A　fantastic　impulse；　half　fear；　half　greediness；　took　possession　of　Jesse　Bentley。　　He　remembered　how　in　the　old　Bible　story　the　Lord　had　appeared　to　that　other　Jesse　and　told　him　to　send　his　son　David　to　where　Saul　and　the　men　of　Israel　were　fighting　the　Philistines　in　the　Valley　of　Elah。　　Into　Jesse's　mind　came　the　conviction　that　all　of　the　Ohio　farmers　who　owned　land　in　the　valley　of　Wine　Creek　were　Philistines　and　enemies　of　God。　　〃Suppose；〃　he　whispered　to　himself；　〃there　should　come　from　among　them　one　who；　like　Goliath　the　　Philistine　of　Gath；　could　defeat　me　and　take　from　me　my　posses…　sions。〃　In　fancy　he　felt　the　sickening　dread　that　he　thought　must　have　lain　heavy　on　the　heart　of　Saul　before　the　coming　of　David。　　Jumping　to　his　feet；　he　began　to　run　through　the　night。　　As　he　ran　he　called　to　God。　　His　voice　carried　far　over　the　low　hills。　〃Jehovah　of　Hosts；〃　he　cried；　〃send　to　me　this　night　out　of　the　womb　of　Katherine；　a　son。　　Let　Thy　grace　alight　upon　me。　　Send　me　a　son　to　be　called　David　who　shall　help　me　to　pluck　at　last　all　of　these　lands　out　of　the　hands　of　the　Philistines　and　turn　them　to　Thy　service　and　to　the　building　of　Thy　kingdom　on　earth。〃
  II
  DAVID　HARDY　OF　Winesburg；　Ohio；　was　the　grand…　son　of　Jesse　Bentley；　the　owner　of　Bentley　farms。　When　he　was　twelve　years　old　he　went　to　the　old　Bentley　place　to　live。　　His　mother；　Louise　Bentley；　the　girl　who　came　into　the　world　on　that　night　when　Jesse　ran　through　the　fields　crying　to　God　that　he　be　given　a　son；　had　grown　to　womanhood　on　the　farm　and　had　married　young　John　Hardy　of　Wines…　burg；　who　became　a　banker。　　Louise　and　her　hus…　band　did　not　live　happily　together　and　everyone　agreed　that　she　was　to　blame。　　She　was　a　small　woman　with　sharp　grey　eyes　and　black　hair。　　From　childhood　she　had　been　inclined　to　fits　of　temper　and　when　not　angry　she　was　often　morose　and　si…　lent。　　In　Winesburg　it　was　said　that　she　drank。　　Her　husband；　the　banker；　who　was　a　careful；　shrewd　man；　tried　hard　to　make　her　happy。　　When　he　began　to　make　money　he　bought　for　her　a　large　brick　house　on　Elm　Street　in　Winesburg　and　he　was　the　first　man　in　that　town　to　keep　a　manservant　to　drive　his　wife's　carriage。
  But　Louise　could　not　be　made　happy。　　She　flew　into　half　insane　fits　of　temper　during　which　she　was　sometimes　silent；　sometimes　noisy　and　quarrelsome。　She　swore　and　cried　out　in　her　anger。　　She　got　a　knife　from　the　kitchen　and　threatened　her　husband's　life。　　Once　she　deliberately　set　fire　to　the　house；　and　often　she　hid　herself　away　for　days　in　her　own　room　and　would　see　no　one。　　Her　life；　lived　as　a　half　re…　cluse；　gave　rise　to　all　sorts　of　stories　concerning　her。　It　was　said　that　she　took　drugs　and　that　she　hid　herself　away　from　people　because　she　was　often　so　under　the　influence　of　drink　that　her　condition　could　not　be　concealed。　　Sometimes　on　summer　afternoons　she　came　out　of　the　house　and　got　into　her　carriage。　Dismissing　the　driver　she　took　the　reins　in　her　own　hands　and　drove　off　at　top　speed　through　the　streets。　　If　a　pedestrian　got　in　her　way　she　drove　straight　ahead　and　the　frightened　citizen　had　to　es…　cape　as　best　he　could。　　To　the　people　of　the　town　it　seemed　as　though　she　wanted　to　run　them　down。　When　she　had　driven　through　several　streets；　tear…　ing　around　corners　and　beating　the　horses　with　the　whip；　she　drove　off　into　the　country。　　On　the　country　roads　after　she　had　gotten　out　of　sight　of　the　houses　she　let　the　horses　slow　down　to　a　walk　and　her　wild；　reckless　mood　passed。　　She　became　thoughtful　and　muttered　words。　　Sometimes　tears　came　into　her　eyes。　　And　then　when　she　came　back　into　town　she　again　drove　furiously　through　the　quiet　streets。　　But　for　the　influence　of　her　husband　and　the　respect　he　inspired　in　people's　minds　she　would　have　been　arrested　more　than　once　by　the　town　marshal。
  Young　David　Hardy　grew　up　in　the　house　with　this　woman　and　as　can　well　be　imagined　there　was　not　much　joy　in　his　childhood。　　He　was　too　young　then　to　have　opinions　of　his　own　about　people；　but　at　times　it　was　difficult　for　him　not　to　have　very　definite　opinions　about　the　woman　who　was　his　mother。　　David　was　always　a　quiet；　orderly　boy　and　for　a　long　time　was　thought　by　the　people　of　Wines…　burg　to　be　something　of　a　dullard。　　His　eyes　were　brown　and　as　a　child　he　had　a　habit　of　looking　at　things　and　people　a　long　time　without　appearing　to　see　what　he　was　looking　at。　　When　he　heard　his　mother　spoken　of　harshly　or　when　he　overheard　her　berating　his　father；　he　was　frightened　and　ran　away　to　hide。　　Sometimes　he　could　not　find　a　hiding　place　and　that　confused　him。　　Turning　his　face　toward　a　tree　or　if　he　was　indoors　toward　the　wall；　he　closed　his　eyes　and　tried　not　to　think　of　anything。　　He　had　a　habit　of　talking　aloud　to　himself；　and　early　in　life　a　spirit　of　quiet　sadness　often　took　possession　of　him。
  On　the　occasions　when　David　went　to　visit　his　grandfather　on　the　Bentley　farm；　he　was　altogether　contented　and　happy。　　Often　he　wished　that　he　would　never　have　to　go　back　to　town　and　once　when　he　had　come　home　from　the　farm　after　a　long　visit；　something　happened　that　had　a　lasting　effect　on　his　mind。
  David　had　come　back　into　town　with　one　of　the　hired　men。　　The　man　was　in　a　hurry　to　go　about　his　own　affairs　and　left　the　boy　at　the　head　of　the　street　in　which　the　Hardy　house　stood。　　It　was　early　dusk　of　a　fall　evening　and　the　sky　was　overcast　with　clouds。　　Something　happened　to　David。　　He　could　not　bear　to　go　into　the　house　where　his　mother　and　father　lived；　and　on　an　impulse　he　decided　to　run　away　from　home。　　He　intended　to　go　back　to　the　farm　and　to　his　grandfather；　but　lost　his　way　and　for　hours　he　wandered　weeping　and　frightened　on　country　roads。　　It　started　to　rain　and　lightning　flashed　in　the　sky。　　The　boy's　imagination　was　ex…　cited　and　he　fancied　that　he　could　see　and　hear　strange　things　in　the　darkness。　　Into　his　mind　came　the　conviction　that　he　was　walking　and　running　in　some　terrible　void　where　no　one　had　ever　been　be…　fore。　　The　darkness　about　him　seemed　limitless。　　The　sound　of　the　wind　blowing　in　trees　was　terrifying。　When　a　team　of　horses　approached　along　the　road　in　which　he　walked　he　was　frightened　and　climbed　a　fence。　　Through　a　field　he　ran　until　he　came　into　another　road　and　getting　upon　his　knees　felt　of　the　soft　ground　with　his　fingers。　　But　for　the　figure　of　his　grandfather；　whom　he　was　afraid　he　would　never　find　in　the　darkness；　he　thought　the　world　must　be　altogether　empty。　　When　his　cries　were　heard　by　a　farmer　who　was　walking　home　from　town　and　he　was　brought　back　to　his　father's　house；　he　was　so　tired　and　excited　that　he　did　not　know　what　was　happening　to　him。
  By　chance　David's　father　knew　that　he　had　disap…　peared。　　On　the　street　he　had　met　the　farm　hand　from　the　Bentley　place　and　knew　of　his　son's　return　to　town。　　When　the　boy　did　not　come　home　an　alarm　was　set　up　and　John　Hardy　with　several　men　of　the　town　went　to　search　the　country。　　The　report　that　David　had　been　kidnapped　ran　about　through　the　streets　of　Winesburg。　　When　he　came　home　there　were　no　lights　in　the　house；　but　his　mother　ap…　peared　and　clutched　him　eagerly　in　her　arms。　　David　thought　she　had　suddenly　become　another　woman。　He　could　not　believe　that　so　delightful　a　thing　had　happened。　　With　her　own　hands　Louise　Hardy　bathed　his　tired　young　body　and　cooked　him　food。　　She　would　not　let　him　go　to　bed　but；　when　he　had　put　on　his　nightgown；　blew　out　the　lights　and　sat　down　in　a　chair　to　hold　him　in　her　arms。　　For　an　hour　the　woman　sat　in　the　darkness　and　held　her　boy。　　All　the　time　she　kept　talking　in　a　low　voice。　　David　could　not　understand　what　had　so　changed　her。　　Her　habit…　ually　dissatisfied　face　had　become；　he　thought；　the　most　peaceful　and　lovely　thing　he　had　ever　seen。　When　he　began　to　weep　she　held　him　more　and　more　tightly。　　On　and　on　went　her　voice。　　It　was　not　harsh　or　shrill　as　when　she　talked　to　her　husband；　but　was　like　rain　falling　on　trees。　　Presently　men　began　coming　to　the　door　to　report　that　he　had　not　been　found；　but　she　made　him　hide　and　be　silent　until　she　had　sent　them　away。　　He　thought　it　must　be　a　game　his　mother　and　the　men　of　the　town　were　playing　with　him　and　laughed　joyously。　　Into　his　mind　came　the　thought　that　his　having　been　lost　and　frightened　in　the　darkness　was　an　altogether　unimportant　matter。　　He　thought　that　he　would　have　been　willing　to　go　through　the　frightful　experience　a　thousand　times　to　be　sure　of　finding　at　the　end　of　the　long　black　road　a　thing　so　lovely　as　his　mother　had　suddenly　become。
  During　the　last　years　of　young　David's　boyhood　he　saw　his　mother　but　seldom　and　she　became　for　him　just　a　woman　with　whom　he　had　once　lived。　Still　he　could　not　get　her　figure　out　of　his　mind　and　as　he　grew　older　it　became　more　definite。　　When　he　was　twelve　years　old　he　went　to　the　Bentley　farm　to　live。　　Old　Jesse　came　into　town　and　fairly　de…　manded　that　he　be　given　charge　of　the　boy。　　The　old　man　was　excited　and　determined　on　having　his　own　way。　　He　talked　to　John　Hardy　in　the　office　of　the　Winesburg　Savings　Bank　and　then　the　two　men　went　to　the　house　on　Elm　Street　to　talk　with　Louise。　They　both　expected　her　to　make　trouble　but　were　mistaken。　　She　was　very　quiet　and　when　Jesse　had　explained　his　mission　and　had　gone　on　at　some　length　about　the　advantage