hard　labor。　　In　his　nature　he　was　as　unlike　Hal　Winters　as　two　men　can　be　unlike。

Ray　was　an　altogether　serious　man　and　had　a　little　sharp…featured　wife　who　had　also　a　sharp　voice。　　The　two；　with　half　a　dozen　thin…legged　children；　lived　in　a　tumble…down　frame　house　beside　a　creek　at　the　back　end　of　the　Wills　farm　where　Ray　was　employed。

Hal　Winters；　his　fellow　employee；　was　a　young　fellow。　　He　was　not　of　the　Ned　Winters　family；　who　were　very　respectable　people　in　Winesburg；　but　was　one　of　the　three　sons　of　the　old　man　called　Wind…　peter　Winters　who　had　a　sawmill　near　Unionville；　six　miles　away；　and　who　was　looked　upon　by　every…　one　in　Winesburg　as　a　confirmed　old　reprobate。

People　from　the　part　of　Northern　Ohio　in　which　Winesburg　lies　will　remember　old　Windpeter　by　his　unusual　and　tragic　death。　　He　got　drunk　one　evening　in　town　and　started　to　drive　home　to　Unionville　along　the　railroad　tracks。　　Henry　Brattenburg；　the　butcher；　who　lived　out　that　way；　stopped　him　at　the　edge　of　the　town　and　told　him　he　was　sure　to　meet　the　down　train　but　Windpeter　slashed　at　him　with　his　whip　and　drove　on。　　When　the　train　struck　and　killed　him　and　his　two　horses　a　farmer　and　his　wife　who　were　driving　home　along　a　nearby　road　saw　the　accident。　　They　said　that　old　Windpeter　stood　up　on　the　seat　of　his　wagon；　raving　and　swearing　at　the　onrushing　locomotive；　and　that　he　fairly　screamed　with　delight　when　the　team；　maddened　by　his　inces…　sant　slashing　at　them；　rushed　straight　ahead　to　cer…　tain　death。　　Boys　like　young　George　Willard　and　Seth　Richmond　will　remember　the　incident　quite　vividly　because；　although　everyone　in　our　town　said　that　the　old　man　would　go　straight　to　hell　and　that　the　community　was　better　off　without　him；　they　had　a　secret　conviction　that　he　knew　what　he　was　doing　and　admired　his　foolish　courage。　　Most　boys　have　seasons　of　wishing　they　could　die　gloriously　instead　of　just　being　grocery　clerks　and　going　on　with　their　humdrum　lives。

But　this　is　not　the　story　of　Windpeter　Winters　nor　yet　of　his　son　Hal　who　worked　on　the　Wills　farm　with　Ray　Pearson。　　It　is　Ray's　story。　　It　will；　however；　be　necessary　to　talk　a　little　of　young　Hal　so　that　you　will　get　into　the　spirit　of　it。

Hal　was　a　bad　one。　　Everyone　said　that。　　There　were　three　of　the　Winters　boys　in　that　family；　John；　Hal；　and　Edward；　all　broad…shouldered　big　fellows　like　old　Windpeter　himself　and　all　fighters　and　woman…chasers　and　generally　all…around　bad　ones。

Hal　was　the　worst　of　the　lot　and　always　up　to　some　devilment。　　He　once　stole　a　load　of　boards　from　his　father's　mill　and　sold　them　in　Winesburg。　　With　the　money　he　bought　himself　a　suit　of　cheap；　flashy　clothes。　　Then　he　got　drunk　and　when　his　father　came　raving　into　town　to　find　him；　they　met　and　fought　with　their　fists　on　Main　Street　and　were　ar…　rested　and　put　into　jail　together。

Hal　went　to　work　on　the　Wills　farm　because　there　was　a　country　school　teacher　out　that　way　who　had　taken　his　fancy。　　He　was　only　twenty…two　then　but　had　already　been　in　two　or　three　of　what　were　spo…　ken　of　in　Winesburg　as　〃women　scrapes。〃　Everyone　who　heard　of　his　infatuation　for　the　school　teacher　was　sure　it　would　turn　out　badly。　　〃He'll　only　get　her　into　trouble；　you'll　see；〃　was　the　word　that　went　around。

And　so　these　two　men；　Ray　and　Hal；　were　at　work　in　a　field　on　a　day　in　the　late　October。　　They　were　husking　corn　and　occasionally　something　was　said　and　they　laughed。　　Then　came　silence。　　Ray；　who　was　the　more　sensitive　and　always　minded　things　more；　had　chapped　hands　and　they　hurt。　　He　put　them　into　his　coat　pockets　and　looked　away　across　the　fields。　He　was　in　a　sad；　distracted　mood　and　was　affected　by　the　beauty　of　the　country。　　If　you　knew　the　Winesburg　country　in　the　fall　and　how　the　low　hills　are　all　splashed　with　yellows　and　reds　you　would　understand　his　feeling。　　He　began　to　think　of　the　time；　long　ago　when　he　was　a　young　fellow　living　with　his　father；　then　a　baker　in　Winesburg；　and　how　on　such　days　he　had　wandered　away　into　the　woods　to　gather　nuts；　hunt　rabbits；　or　just　to　loaf　about　and　smoke　his　pipe。　　His　marriage　had　come　about　through　one　of　his　days　of　wandering。　　He　had　in…　duced　a　girl　who　waited　on　trade　in　his　father's　shop　to　go　with　him　and　something　had　happened。　　He　was　thinking　of　that　afternoon　and　how　it　had　af…　fected　his　whole　life　when　a　spirit　of　protest　awoke　in　him。　　He　had　forgotten　about　Hal　and　muttered　words。　　〃Tricked　by　Gad；　that's　what　I　was；　tricked　by　life　and　made　a　fool　of；〃　he　said　in　a　low　voice。

As　though　understanding　his　thoughts；　Hal　Win…　ters　spoke　up。　　〃Well；　has　it　been　worth　while？　What　about　it；　eh？　What　about　marriage　and　all　that？〃　he　asked　and　then　laughed。　　Hal　tried　to　keep　on　laugh…　ing　but　he　too　was　in　an　earnest　mood。　　He　began　to　talk　earnestly。　　〃Has　a　fellow　got　to　do　it？〃　he　asked。　　〃Has　he　got　to　be　harnessed　up　and　driven　through　life　like　a　horse？〃

Hal　didn't　wait　for　an　answer　but　sprang　to　his　feet　and　began　to　walk　back　and　forth　between　the　corn　shocks。　　He　was　getting　more　and　more　excited。　Bending　down　suddenly　he　picked　up　an　ear　of　the　yellow　corn　and　threw　it　at　the　fence。　　〃I've　got　Nell　Gunther　in　trouble；〃　he　said。　　〃I'm　telling　you；　but　you　keep　your　mouth　shut。〃

Ray　Pearson　arose　and　stood　staring。　　He　was　al…　most　a　foot　shorter　than　Hal；　and　when　the　younger　man　came　and　put　his　two　hands　on　the　older　man's　shoulders　they　made　a　picture。　　There　they　stood　in　the　big　empty　field　with　the　quiet　corn　shocks　stand…　ing　in　rows　behind　them　and　the　red　and　yellow　hills　in　the　distance；　and　from　being　just　two　indif…　ferent　workmen　they　had　become　all　alive　to　each　other。　　Hal　sensed　it　and　because　that　was　his　way　he　laughed。　　〃Well；　old　daddy；〃　he　said　awkwardly；　〃come　on；　advise　me。　　I've　got　Nell　in　trouble。　　Per…　haps　you've　been　in　the　same　fix　yourself。　　I　know　what　everyone　would　say　is　the　right　thing　to　do；　but　what　do　you　say？　Shall　I　marry　and　settle　down？　Shall　I　put　myself　into　the　harness　to　be　worn　out　like　an　old　horse？　You　know　me；　Ray。　　There　can't　anyone　break　me　but　I　can　break　myself。　　Shall　I　do　it　or　shall　I　tell　Nell　to　go　to　the　devil？　Come　on；　you　tell　me。　　Whatever　you　say；　Ray；　I'll　do。〃

Ray　couldn't　answer。　　He　shook　Hal's　hands　loose　and　turning　walked　straight　away　toward　the　barn。　He　was　a　sensitive　man　and　there　were　tears　in　his　eyes。　　He　knew　there　was　only　one　thing　to　say　to　Hal　Winters；　son　of　old　Windpeter　Winters；　only　one　thing　that　all　his　own　training　and　all　the　beliefs　of　the　people　he　knew　would　approve；　but　for　his　life　he　couldn't　say　what　he　knew　he　should　say。

At　half…past　four　that　afternoon　Ray　was　puttering　about　the　barnyard　when　his　wife　came　up　the　lane　along　the　creek　and　called　him。　　After　the　talk　with　Hal　he　hadn't　returned　to　the　cornfield　but　worked　about　the　barn。　　He　had　already　done　the　evening　chores　and　had　seen　Hal；　dressed　and　ready　for　a　roistering　night　in　town；　come　out　of　the　farmhouse　and　go　into　the　road。　　Along　the　path　to　his　own　house　he　trudged　behind　his　wife；　looking　at　the　ground　and　thinking。　　He　couldn't　make　out　what　was　wrong。　　Every　time　he　raised　his　eyes　and　saw　the　beauty　of　the　country　in　the　failing　light　he　wanted　to　do　something　he　had　never　done　before；　shout　or　scream　or　hit　his　wife　with　his　fists　or　something　equally　unexpected　and　terrifying。　　Along　the　path　he　went　scratching　his　head　and　trying　to　make　it　out。　　He　looked　hard　at　his　wife's　back　but　she　seemed　all　right。

She　only　wanted　him　to　go　into　town　for　groceries　and　as　soon　as　she　had　told　him　what　she　wanted　began　to　scold。　　〃You're　always　puttering；〃　she　said。　〃Now　I　want　you　to　hustle。　　There　isn't　anything　in　the　house　for　supper　and　you've　got　to　get　to　town　and　back　in　a　hurry。〃

Ray　went　into　his　own　house　and　took　an　overcoat　from　a　hook　back　of　the　door。　　It　was　torn　about　the　pockets　and　the　collar　was　shiny。　　His　wife　went　into　the　bedroom　and　presently　came　out　with　a　soiled　cloth　in　one　hand　and　three　silver　dollars　in　the　other。　　Somewhere　in　the　house　a　child　we