rs　of　the　boys　had　talked　of　the　hands。　　〃Keep　your　hands　to　your…　self；〃　the　saloon　keeper　had　roared；　dancing；　with　fury　in　the　schoolhouse　yard。
  Upon　the　veranda　of　his　house　by　the　ravine；　Wing　Biddlebaum　continued　to　walk　up　and　down　until　the　sun　had　disappeared　and　the　road　beyond　the　field　was　lost　in　the　grey　shadows。　　Going　into　his　house　he　cut　slices　of　bread　and　spread　honey　upon　them。　　When　the　rumble　of　the　evening　train　that　took　away　the　express　cars　loaded　with　the　day's　harvest　of　berries　had　passed　and　restored　the　silence　of　the　summer　night；　he　went　again　to　walk　upon　the　veranda。　　In　the　darkness　he　could　not　see　the　hands　and　they　became　quiet。　　Although　he　still　hungered　for　the　presence　of　the　boy；　who　was　the　medium　through　which　he　expressed　his　love　of　man；　the　hunger　became　again　a　part　of　his　loneli…　ness　and　his　waiting。　　Lighting　a　lamp；　Wing　Bid…　dlebaum　washed　the　few　dishes　soiled　by　his　simple　meal　and；　setting　up　a　folding　cot　by　the　screen　door　that　led　to　the　porch；　prepared　to　undress　for　the　night。　　A　few　stray　white　bread　crumbs　lay　on　the　cleanly　washed　floor　by　the　table；　putting　the　lamp　upon　a　low　stool　he　began　to　pick　up　the　crumbs；　carrying　them　to　his　mouth　one　　by　one　with　unbe…　lievable　rapidity。　　In　the　dense　blotch　of　light　beneath　the　table；　the　kneeling　figure　looked　like　a　priest　engaged　in　some　service　of　his　church。　　The　nervous　expressive　fingers；　flashing　in　and　out　of　the　light；　might　well　have　been　mistaken　for　the　fingers　of　the　devotee　going　swiftly　through　decade　after　decade　of　his　rosary。
  PAPER　PILLS
  HE　WAS　AN　old　man　with　a　white　beard　and　huge　nose　and　hands。　　Long　before　the　time　during　which　we　will　know　him；　he　was　a　doctor　and　drove　a　jaded　white　horse　from　house　to　house　through　the　streets　of　Winesburg。　　Later　he　married　a　girl　who　had　money。　　She　had　been　left　a　large　fertile　farm　when　her　father　died。　　The　girl　was　quiet；　tall；　and　dark；　and　to　many　people　she　seemed　very　beauti…　ful。　　Everyone　in　Winesburg　wondered　why　she　mar…　ried　the　doctor。　　Within　a　year　after　the　marriage　she　died。
  The　knuckles　of　the　doctor's　hands　were　extraordi…　narily　large。　　When　the　hands　were　closed　they　looked　like　clusters　of　unpainted　wooden　balls　as　large　as　walnuts　fastened　together　by　steel　rods。　　He　smoked　a　cob　pipe　and　after　his　wife's　death　sat　all　day　in　his　empty　office　close　by　a　window　that　was　covered　with　cobwebs。　　He　never　opened　the　win…　dow。　　Once　on　a　hot　day　in　August　he　tried　but　found　it　stuck　fast　and　after　that　he　forgot　all　about　it。
  Winesburg　had　forgotten　the　old　man；　but　in　Doc…　tor　Reefy　there　were　the　seeds　of　something　very　fine。　　Alone　in　his　musty　office　in　the　Heffner　Block　above　the　Paris　Dry　Goods　Company's　store；　he　worked　ceaselessly；　building　up　something　that　he　himself　destroyed。　　Little　pyramids　of　truth　he　erected　and　after　erecting　knocked　them　down　again　that　he　might　have　the　truths　to　erect　other　pyramids。
  Doctor　Reefy　was　a　tall　man　who　had　worn　one　suit　of　clothes　for　ten　years。　　It　was　frayed　at　the　sleeves　and　little　holes　had　appeared　at　the　knees　and　elbows。　　In　the　office　he　wore　also　a　linen　duster　with　huge　pockets　into　which　he　continually　stuffed　scraps　of　paper。　　After　some　weeks　the　scraps　of　paper　became　little　hard　round　balls；　and　when　the　pockets　were　filled　he　dumped　them　out　upon　the　floor。　　For　ten　years　he　had　but　one　friend；　another　old　man　named　John　Spaniard　who　owned　a　tree　nursery。　　Sometimes；　in　a　playful　mood；　old　Doctor　Reefy　took　from　his　pockets　a　handful　of　the　paper　balls　and　threw　them　at　the　nursery　man。　　〃That　is　to　confound　you；　you　blathering　old　sentimentalist；〃　he　cried；　shaking　with　laughter。
  The　story　of　Doctor　Reefy　and　his　courtship　of　the　tall　dark　girl　who　became　his　wife　and　left　her　money　to　him　is　a　very　curious　story。　　It　is　delicious；　like　the　twisted　little　apples　that　grow　in　the　or…　chards　of　Winesburg。　　In　the　fall　one　walks　in　the　orchards　and　the　ground　is　hard　with　frost　under…　foot。　　The　apples　have　been　taken　from　the　trees　by　the　pickers。　　They　have　been　put　in　barrels　and　shipped　to　the　cities　where　they　will　be　eaten　in　apartments　that　are　filled　with　books；　magazines；　furniture；　and　people。　　On　the　trees　are　only　a　few　gnarled　apples　that　the　pickers　have　rejected。　　They　look　like　the　knuckles　of　Doctor　Reefy's　hands。　　One　nibbles　at　them　and　they　are　delicious。　　Into　a　little　round　place　at　the　side　of　the　apple　has　been　gath…　ered　all　of　its　sweetness。　　One　runs　from　tree　to　tree　over　the　frosted　ground　picking　the　gnarled；　twisted　apples　and　filling　his　pockets　with　them。　　Only　the　few　know　the　sweetness　of　the　twisted　apples。
  The　girl　and　Doctor　Reefy　began　their　courtship　on　a　summer　afternoon。　　He　was　forty…five　then　and　already　he　had　begun　the　practice　of　filling　his　pock…　ets　with　the　scraps　of　paper　that　became　hard　balls　and　were　thrown　away。　　The　habit　had　been　formed　as　he　sat　in　his　buggy　behind　the　jaded　white　horse　and　went　slowly　along　country　roads。　　On　the　papers　were　written　thoughts；　ends　of　thoughts；　beginnings　of　thoughts。
  One　by　one　the　mind　of　Doctor　Reefy　had　made　the　thoughts。　　Out　of　many　of　them　he　formed　a　truth　that　arose　gigantic　in　his　mind。　　The　truth　clouded　the　world。　　It　became　terrible　and　then　faded　away　and　the　little　thoughts　began　again。
  The　tall　dark　girl　came　to　see　Doctor　Reefy　because　she　was　in　the　family　way　and　had　become　fright…　ened。　　She　was　in　that　condition　because　of　a　series　of　circumstances　also　curious。
  The　death　of　her　father　and　mother　and　the　rich　acres　of　land　that　had　come　down　to　her　had　set　a　train　of　suitors　on　her　heels。　　For　two　years　she　saw　suitors　almost　every　evening。　　Except　two　they　were　all　alike。　　They　talked　to　her　of　passion　and　there　was　a　strained　eager　quality　in　their　voices　and　in　their　eyes　when　they　looked　at　her。　　The　two　who　were　different　were　much　unlike　each　other。　　One　of　them；　a　slender　young　man　with　white　hands；　the　son　of　a　jeweler　in　Winesburg；　talked　continually　of　virginity。　　When　he　was　with　her　he　was　never　off　the　subject。　　The　other；　a　black…haired　boy　with　large　ears；　said　nothing　at　all　but　always　managed　to　get　her　into　the　darkness；　where　he　began　to　kiss　her。
  For　a　time　the　tall　dark　girl　thought　she　would　marry　the　jeweler's　son。　　For　hours　she　sat　in　silence　listening　as　he　talked　to　her　and　then　she　began　to　be　afraid　of　something。　　Beneath　his　talk　of　virginity　she　began　to　think　there　was　a　lust　greater　than　in　all　the　others。　　At　times　it　seemed　to　her　that　as　he　talked　he　was　holding　her　body　in　his　hands。　　She　imagined　him　turning　it　slowly　about　in　the　white　hands　and　staring　at　it。　　At　night　she　dreamed　that　he　had　bitten　into　her　body　and　that　his　jaws　were　dripping。　　She　had　the　dream　three　times；　then　she　became　in　the　family　way　to　the　one　who　said　noth…　ing　at　all　but　who　in　the　moment　of　his　passion　actually　did　bite　her　shoulder　so　that　for　days　the　marks　of　his　teeth　showed。
  After　the　tall　dark　girl　came　to　know　Doctor　Reefy　it　seemed　to　her　that　she　never　wanted　to　leave　him　again。　　She　went　into　his　office　one　morning　and　without　her　saying　anything　he　seemed　to　know　what　had　happened　to　her。
  In　the　office　of　the　doctor　there　was　a　woman；　the　wife　of　the　man　who　kept　the　bookstore　in　Wines…　burg。　　Like　all　old…fashioned　country　practitioners；　Doctor　Reefy　pulled　teeth；　and　the　woman　who　waited　held　a　handkerchief　to　her　teeth　and　groaned。　Her　husband　was　with　her　and　when　the　tooth　was　taken　out　they　both　screamed　and　blood　ran　down　on　the　woman's　white　dress。　　The　tall　dark　girl　did　not　pay　any　attention。　　When　the　woman　and　the　man　had　gone　the　doctor　smiled。　　〃I　will　take　you　driving　into　the　country　with　me；〃　he　said。
  For　several　weeks　the　tall　dark　girl　and　the　doctor　were　together　almost　every　day。　　The　condition　that　had　brought　her　to　him　passed　in　an　illness；　but　she　was　like　one　who　has　discovered　the　sweetness　of　the　twisted　apples；　she　could　not　get　her　mind　fixed　again　upon　the　round　perfect　fruit　that　is　eaten　in　the　city　apartments。　　In　the　fall　after　the　beginning　of　her　acquaintanceship　with　him　she　married　Doc…　tor　Reefy　and　in　the　following　spring　she　died。　　Dur…　ing　the　winter　he　read　to　her　all　of　the　odds　and　ends　of　thoughts　he　had　scribbled　on　the　bits　of　paper。　　After　he　had　read　them　he　laughed　and　stuffed　them　away　in　his　pockets　to　become　round　hard　balls。
  MOTHER
  ELIZABETH　WILLARD；　the　mother　of　George　Willard；　was　tall　and　gaunt　and　her　face　was　marked　with　smallpox　scars。　　Although　she　was　but　forty…five；　some　obscure　disease　had　taken　the　fire　out　of　her　figure。　　Listlessly　she　went　about　the　disorderly　old　hotel　looking　at　the　faded　wall…paper　and　the　ragged　carpets　and；　when　she　was　able　to　be　about；　doing　the　work　of　a　chambermaid　among　beds　soiled　by　the　slumbers　of　fat　traveling　men。　　Her　husband；　Tom　Willard；　a　slender；　graceful　man　with　square　shoulders；　a　quick　military　step；　and　a　black　mus…　tache　trained　to　turn　sharply　up　at　the　ends；　tried　to　put　the　wife　out　of　his　mind。　　The　presence　of　the　tall　ghostly　figure；　moving　slowly　through　the　halls；　he　took　as　a　reproach　to　himself。　　When　he　thought　of　her　he　grew　angry　and　swore。　　The　hotel　was　un