Shaking　with　fright　and　anxiety；　the　young　re…　porter　lurked　in　the　hallway　outside　the　door　of　the　room　in　which　Joe　Welling　talked　to　the　two　Kings。　There　had　been　an　oath；　the　nervous　giggle　of　old　Edward　King；　and　then　silence。　　Now　the　voice　of　Joe　Welling；　sharp　and　clear；　broke　forth。　　George　Willard　began　to　laugh。　　He　understood。　　As　he　had　swept　all　men　before　him；　so　now　Joe　Welling　was　carrying　the　two　men　in　the　room　off　their　feet　with　a　tidal　wave　of　words。　　The　listener　in　the　hall　walked　up　and　down；　lost　in　amazement。
  Inside　the　room　Joe　Welling　had　paid　no　attention　to　the　grumbled　threat　of　Tom　King。　　Absorbed　in　an　idea　he　closed　the　door　and；　lighting　a　lamp；　spread　the　handful　of　weeds　and　grasses　upon　the　floor。　　〃I've　got　something　here；〃　he　announced　sol…　emnly。　　〃I　was　going　to　tell　George　Willard　about　it；　let　him　make　a　piece　out　of　it　for　the　paper。　　I'm　glad　you're　here。　　I　wish　Sarah　were　here　also。　　I've　been　going　to　come　to　your　house　and　tell　you　of　some　of　my　ideas。　　They're　interesting。　　Sarah　wouldn't　let　me。　She　said　we'd　quarrel。　　That's　foolish。〃
  Running　up　and　down　before　the　two　perplexed　men；　Joe　Welling　began　to　explain。　　〃Don't　you　make　a　mistake　now；〃　he　cried。　　〃This　is　something　big。〃　His　voice　was　shrill　with　excitement。　　〃You　just　fol…　low　me；　you'll　be　interested。　　I　know　you　will。　　Sup…　pose　thissuppose　all　of　the　wheat；　the　corn；　the　oats；　the　peas；　the　potatoes；　were　all　by　some　mira…　cle　swept　away。　　Now　here　we　are；　you　see；　in　this　county。　　There　is　a　high　fence　built　all　around　us。　We'll　suppose　that。　　No　one　can　get　over　the　fence　and　all　the　fruits　of　the　earth　are　destroyed；　nothing　left　but　these　wild　things；　these　grasses。　　Would　we　be　done　for？　I　ask　you　that。　　Would　we　be　done　for？〃　Again　Tom　King　growled　and　for　a　moment　there　was　silence　in　the　room。　　Then　again　Joe　plunged　into　the　exposition　of　his　idea。　　〃Things　would　go　hard　for　a　time。　　I　admit　that。　　I've　got　to　admit　that。　No　getting　around　it。　　We'd　be　hard　put　to　it。　　More　than　one　fat　stomach　would　cave　in。　　But　they　couldn't　down　us。　　I　should　say　not。〃
  Tom　King　laughed　good　naturedly　and　the　shiv…　ery；　nervous　laugh　of　Edward　King　rang　through　the　house。　　Joe　Welling　hurried　on。　　〃We'd　begin；　you　see；　to　breed　up　new　vegetables　and　fruits。　　Soon　we'd　regain　all　we　had　lost。　　Mind；　I　don't　say　the　new　things　would　be　the　same　as　the　old。　　They　wouldn't。　　Maybe　they'd　be　better；　maybe　not　so　good。　　That's　interesting；　eh？　You　can　think　about　that。　　It　starts　your　mind　working；　now　don't　it？〃
  In　the　room　there　was　silence　and　then　again　old　Edward　King　laughed　nervously。　　〃Say；　I　wish　Sarah　was　here；〃　cried　Joe　Welling。　　〃Let's　go　up　to　your　house。　　I　want　to　tell　her　of　this。〃
  There　was　a　scraping　of　chairs　in　the　room。　　It　was　then　that　George　Willard　retreated　to　his　own　room。　Leaning　out　at　the　window　he　saw　Joe　Welling　going　along　the　street　with　the　two　Kings。　　Tom　King　was　forced　to　take　extraordinary　long　strides　to　keep　pace　with　the　little　man。　　As　he　strode　along；　he　leaned　over；　listeningabsorbed；　fascinated。　　Joe　Welling　again　talked　excitedly。　　〃Take　milkweed　now；〃　he　cried。　　〃A　lot　might　be　done　with　milk…　weed；　eh？　It's　almost　unbelievable。　　I　want　you　to　think　about　it。　　I　want　you　two　to　think　about　it。　There　would　be　a　new　vegetable　kingdom　you　see。　It's　interesting；　eh？　It's　an　idea。　　Wait　till　you　see　Sarah；　she'll　get　the　idea。　　She'll　be　interested。　　Sarah　is　always　interested　in　ideas。　　You　can't　be　too　smart　for　Sarah；　now　can　you？　Of　course　you　can't。　　You　know　that。〃
  ADVENTURE
  ALICE　HINDMAN；　a　woman　of　twenty…seven　when　George　Willard　was　a　mere　boy；　had　lived　in　Wines…　burg　all　her　life。　　She　clerked　in　Winney's　Dry　Goods　Store　and　lived　with　her　mother；　who　had　married　a　second　husband。
  Alice's　step…father　was　a　carriage　painter；　and　given　to　drink。　　His　story　is　an　odd　one。　　It　will　be　worth　telling　some　day。
  At　twenty…seven　Alice　was　tall　and　somewhat　slight。　　Her　head　was　large　and　overshadowed　her　body。　　Her　shoulders　were　a　little　stooped　and　her　hair　and　eyes　brown。　　She　was　very　quiet　but　beneath　a　placid　exterior　a　continual　ferment　went　on。
  When　she　was　a　girl　of　sixteen　and　before　she　began　to　work　in　the　store；　Alice　had　an　affair　with　a　young　man。　　The　young　man；　named　Ned　Currie；　was　older　than　Alice。　　He；　like　George　Willard；　was　employed　on　the　Winesburg　Eagle　and　for　a　long　time　he　went　to　see　Alice　almost　every　evening。　　Together　the　two　walked　under　the　trees　through　the　streets　of　the　town　and　talked　of　what　they　would　do　with　their　lives。　　Alice　was　then　a　very　pretty　girl　and　Ned　Currie　took　her　into　his　arms　and　kissed　her。　　He　became　excited　and　said　things　he　did　not　intend　to　say　and　Alice；　betrayed　by　her　desire　to　have　some…　thing　beautiful　come　into　her　rather　narrow　life；　also　grew　excited。　　She　also　talked。　　The　outer　crust　of　her　life；　all　of　her　natural　diffidence　and　reserve；　was　tom　away　and　she　gave　herself　over　to　the　emotions　of　love。　　When；　late　in　the　fall　of　her　sixteenth　year；　Ned　Currie　went　away　to　Cleveland　where　he　hoped　to　get　a　place　on　a　city　newspaper　and　rise　in　the　world；　she　wanted　to　go　with　him。　　With　a　trembling　voice　she　told　him　what　was　in　her　mind。　　〃I　will　work　and　you　can　work；〃　she　said。　　〃I　do　not　want　to　harness　you　to　a　needless　expense　that　will　pre…　vent　your　making　progress。　　Don't　marry　me　now。　We　will　get　along　without　that　and　we　can　be　to…　gether。　　Even　though　we　live　in　the　same　house　no　one　will　say　anything。　　In　the　city　we　will　be　un…　known　and　people　will　pay　no　attention　to　us。〃
  Ned　Currie　was　puzzled　by　the　determination　and　abandon　of　his　sweetheart　and　was　also　deeply　touched。　　He　had　wanted　the　girl　to　become　his　mis…　tress　but　changed　his　mind。　　He　wanted　to　protect　and　care　for　her。　　〃You　don't　know　what　you're　talk…　ing　about；〃　he　said　sharply；　〃you　may　be　sure　I'll　let　you　do　no　such　thing。　　As　soon　as　I　get　a　good　job　I'll　come　back。　　For　the　present　you'll　have　to　stay　here。　　It's　the　only　thing　we　can　do。〃
  On　the　evening　before　he　left　Winesburg　to　take　up　his　new　life　in　the　city；　Ned　Currie　went　to　call　on　Alice。　　They　walked　about　through　the　streets　for　an　hour　and　then　got　a　rig　from　Wesley　Moyer's　livery　and　went　for　a　drive　in　the　country。　　The　moon　came　up　and　they　found　themselves　unable　to　talk。　In　his　sadness　the　young　man　forgot　the　resolutions　he　had　made　regarding　his　conduct　with　the　girl。
  They　got　out　of　the　buggy　at　a　place　where　a　long　meadow　ran　down　to　the　bank　of　Wine　Creek　and　there　in　the　dim　light　became　lovers。　　When　at　mid…　night　they　returned　to　town　they　were　both　glad。　　It　did　not　seem　to　them　that　anything　that　could　hap…　pen　in　the　future　could　blot　out　the　wonder　and　beauty　of　the　thing　that　had　happened。　　〃Now　we　will　have　to　stick　to　each　other；　whatever　happens　we　will　have　to　do　that；〃　Ned　Currie　said　as　he　left　the　girl　at　her　father's　door。
  The　young　newspaper　man　did　not　succeed　in　get…　ting　a　place　on　a　Cleveland　paper　and　went　west　to　Chicago。　　For　a　time　he　was　lonely　and　wrote　to　Alice　almost　every　day。　　Then　he　was　caught　up　by　the　life　of　the　city；　he　began　to　make　friends　and　found　new　interests　in　life。　　In　Chicago　he　boarded　at　a　house　where　there　were　several　women。　　One　of　them　attracted　his　attention　and　he　forgot　Alice　in　Winesburg。　　At　the　end　of　a　year　he　had　stopped　writing　letters；　and　only　once　in　a　long　time；　when　he　was　lonely　or　when　he　went　into　one　of　the　city　parks　and　saw　the　moon　shining　on　the　grass　as　it　had　shone　that　night　on　the　meadow　by　Wine　Creek；　did　he　think　of　her　at　all。
  In　Winesburg　the　girl　who　had　been　loved　grew　to　be　a　woman。　　When　she　was　twenty…two　years　old　her　father；　who　owned　a　harness　repair　shop；　died　suddenly。　　The　harness　maker　was　an　old　soldier；　and　after　a　few　months　his　wife　received　a　widow's　pension。　　She　used　the　first　money　she　got　to　buy　a　loom　and　became　a　weaver　of　carpets；　and　Alice　got　a　place　in　Winney's　store。　　For　a　number　of　years　nothing　could　have　induced　her　to　believe　that　Ned　Currie　would　not　in　the　end　return　to　her。
  She　was　glad　to　be　employed　because　the　daily　round　of　toil　in　the　store　made　the　time　of　waiting　seem　less　long　and　uninteresting。　　She　began　to　save　money；　thinking　that　when　she　had　saved　two　or　three　hundred　dollars　she　would　follow　her　lover　to　the　city　and　try　if　her　presence　would　not　win　back　his　affections。
  Alice　did　not　blame　Ned　Currie　for　what　had　hap…　pened　in　the　moonlight　in　the　field；　but　felt　that　she　could　never　marry　another　man。　　To　her　the　thought　of　giving　to　another　what　she　still　felt　could　belong　only　to　Ned　seemed　monstrous。　　When　other　young　men　tried　to　attract　her　attention　she　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　them。　　〃I　am　his　wife　and　shall　remain　his　wife　whether　he　comes　back　or　not；〃　she　whispered　to　herself；　and　for　all　of　her　willingness　to　support　herself　could　not　have　understood　the　growing　modern　idea　of　a　woman's　owning　herself　and　giving　and　taking　for　her　own　ends　in　life。
  Alice　worked　in　the　dry　goods　store　from　eight　in　the　morning　until　six　at　night　and　on　three　evenings　a　week　went　back　to　the　store　to　stay　from　seven　until　nine。　　As　time　passed　and　she　became　more　an