As　time　passed　and　she　became　more　and　more　lonely　she　began　to　practice　the　devices　common　to　lonely　people。　　When　at　night　she　went　upstairs　into　her　own　room　she　knelt　on　the　floor　to　pray　and　in　her　prayers　whispered　things　she　wanted　to　say　to　her　lover。　　She　became　attached　to　inanimate　objects；　and　because　it　was　her　own；　could　not　bare　to　have　anyone　touch　the　furniture　of　her　room。　　The　trick　of　saving　money；　begun　for　a　purpose；　was　carried　on　after　the　scheme　of　going　to　the　city　to　find　Ned　Currie　had　been　given　up。　　It　became　a　fixed　habit；　and　when　she　needed　new　clothes　she　did　not　get　them。　　Sometimes　on　rainy　afternoons　in　the　store　she　got　out　her　bank　book　and；　letting　it　lie　open　before　her；　spent　hours　dreaming　impossible　dreams　of　saving　money　enough　so　that　the　interest　would　support　both　herself　and　her　future　husband。
  〃Ned　always　liked　to　travel　about；〃　she　thought。　〃I'll　give　him　the　chance。　　Some　day　when　we　are　married　and　I　can　save　both　his　money　and　my　own；　we　will　be　rich。　　Then　we　can　travel　together　all　over　the　world。〃
  In　the　dry　goods　store　weeks　ran　into　months　and　months　into　years　as　Alice　waited　and　dreamed　of　her　lover's　return。　　Her　employer；　a　grey　old　man　with　false　teeth　and　a　thin　grey　mustache　that　drooped　down　over　his　mouth；　was　not　given　to　conversation；　and　sometimes；　on　rainy　days　and　in　the　winter　when　a　storm　raged　in　Main　Street；　long　hours　passed　when　no　customers　came　in。　　Alice　ar…　ranged　and　rearranged　the　stock。　　She　stood　near　the　front　window　where　she　could　look　down　the　de…　serted　street　and　thought　of　the　evenings　when　she　had　walked　with　Ned　Currie　and　of　what　he　had　said。　　〃We　will　have　to　stick　to　each　other　now。〃　The　words　echoed　and　re…echoed　through　the　mind　of　the　maturing　woman。　　Tears　came　into　her　eyes。　Sometimes　when　her　employer　had　gone　out　and　she　was　alone　in　the　store　she　put　her　head　on　the　counter　and　wept。　　〃Oh；　Ned；　I　am　waiting；〃　she　whispered　over　and　over；　and　all　the　time　the　creep…　ing　fear　that　he　would　never　come　back　grew　stronger　within　her。
  In　the　spring　when　the　rains　have　passed　and　be…　fore　the　long　hot　days　of　summer　have　come；　the　country　about　Winesburg　is　delightful。　　The　town　lies　in　the　midst　of　open　fields；　but　beyond　the　fields　are　pleasant　patches　of　woodlands。　　In　the　wooded　places　are　many　little　cloistered　nooks；　quiet　places　where　lovers　go　to　sit　on　Sunday　afternoons。　　Through　the　trees　they　look　out　across　the　fields　and　see　farmers　at　work　about　the　barns　or　people　driving　up　and　down　on　the　roads。　　In　the　town　bells　ring　and　occasionally　a　train　passes；　looking　like　a　toy　thing　in　the　distance。
  For　several　years　after　Ned　Currie　went　away　Alice　did　not　go　into　the　wood　with　the　other　young　people　on　Sunday；　but　one　day　after　he　had　been　gone　for　two　or　three　years　and　when　her　loneliness　seemed　unbearable；　she　put　on　her　best　dress　and　set　out。　　Finding　a　little　sheltered　place　from　which　she　could　see　the　town　and　a　long　stretch　of　the　fields；　she　sat　down。　　Fear　of　age　and　ineffectuality　took　possession　of　her。　　She　could　not　sit　still；　and　arose。　　As　she　stood　looking　out　over　the　land　some…　thing；　perhaps　the　thought　of　never　ceasing　life　as　it　expresses　itself　in　the　flow　of　the　seasons；　fixed　her　mind　on　the　passing　years。　　With　a　shiver　of　dread；　she　realized　that　for　her　the　beauty　and　fresh…　ness　of　youth　had　passed。　　For　the　first　time　she　felt　that　she　had　been　cheated。　　She　did　not　blame　Ned　Currie　and　did　not　know　what　to　blame。　　Sadness　swept　over　her。　　Dropping　to　her　knees；　she　tried　to　pray；　but　instead　of　prayers　words　of　protest　came　to　her　lips。　　〃It　is　not　going　to　come　to　me。　　I　will　never　find　happiness。　　Why　do　I　tell　myself　lies？〃　she　cried；　and　an　odd　sense　of　relief　came　with　this；　her　first　bold　attempt　to　face　the　fear　that　had　be…　come　a　part　of　her　everyday　life。
  In　the　year　when　Alice　Hindman　became　twenty…　five　two　things　happened　to　disturb　the　dull　un…　eventfulness　of　her　days。　　Her　mother　married　Bush　Milton；　the　carriage　painter　of　Winesburg；　and　she　herself　became　a　member　of　the　Winesburg　Method…　ist　Church。　　Alice　joined　the　church　because　she　had　become　frightened　by　the　loneliness　of　her　position　in　life。　　Her　mother's　second　marriage　had　empha…　sized　her　isolation。　　〃I　am　becoming　old　and　queer。　If　Ned　comes　he　will　not　want　me。　　In　the　city　where　he　is　living　men　are　perpetually　young。　　There　is　so　much　going　on　that　they　do　not　have　time　to　grow　old；〃　she　told　herself　with　a　grim　little　smile；　and　went　resolutely　about　the　business　of　becoming　ac…　quainted　with　people。　　Every　Thursday　evening　when　the　store　had　closed　she　went　to　a　prayer　meeting　in　the　basement　of　the　church　and　on　Sunday　evening　attended　a　meeting　of　an　organization　called　The　Epworth　League。
  When　Will　Hurley；　a　middle…aged　man　who　clerked　in　a　drug　store　and　who　also　belonged　to　the　church；　offered　to　walk　home　with　her　she　did　not　protest。　〃Of　course　I　will　not　let　him　make　a　practice　of　being　with　me；　but　if　he　comes　to　see　me　once　in　a　long　time　there　can　be　no　harm　in　that；〃　she　told　herself；　still　determined　in　her　loyalty　to　Ned　Currie。
  Without　realizing　what　was　happening；　Alice　was　trying　feebly　at　first；　but　with　growing　determina…　tion；　to　get　a　new　hold　upon　life。　　Beside　the　drug　clerk　she　walked　in　silence；　but　sometimes　in　the　darkness　as　they　went　stolidly　along　she　put　out　her　hand　and　touched　softly　the　folds　of　his　coat。　　When　he　left　her　at　the　gate　before　her　mother's　house　she　did　not　go　indoors；　but　stood　for　a　moment　by　the　door。　　She　wanted　to　call　to　the　drug　clerk；　to　ask　him　to　sit　with　her　in　the　darkness　on　the　porch　before　the　house；　but　was　afraid　he　would　not　un…　derstand。　　〃It　is　not　him　that　I　want；〃　she　told　her…　self；　〃I　want　to　avoid　being　so　much　alone。　　If　I　am　not　careful　I　will　grow　unaccustomed　to　being　with　people。〃
  During　the　early　fall　of　her　twenty…seventh　year　a　passionate　restlessness　took　possession　of　Alice。　　She　could　not　bear　to　be　in　the　company　of　the　drug　clerk；　and　when；　in　the　evening；　he　came　to　walk　with　her　she　sent　him　away。　　Her　mind　became　in…　tensely　active　and　when；　weary　from　the　long　hours　of　standing　behind　the　counter　in　the　store；　she　went　home　and　crawled　into　bed；　she　could　not　sleep。　　With　staring　eyes　she　looked　into　the　dark…　ness。　　Her　imagination；　like　a　child　awakened　from　long　sleep；　played　about　the　room。　　Deep　within　her　there　was　something　that　would　not　be　cheated　by　phantasies　and　that　demanded　some　definite　answer　from　life。
  Alice　took　a　pillow　into　her　arms　and　held　it　tightly　against　her　breasts。　　Getting　out　of　bed；　she　arranged　a　blanket　so　that　in　the　darkness　it　looked　like　a　form　lying　between　the　sheets　and；　kneeling　beside　the　bed；　she　caressed　it；　whispering　words　over　and　over；　like　a　refrain。　　〃Why　doesn't　some…　thing　happen？　Why　am　I　left　here　alone？〃　she　mut…　tered。　　Although　she　sometimes　thought　of　Ned　Currie；　she　no　longer　depended　on　him。　　Her　desire　had　grown　vague。　　She　did　not　want　Ned　Currie　or　any　other　man。　　She　wanted　to　be　loved；　to　have　something　answer　the　call　that　was　growing　louder　and　louder　within　her。
  And　then　one　night　when　it　rained　Alice　had　an　adventure。　　It　frightened　and　confused　her。　　She　had　come　home　from　the　store　at　nine　and　found　the　house　empty。　　Bush　Milton　had　gone　off　to　town　and　her　mother　to　the　house　of　a　neighbor。　　Alice　went　upstairs　to　her　room　and　undressed　in　the　darkness。　For　a　moment　she　stood　by　the　window　hearing　the　rain　beat　against　the　glass　and　then　a　strange　desire　took　possession　of　her。　　Without　stopping　to　think　of　what　she　intended　to　do；　she　ran　downstairs　through　the　dark　house　and　out　into　the　rain。　　As　she　stood　on　the　little　grass　plot　before　the　house　and　felt　the　cold　rain　on　her　body　a　mad　desire　to　run　naked　through　the　streets　took　possession　of　her。
  She　thought　that　the　rain　would　have　some　cre…　ative　and　wonderful　effect　on　her　body。　　Not　for　years　had　she　felt　so　full　of　youth　and　courage。　　She　wanted　to　leap　and　run；　to　cry　out；　to　find　some　other　lonely　human　and　embrace　him。　　On　the　brick　sidewalk　before　the　house　a　man　stumbled　home…　ward。　　Alice　started　to　run。　　A　wild；　desperate　mood　took　possession　of　her。　　〃What　do　I　care　who　it　is。　He　is　alone；　and　I　will　go　to　him；〃　she　thought；　and　then　without　stopping　to　consider　the　possible　result　of　her　madness；　called　softly。　　〃Wait！〃　she　cried。　〃Don't　go　away。　　Whoever　you　are；　you　must　wait。〃
  The　man　on　the　sidewalk　stopped　and　stood　lis…　tening。　　He　was　an　old　man　and　somewhat　deaf。　Putting　his　hand　to　his　mouth；　he　shouted。　　〃What？　What　say？〃　he　called。
  Alice　dropped　to　the　ground　and　lay　trembling。　She　was　so　frightened　at　the　thought　of　what　she　had　done　that　when　the　man　had　gone　on　his　way　she　did　not　dare　get　to　her　feet；　but　crawled　on　hands　and　knees　through　the　grass　to　the　house。　When　she　got　to　her　own　room　she　bolted　the　door　and　drew　her　dressing　table　across　the　doorway。　Her　body　shook　as　with　a　chill　and　her　hands　trem…　bled　so　that　she　had　difficulty　getting　into　her　night…　dress。　　When　she　got　into　bed　she　buried　her　face　in　the　pillow　and　wept　brokenheartedly。　　〃What　is　the　matter　with　me？　I　will　do　something　dreadful　if　I　am　not　care