he　black　ground　while　she　ran　about　laughing　and　pretending　to　be　afraid　of　the　worms　I　uncovered。　　Late　in　April　came　the　planting。　In　the　little　paths　among　the　seed　beds　she　stood　holding　a　paper　bag　in　her　hand。　　The　bag　was　filled　with　seeds。　　A　few　at　a　time　she　handed　me　the　seeds　that　I　might　thrust　them　into　the　warm；　soft　ground。〃
  For　a　moment　there　was　a　catch　in　the　voice　of　the　man　talking　in　the　darkness。　　〃I　loved　her；〃　he　said。　　〃I　don't　claim　not　to　be　a　fool。　　I　love　her　yet。　There　in　the　dusk　in　the　spring　evening　I　crawled　along　the　black　ground　to　her　feet　and　groveled　be…　fore　her。　　I　kissed　her　shoes　and　the　ankles　above　her　shoes。　　When　the　hem　of　her　garment　touched　my　face　I　trembled。　　When　after　two　years　of　that　life　I　found　she　had　managed　to　acquire　three　other　lov…　ers　who　came　regularly　to　our　house　when　I　was　away　at　work；　I　didn't　want　to　touch　them　or　her。　I　just　sent　her　home　to　her　mother　and　said　nothing。　There　was　nothing　to　say。　　I　had　four　hundred　dol…　lars　in　the　bank　and　I　gave　her　that。　　I　didn't　ask　her　reasons。　　I　didn't　say　anything。　　When　she　had　gone　I　cried　like　a　silly　boy。　　Pretty　soon　I　had　a　chance　to　sell　the　house　and　I　sent　that　money　to　her。〃
  Wash　Williams　and　George　Willard　arose　from　the　pile　of　railroad　ties　and　walked　along　the　tracks　toward　town。　　The　operator　finished　his　tale　quickly；　breathlessly。
  〃Her　mother　sent　for　me；〃　he　said。　　〃She　wrote　me　a　letter　and　asked　me　to　come　to　their　house　at　Dayton。　　When　I　got　there　it　was　evening　about　this　time。〃
  Wash　Williams'　voice　rose　to　a　half　scream。　　〃I　sat　in　the　parlor　of　that　house　two　hours。　　Her　mother　took　me　in　there　and　left　me。　　Their　house　was　styl…　ish。　　They　were　what　is　called　respectable　people。　There　were　plush　chairs　and　a　couch　in　the　room。　　I　was　trembling　all　over。　　I　hated　the　men　I　thought　had　wronged　her。　　I　was　sick　of　living　alone　and　wanted　her　back。　　The　longer　I　waited　the　more　raw　and　tender　I　became。　　I　thought　that　if　she　came　in　and　just　touched　me　with　her　hand　I　would　perhaps　faint　away。　　I　ached　to　forgive　and　forget。〃
  Wash　Williams　stopped　and　stood　staring　at　George　Willard。　　The　boy's　body　shook　as　from　a　chill。　　Again　the　man's　voice　became　soft　and　low。　　〃She　came　into　the　room　naked；〃　he　went　on。　　〃Her　mother　did　that。　　While　I　sat　there　she　was　taking　the　girl's　clothes　off；　perhaps　coaxing　her　to　do　it。　　First　I　heard　voices　at　the　door　that　led　into　a　little　hallway　and　then　it　opened　softly。　　The　girl　was　ashamed　and　stood　perfectly　still　staring　at　the　floor。　　The　mother　didn't　come　into　the　room。　　When　she　had　pushed　the　girl　in　through　the　door　she　stood　in　the　hallway　waiting；　hoping　we　wouldwell；　you　see　waiting。〃
  George　Willard　and　the　telegraph　operator　came　into　the　main　street　of　Winesburg。　　The　lights　from　the　store　windows　lay　bright　and　shining　on　the　sidewalks。　　People　moved　about　laughing　and　talk…　ing。　　The　young　reporter　felt　ill　and　weak。　　In　imagi…　nation；　he　also　became　old　and　shapeless。　　〃I　didn't　get　the　mother　killed；〃　said　Wash　Williams；　staring　up　and　down　the　street。　　〃I　struck　her　once　with　a　chair　and　then　the　neighbors　came　in　and　took　it　away。　　She　screamed　so　loud　you　see。　　I　won't　ever　have　a　chance　to　kill　her　now。　　She　died　of　a　fever　a　month　after　that　happened。〃
  THE　THINKER
  THE　HOUSE　in　which　Seth　Richmond　of　Winesburg　lived　with　his　mother　had　been　at　one　time　the　show　place　of　the　town；　but　when　young　Seth　lived　there　its　glory　had　become　somewhat　dimmed。　　The　huge　brick　house　which　Banker　White　had　built　on　Buck…　eye　Street　had　overshadowed　it。　　The　Richmond　place　was　in　a　little　valley　far　out　at　the　end　of　Main　Street。　　Farmers　coming　into　town　by　a　dusty　road　from　the　south　passed　by　a　grove　of　walnut　trees；　skirted　the　Fair　Ground　with　its　high　board　fence　covered　with　advertisements；　and　trotted　their　horses　down　through　the　valley　past　the　Richmond　place　into　town。　　As　much　of　the　country　north　and　south　of　Winesburg　was　devoted　to　fruit　and　berry　raising；　Seth　saw　wagon…loads　of　berry　pickersboys；　girls；　and　womengoing　to　the　fields　in　the　morning　and　returning　covered　with　dust　in　the　evening。　　The　chattering　crowd；　with　their　rude　jokes　cried　out　from　wagon　to　wagon；　sometimes　irritated　him　sharply。　　He　regretted　that　he　also　could　not　laugh　boisterously；　shout　meaningless　jokes　and　make　of　himself　a　figure　in　the　endless　stream　of　moving；　giggling　activity　that　went　up　and　down　the　road。
  The　Richmond　house　was　built　of　limestone；　and；　although　it　was　said　in　the　village　to　have　become　run　down；　had　in　reality　grown　more　beautiful　with　every　passing　year。　　Already　time　had　begun　a　little　to　color　the　stone；　lending　a　golden　richness　to　its　surface　and　in　the　evening　or　on　dark　days　touching　the　shaded　places　beneath　the　eaves　with　wavering　patches　of　browns　and　blacks。
  The　house　had　been　built　by　Seth's　grandfather；　a　stone　quarryman；　and　it；　together　with　the　stone　quarries　on　Lake　Erie　eighteen　miles　to　the　north；　had　been　left　to　his　son；　Clarence　Richmond；　Seth's　father。　　Clarence　Richmond；　a　quiet　passionate　man　extraordinarily　admired　by　his　neighbors；　had　been　killed　in　a　street　fight　with　the　editor　of　a　newspaper　in　Toledo；　Ohio。　　The　fight　concerned　the　publication　of　Clarence　Richmond's　name　coupled　with　that　of　a　woman　school　teacher；　and　as　the　dead　man　had　begun　the　row　by　firing　upon　the　editor；　the　effort　to　punish　the　slayer　was　unsuccessful。　　After　the　quarryman's　death　it　was　found　that　much　of　the　money　left　to　him　had　been　squandered　in　specula…　tion　and　in　insecure　investments　made　through　the　influence　of　friends。
  Left　with　but　a　small　income；　Virginia　Richmond　had　settled　down　to　a　retired　life　in　the　village　and　to　the　raising　of　her　son。　　Although　she　had　been　deeply　moved　by　the　death　of　the　husband　and　fa…　ther；　she　did　not　at　all　believe　the　stories　concerning　him　that　ran　about　after　his　death。　　To　her　mind；　the　sensitive；　boyish　man　whom　all　had　instinctively　loved；　was　but　an　unfortunate；　a　being　too　fine　for　everyday　life。　　〃You'll　be　hearing　all　sorts　of　stories；　but　you　are　not　to　believe　what　you　hear；〃　she　said　to　her　son。　　〃He　was　a　good　man；　full　of　tenderness　for　everyone；　and　should　not　have　tried　to　be　a　man　of　affairs。　　No　matter　how　much　I　were　to　plan　and　dream　of　your　future；　I　could　not　imagine　anything　better　for　you　than　that　you　turn　out　as　good　a　man　as　your　father。〃
  Several　years　after　the　death　of　her　husband；　Vir…　ginia　Richmond　had　become　alarmed　at　the　growing　demands　upon　her　income　and　had　set　herself　to　the　task　of　increasing　it。　　She　had　learned　stenogra…　phy　and　through　the　influence　of　her　husband's　friends　got　the　position　of　court　stenographer　at　the　county　seat。　　There　she　went　by　train　each　morning　during　the　sessions　of　the　court；　and　when　no　court　sat；　spent　her　days　working　among　the　rosebushes　in　her　garden。　　She　was　a　tall；　straight　figure　of　a　woman　with　a　plain　face　and　a　great　mass　of　brown　hair。
  In　the　relationship　between　Seth　Richmond　and　his　mother；　there　was　a　quality　that　even　at　eighteen　had　begun　to　color　all　of　his　traffic　with　men。　　An　almost　unhealthy　respect　for　the　youth　kept　the　mother　for　the　most　part　silent　in　his　presence。　When　she　did　speak　sharply　to　him　he　had　only　to　look　steadily　into　her　eyes　to　see　dawning　there　the　puzzled　look　he　had　already　noticed　in　the　eyes　of　others　when　he　looked　at　them。
  The　truth　was　that　the　son　thought　with　remark…　able　clearness　and　the　mother　did　not。　　She　expected　from　all　people　certain　conventional　reactions　to　life。　A　boy　was　your　son；　you　scolded　him　and　he　trem…　bled　and　looked　at　the　floor。　　When　you　had　scolded　enough　he　wept　and　all　was　forgiven。　　After　the　weeping　and　when　he　had　gone　to　bed；　you　crept　into　his　room　and　kissed　him。
  Virginia　Richmond　could　not　understand　why　her　son　did　not　do　these　things。　　After　the　severest　repri…　mand；　he　did　not　tremble　and　look　at　the　floor　but　instead　looked　steadily　at　her；　causing　uneasy　doubts　to　invade　her　mind。　　As　for　creeping　into　his　room　after　Seth　had　passed　his　fifteenth　year；　she　would　have　been　half　afraid　to　do　anything　of　the　kind。
  Once　when　he　was　a　boy　of　sixteen；　Seth　in　com…　pany　with　two　other　boys　ran　away　from　home。　　The　three　boys　climbed　into　the　open　door　of　an　empty　freight　car　and　rode　some　forty　miles　to　a　town　where　a　fair　was　being　held。　　One　of　the　boys　had　a　bottle　filled　with　a　combination　of　whiskey　and　blackberry　wine；　and　the　three　sat　with　legs　dan…　gling　out　of　the　car　door　drinking　from　the　bottle。　Seth's　two　companions　sang　and　waved　their　hands　to　idlers　about　the　stations　of　the　towns　through　which　the　train　passed。　　They　planned　raids　upon　the　baskets　of　farmers　who　had　come　with　their　fam…　ilies　to　the　fair。　　〃We　will　five　like　kings　and　won't　have　to　spend　a　penny　to　see　the　fair　and　horse　races；〃　they　declared　boastfully。
  After　the　disappearance　of　Seth；　Virginia　Rich…　mond　walked　up　and　down　the　floor　of　her　home　filled　with　vague　alarms。　　Although　on　the　next　day　she　discovered；　through　an　inquiry　made　by　the　town　marshal；　on　what　adventure　the　boys　had　gone；　she　could　not　quiet　herself。　　All　through　the　night　she　lay　awake　hearing　the　clock　tick　and　telling