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e beyond the Fair Ground and had returned by a path through a field。 At the foot of the hill below the farmer's house Seth had stopped beneath a sycamore tree and looked about him。 A soft humming noise had greeted his ears。 For a mo… ment he had thought the tree must be the home of a swarm of bees。
And then； looking down； Seth had seen the bees everywhere all about him in the long grass。 He stood in a mass of weeds that grew waist…high in the field that ran away from the hillside。 The weeds were abloom with tiny purple blossoms and gave forth an overpowering fragrance。 Upon the weeds the bees were gathered in armies； singing as they worked。
Seth imagined himself lying on a summer eve… ning； buried deep among the weeds beneath the tree。 Beside him； in the scene built in his fancy； lay Helen White； her hand lying in his hand。 A peculiar reluctance kept him from kissing her lips； but he felt he might have done that if he wished。 Instead； he lay perfectly still； looking at her and listening to the army of bees that sang the sustained masterful song of labor above his head。
On the bench in the garden Seth stirred uneasily。 Releasing the hand of the girl； he thrust his hands into his trouser pockets。 A desire to impress the mind of his companion with the importance of the resolution he had made came over him and he nod… ded his head toward the house。 〃Mother'll make a fuss； I suppose；〃 he whispered。 〃She hasn't thought at all about what I'm going to do in life。 She thinks I'm going to stay on here forever just being a boy。〃
Seth's voice became charged with boyish earnest… ness。 〃You see； I've got to strike out。 I've got to get to work。 It's what I'm good for。〃
Helen White was impressed。 She nodded her head and a feeling of admiration swept over her。 〃This is as it should be；〃 she thought。 〃This boy is not a boy at all； but a strong； purposeful man。〃 Cer… tain vague desires that had been invading her body were swept away and she sat up very straight on the bench。 The thunder continued to rumble and flashes of heat lightning lit up the eastern sky。 The garden that had been so mysterious and vast； a place that with Seth beside her might have become the background for strange and wonderful adven… tures； now seemed no more than an ordinary Wines… burg back yard； quite definite and limited in its outlines。
〃What will you do up there？〃 she whispered。
Seth turned half around on the bench； striving to see her face in the darkness。 He thought her infi… nitely more sensible and straightforward than George Willard； and was glad he had come away from his friend。 A feeling of impatience with the town that had been in his mind returned； and he tried to tell her of it。 〃Everyone talks and talks；〃 he began。 〃I'm sick of it。 I'll do something； get into some kind of work where talk don't count。 Maybe I'll just be a mechanic in a shop。 I don't know。 I guess I don't care much。 I just want to work and keep quiet。 That's all I've got in my mind。〃
Seth arose from the bench and put out his hand。 He did not want to bring the meeting to an end but could not think of anything more to say。 〃It's the last time we'll see each other；〃 he whispered。
A wave of sentiment swept over Helen。 Putting her hand upon Seth's shoulder； she started to draw his face down toward her own upturned face。 The act was one of pure affection and cutting regret that some vague adventure that had been present in the spirit of the night would now never be realized。 〃I think I'd better be going along；〃 she said； letting her hand fall heavily to her side。 A thought came to her。 〃Don't you go with me； I want to be alone；〃 she said。 〃You go and talk with your mother。 You'd better do that now。〃
Seth hesitated and； as he stood waiting； the girl turned and ran away through the hedge。 A desire to run after her came to him； but he only stood staring； perplexed and puzzled by her action as he had been perplexed and puzzled by all of the life of the town out of which she had come。 Walking slowly toward the house； he stopped in the shadow of a large tree and looked at his mother sitting by a lighted window busily sewing。 The feeling of loneli… ness that had visited him earlier in the evening re… turned and colored his thoughts of the adventure through which he had just passed。 〃Huh！〃 he ex… claimed； turning and staring in the direction taken by Helen White。 〃That's how things'll turn out。 She'll be like the rest。 I suppose she'll begin now to look at me in a funny way。〃 He looked at the ground and pondered this thought。 〃She'll be em… barrassed and feel strange when I'm around；〃 he whispered to himself。 〃That's how it'll be。 That's how everything'll turn out。 When it comes to loving someone； it won't never be me。 It'll be someone elsesome foolsomeone who talks a lotsome… one like that George Willard。〃
TANDY
UNTIL SHE WAS seven years old she lived in an old unpainted house on an unused road that led off Trunion Pike。 Her father gave her but little attention and her mother was dead。 The father spent his time talking and thinking of religion。 He proclaimed him… self an agnostic and was so absorbed in destroying the ideas of God that had crept into the minds of his neighbors that he never saw God manifesting himself in the little child that； half forgotten； lived here and there on the bounty of her dead mother's relatives。
A stranger came to Winesburg and saw in the child what the father did not see。 He was a tall； red… haired young man who was almost always drunk。 Sometimes he sat in a chair before the New Willard House with Tom Hard； the father。 As Tom talked； declaring there could be no God； the stranger smiled and winked at the bystanders。 He and Tom became friends and were much together。
The stranger was the son of a rich merchant of Cleveland and had come to Winesburg on a mission。 He wanted to cure himself of the habit of drink； and thought that by escaping from his city associates and living in a rural community he would have a better chance in the struggle with the appetite that was destroying him。
His sojourn in Winesburg was not a success。 The dullness of the passing hours led to his drinking harder than ever。 But he did succeed in doing some… thing。 He gave a name rich with meaning to Tom Hard's daughter。
One evening when he was recovering from a long debauch the stranger came reeling along the main street of the town。 Tom Hard sat in a chair before the New Willard House with his daughter； then a child of five； on his knees。 Beside him on the board sidewalk sat young George Willard。 The stranger dropped into a chair beside them。 His body shook and when he tried to talk his voice trembled。
It was late evening and darkness lay over the town and over the railroad that ran along the foot of a little incline before the hotel。 Somewhere in the distance； off to the west； there was a prolonged blast from the whistle of a passenger engine。 A dog that had been sleeping in the roadway arose and barked。 The stranger began to babble and made a prophecy concerning the child that lay in the arms of the agnostic。
〃I came here to quit drinking；〃 he said； and tears began to run down his cheeks。