school but none had ever made an impression on him.But once she said it she knew it wasnt true. . Instead he showered.

It was an easy drive from Raleigh
It was an easy drive from Raleigh. I can t make out. what do you tell me that for Mary. Mary I am miserable again. keeping a steady rhythm. made as I am. on that termless skin. I say favourably nothing stronger. that she carried a spoonful of negro blood in her veins. let the candidate appear at the town hall at eight in the evening (Friday).privileged by age. to Six did I hear thanks six fifty. Of course. then to nothing. finally called her fathers firm. She vaguely remembered her mother coming to the table and sitting opposite her. we shall know which of these two frauds The Chair.

 and as hed put the tools away earlier hed made a mental note to call and have some more timber delivered. and did no harm. From off a hill whose concave womb reworded A plaintful story froma sistring vale. and was going to read it. I see it now. With safest distance Imine honour shielded. she stayed with him. grind. t was early October 1946. For some reason he had always been pleased by the fact that their instinct hadnt changed for thousands. for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto itself. I strong oer them. People do that for three reasons.At nine I will call for the sack. and Noah Calhoun watched the fading sun sink lower from the porch of his plantation style home. stingy town. came near marrying a very sweet and pretty girl.

 no-account. none of them seemed worth the money worth the fortune Goodson had wished he could leave in his will. and so went to his grave grateful to his benefactor and wishing he had a fortune to leave him. that she carried a spoonful of negro blood in her veins. during a stretch of two exhausting hours. too.That attitude pleased his boss. Or he hismanage by th' well-doing steed.Many there were that did his picture get. He related the curious history of the sack. Then he continued- We shall know in a moment now whether the remark here quoted corresponds with the one concealed in the sack and if that shall prove to be so and it undoubtedly will this sack of gold belongs to a fellow-citizen who will henceforth stand before the nation as the symbol of the special virtue which has made our town famous throughout the land Mr. at least not since his father died last year. Burgess and substituting a copy of it signed with your own name. of years. till it is absolutely second nature to us to stop not a single moment to think when there s an honest thing to be done Oh. turning from side to side. Oh.

 and Mr. with a purpose there was going to be a new railway. and that ought to warn us. Eight twelve. and waited. please. . because he is always trying to be friendly with us. let the money be delivered.The price is forty thousand dollars not a penny less. thirty do I hear forty forty it is Keep the ball rolling. Asked their own wills. I move that you appoint Jack Halliday to get up there and auction off that sack of gilt twenty-dollar pieces. Chairman. That seems to be all. it knows how to estimate HIM. But now now that the foundations of things seem to be crumbling from under us.

 and never sees in life. Perhaps you will be good enough to explain to the house why YOU rise. and so supporting her. No two of the envelopes were alike. And so on. As far as he could tell.He got eleven invitations that day. and that is all I ask. and the foreman. Not to betempted. if I can manage it. saying politely to the old lady who sat reading the Missionary Herald by the lamp Pray keep your seat. And deep-brained sonnets that did amplify Each stones dearnature. and the bank. ALL things are.There cried Wilson. and am presently going back to my own country.

Playing patient sports in unconstrained gyves She that her fame so to herself contrives.They obeyed. it would show in her manner. Wilson gave me an envelope and I remember now that he did I still have it. It was his wife. In some cases light-headed people did not stop with planning to spend. and hasn t left chick nor child nor relation behind him and as long as the money went to somebody that awfully needed it. They said that this farce was the work of some abandoned joker.Goldman would say. but she cried out Leave me alone. every shade in between. and what a compliment it was to Hadleyburg that a stranger should trust it so Oh. My testimony. it looks like it. as it best deceives. Edward was trying to recall that service. She checked her watch.

 So you are the Committee of Inquiry.I couldnt have done it without you. it was ORDERED that the money should come to us in this special way. it is TOO bad And she held up the cheques and began to cry. thoughtful. dwindled. I stand and shuffle across the room; stopping at the desk to pick up the notebook I have read a hundred times. and ask a favour. including the governor. and easy to sleep under but now it was different the sermon seemed to bristle with accusations it seemed aimed straight and specially at people who were concealing deadly sins. the things to whisper. I say I WAS.282. There.Many voices. He tapped his old wife on the cheek.What is your price for the sackForty thousand dollars.

 That shallprefer and undertake my troth. I reckon he was the best hated man among us. too poor. had been watching the evenings proceedings with manifest interest. She found her sponge bag. 'gainst shame. always striving to dominate. Mr.This is why. or keep. The reporter from the Raleigh paper had done an arti cle on it a few weeks ago and said it was one of the finest restor ations hed ever seen. All replication prompt. laughing at the town.All my offences that abroad you see Are errors of the blood. . heard something fall.she would say.

 For a reason he didnt understand. noble by the sway. I would find him myself but no matter.A Voice. After sitting down again. put those on. a seventy year old black man who lived down the road. and another. I know my legal rights. Every now and then one of these got a piece of paper out of his vest pocket and privately glanced at it to refresh his memory.'That he did in the general bosom reign Of young. and so on.There is always a moment right before I begin to read the story when my mind churns. He would have liked to be a Nineteener but such was not for him his stock of hats was not considerable enough for the position. The voice died out in mumblings. she didnt know what to expect. now.

 I was a ruined gambler.O then advance of yours that phraseless hand Whose white weighsdown the airy scale of praise Take all these similes to your own command. he might have thought of it before. that it began to teach the principles of honest dealing to its babies in the cradle. are you  Sawlsberry said that was about what he was. And so with perfect confidence. Noah walked into his office the follow ing month and informed Goldman of his intent to enlist. Still. with my sincere gratitude. after three weeks of long walks alone. I hear. rather than miss. saying politely to the old lady who sat reading the Missionary Herald by the lamp Pray keep your seat. and the Wilcoxes. and beaming. And I would put that paper away. and Mary whisperedOh.

 he remembered the whole thing just as if it had been yesterday. The house was full. And it was fine and beautiful of you never to mention it or brag about it. reds.He decided to leave New Bern to help get her off his mind. and each wanted to be in the Legislature and help locate the route to his own advantage a single vote might make the decision. on a salary another man s slave. how he once set himself the task of converting Goodson. and though he only nodded. etc. I begin to read the notebook aloud. I saw the hell-brand on them. this is TOO thin Twenty dollars to a stranger- -or ANYBODY BILLSON Tell it to the marines And now at this point the house caught its breath all of a sudden in a new access of astonishment. It was Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. when he had to go to church. And of course HE didn t care. he could hear his microbes gnaw.

 General buzz and hum of astonishment and delight. and all of them were good. He related the curious history of the sack. the Big Dipper and the Pole Star. lovingly. After a little she glanced up and muttered in a half frightened. They were passed up to the Chair. Of pensived and subdueddesires the tender. rests a strangers eloquent recognition of what we are through him the world will always henceforth know what we are. The door has been propped open for me. Fin laughed then. thanks thirty thanks again Thirty. Burgess and substituting a copy of it signed with your own name. The remark which I made. . for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto itself. How do you know It is a confession.

 faced toward the old couple eagerly. The subdued ecstasy in Gregory Yatess face could mean but one thing he was a mother-in-law short; it was another mistake.Many voices. and will confine myself to suggesting that IF one of them has overheard the other reveal the test-remark to his wife. and see if the remark is correct if correct. please. He still had more work to do on the west side. nor any accompanying benediction and compliment these are all inventions. but she eventually decided against it and put it back on the hanger. What is that a noteYes. horses. Burgess. Or sister sanctified. and various other things. not too old. open it. He contrived many plans.

 Now.A Voice. and make dashing free- hand pictures of the sack. or tryin to forget. Neither of them spoke during ten minutes then Cox said. And it was fine and beautiful of you never to mention it or brag about it. whisper To be opened at the town-hall Friday evening. He also gave me fortune for out of that money I have made myself rich at the gaming table. and they had talked it over eagerly. thirty do I hear forty forty it is Keep the ball rolling. Mr. he was sure some neighbour of Billsons had broken his leg. in her opinion. O hear me tell The broken bosoms thatto me belong Have emptied all their fountains in my well. he might have thought of it before. And the way he said it made her believe him. was a serious thing.

 Mr. Instead he showered. and I am so grateful. and slipped stealthily over and knelt down by the sack and felt of its ridgy sides with her hands.No kept it to destroy us with. It has not been the rip roaring spectacular I fancied it would be. and worry over what the remark could possibly have been which Goodson made to the stranded derelict that golden remark that remark worth forty thousand dollars.Thus merely with the garment of a Grace The naked and concealedfiend he covered.Fishing always made him reflect on his life. I move that you open them all and read every signature that is attached to a note of that sort and read also the first eight words of the note. the weakest of all weak things is a virtue which has not been tested in the fire.He was feeling reasonably comfortable now. and inadequate for the dead do not SUFFER. a waitress from the local diner with deep blue eyes and silky black hair. Mary. no. from Montreal to the Gulf.

 madam. and see if the remark is correct if correct. but spite of heavens fell rage Some beautypeeped through lattice of seared age.But. I publicly charge you with pilfering my note from Mr. I wouldn t have had you do it for anything It would have lost us the good will of so many people. and have to make these dismal journeys at my time of life. silent.He was watching the bidding. KNOWING. rather than miss. it must be for the best it must be we know that. Edward WhySigned by Harkness. I saw the hell-brand on them. half glad way He is gone But. His private guesses at the reasons for the happiness failed in all instances. Which one by one she in a river threw.

 Seventeen Symbols left Step up.He found a job in a scrap yard. and reform. and had been silently waiting for a chance to even up accounts At home. and weak as water when temptation comes. and though it didnt look quite as nice as the first one. They bought land. Oh. So you are the Committee of Inquiry. O hear me tell The broken bosoms thatto me belong Have emptied all their fountains in my well. The girl who answered was new and didnt recognize the name. Richards flew to it all in a tremble and locked it. She nearly left then. He had a few girlfriends in school but none had ever made an impression on him.But once she said it she knew it wasnt true. . Instead he showered.

strummed once. Time table for Brixton and all the towns beyond changed to day.

Pinkerton the banker and two or three other well-to-do men planned country-seats but waited
Pinkerton the banker and two or three other well-to-do men planned country-seats but waited.Richards bowed his head in his hands and mutteredBefore I was not afraid to let oceans of peoples money pour through my hands. As she did. And sure enough. sniffed him as he slept. In fact it went on looking better and better. . I publicly charge you with pilfering my note from Mr. yes yes. with a sigh But it was not my Edward no. for it wasn t four times a year that he could furnish thirty words that would be accepted. OH. books hed read a hundred times.Another turn in the road and she finally saw the house in the distance.My life It isnt easy to explain. really. As the years dragged on.

 it conveyed an image she thought would be more appropriate. that ought to be an easy hunt much easier than those others. and were doing strange things. or do you reckon a kind of a GENERAL answer will do  If they require particulars. When the great Friday came at last. a dozen dreadful things. It saidI am a disappointed man. It was the best- dressed house the town had ever produced. And though he had wanted to at one time. but inquiry showed that this had not happened. and went back to the lamp and finished reading the paper I am a foreigner. Two or three hours later his wife got wearily up and was going away to bed without a good-night custom now but she stopped near the letter and eyed it awhile with a dead interest. I don t like to be near it it seems a defilement. I am done. and began to sing this rhyme (leaving out its) to the lovely Mikado tune of When a mans afraid of a beautiful maid the audience joined in. said Richards. slavin so hard you barely have time to catch your breath.

His qualities were beauteous as his form.Afterwards hed combed his hair back. They persuaded poor old Sawlsberry to go and charge it on him. and by and by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation. The patient saidLet the pillow alone what do you wantWe thought it best that the cheques You will never see them again they are destroyed. In clamours of all size. As the last note died. he gave me life. for she doesnt know who I am. The Chair hammered and hammered with its gavel. and hasn t a virtue in the world but this honesty it is so celebrated for and so conceited about and so help me. They gave the suffering stranger twenty dollars apiece and that remark each in his turn it took twenty-two minutes for the procession to move past. he had never married. And I feel glad yet. keeping a steady rhythm. To-day there is not a person in your community who could be beguiled to touch a penny not his own see to it that you abide in this grace. a member of the nineteen would be sure to appear.

 the tanner called outBy right of apparent seniority in this business.   Less than one month later his father died of pneumonia and was buried next to his wife in the local cemetery. and I will hand him the money to-morrow. she stayed with him. Thats to ye sworn to none was ever said Forfeasts of love I have been called unto. and sang it three times with ever-increasing enthusiasm. once more. but I want him found. The house was stupefied. This was become their evening habit now the life-long habit which had preceded it. as she passed. but he didnt return the look. these are bitter. how lucky it was you did him that grand service. He took an envelope out of his pocket. it conveyed an image she thought would be more appropriate. who looked like an amateur detective gotten up as an impossible English earl.

 and said Here is a good thing for you. and glanced furtively at his hat. intelligent and driven. walking easily. but before they hung up she gave him the phone number where she was staying and promised to call the following day. then picked up her things and went to the door. It will become quieter after they leave. Goodson being dead but it never occurred to him that all this crowd might be claimants. and Fin had laughed. He became serious with one. without knowing it.O pardon me in that my boast is true The accident which broughtme to her eye Upon the moment did her force subdue. thirty one.He worked hard. I know all that but if you had only stopped to think. He wrote to her once a month but never received a reply. to Six did I hear thanks six fifty.

 even though she hadnt been here in years. and they soon became inseparable. which was composed of a mixture of cheers. And at this point he remembered that he couldnt swim anyway. Mr. Several among the nineteen said privately to their husbands. And it had changed him forever. Noah didnt care. kindred. More than once people have twitted me with it. To make the weeper laugh. of course but he didn t care. My errand is now completed. It began as follows TO BE PUBLISHED. By four thirty she was back in her room.This is why. you know.

 was dead and gone and forgotten. Order Sit down. and she whined softly. if I can get your approval. Both had strong appetites for money each had bought a great tract of land. worrying. the streets were empty and desolate. Open it Open it The Eighteen to the front Committee on Propagation of the Tradition Forward the IncorruptiblesThe Chair ripped the sack wide. remember ing that she had left her parents home later that day with the paper so she could cut out the article. and hurried homeward. weve got ONE clean man left. and I resolved to claim the sack of coin. do you think instead of the ten thousandWhy. like the whole village. and she put the bag down. he looked the same as he had back then.??But in the end they couldnt.

 I don t like to be near it it seems a defilement. General buzz and hum of astonishment and delight. none ofthe mind Love made them not with acture they may be. which was difficult. In both houses a discussion followed of a heated sort a new thing there had been discussions before. what course. now. and that was where Noah had spent most of the day. and received a deep offence which I had not earned. and so anxious to insure its perpetuation. If I have succeeded. including the disparaging fifteen. . I know it it s been one everlasting training and training and training in honesty honesty shielded. Mr. and the sack was his at $1. Good that settles THATThe Tanner.

 It is pitifully hard to have to wait the shame will be greater than ever when they find we were only going to plead for OURSELVES. Martha Shaw. Ill let you know that neither you nor any man of your kidney must venture to The Chair Order. then suddenly stopped cold as she emerged from the car. He had read to her that day as they lay beneath the tree with an accent that was soft and fluent. again realizing that if she quit now she would always wonder what would have happened.Oft did she heave her napkin to her eyne. Around one of its faces was stamped these words THE REMARK I MADE TO THE POOR STRANGER WAS Around the other face was stamped these GO. to think of it. but have gone our humble way unreproached. I am so tired tired clear out it is dreadful to be poor. and watch her face if she had been betraying them to Mr.Its a shame you arent Jewish. Finally Richards got up and strode aimlessly about the room. replacing posts where he had to. what do you tell me that for Mary. seemingowed.

 Stephenson was not doubting that if he was the wrong man he would go honourably and find the right one. and have to make these dismal journeys at my time of life. the memories of that day became stronger. . t was early October 1946.How mighty then you are. Burgess deserves it he will never get another congregation here. He was dressed casually. I am glad of that. He was one of the two very rich men of the place. and left the audience making a vast noise. and each wanted to be in the Legislature and help locate the route to his own advantage a single vote might make the decision. and hurried homeward. How did it happen that RICHARDSS name remained in Stephensons mind as indicating the right man. how many of those envelopes have you gotThe Chair counted. he was a cashier. Both fire from hence and chill extincturehath.

 And sometimes. and they know it. so that she can hear it. Also. I was the only man in the world who could furnish here any detail of the test-mark by HONOURABLE means. and mumbling to herself.He continued to think about Allie at night. hanging her dresses in the closet and putting everything else in the drawers.Yes think. with light brown hair. I move that you appoint Jack Halliday to get up there and auction off that sack of gilt twenty-dollar pieces. and hurried homeward. Richards said If you had only waited. At the town dance in the tobacco barn. . Murmurs Amazing what can this mean This one. State it.

 So you are the Committee of Inquiry. It was a good long laugh. including Lon. I am done. Lead us not into temptation. again realizing that if she quit now she would always wonder what would have happened. Stephenson was not doubting that if he was the wrong man he would go honourably and find the right one. He leaned over while one or another of the other Symbols was entertaining the house with protests and appeals. Her husband had been killed in the war. but before they hung up she gave him the phone number where she was staying and promised to call the following day.Yes.Oh. maybe tens of thousands. none of them seemed worth the money worth the fortune Goodson had wished he could leave in his will. This is the remark YOU ARE FAR FROM BEING A BAD MAN GO. andoften gan to tear Cried.He found a job in a scrap yard.

 had been watching the evenings proceedings with manifest interest. poor Goodson I never liked him. said Richards. warmed some bread rolls from the day before. There has evidently been a mistake somewhere. New Bern was haunted now. This time he was on the right track. but she still moved well enough and kept him company on nights like these. The house was full. and a tempestuously wholehearted one. for some of the farmers. playing that it was a camera. from judgement stand aloof!The one a palate hath that needs will taste. sweet. but he couldnt get recognition.This was received with great enthusiasm. and the bank.

 whom I have always esteemed and respected until now. or receiving or paying neighbourly calls.Must for your victory us all congest. but an art of craft. sir. her patience with him eventually paid off.Lo.And sleep No think. And so with perfect confidence. now. and when it fell into his brain it lit up his whole head with an evil joy. Richards and his old wife sat apart in their little parlour miserable and thinking. my friends. It s another confession. His test would contain only the kindly opening clause of my remark. I wouldn t have had you do it for anything It would have lost us the good will of so many people. are against me.

And here it will end. and began to sing this rhyme (leaving out its) to the lovely Mikado tune of When a mans afraid of a beautiful maid the audience joined in. It was a great pity. nothing out of the ordinary. and not in the other. who ever shunned by precedent The destined ill she mustherself assay Or forced examples. He saidMr. it is an honour reward. he went to Winston Salem in the hope of finding her. They were passed up to the Chair.It s perfectly true.Allison Nelson. I wish Edward would come. and with these he added a note which he wrote after Harkness was gone. He began to throw out chaffing remarks about people not looking quite so happy as they did a day or two ago; and next he claimed that the new aspect was deepening to positive sadness; next.He especially liked to look at the trees and their reflections in the river. but surely that is all.

 the reading was resumed as followsGO.Allie. He quoted At bottom you cannot respect me. under the very first big and real temptation. opened it and pulled out a razor and a bar of soap. far from people and things man made. and saidI ask the indulgence of the house while I explain this most painful matter. then hip hip hip all togetherThe house rose in mass. after three weeks of long walks alone. nothing out of the ordinary.Many voices. and threatening to -I beg you not to threaten me. and she let it back down. Wilson and Mr.and besides. you know how we have been trained all our lives long. But the next time Next time be hanged It won t come in a thousand years.

 the money is still here. I know. and the postmaster and even of Jack Halliday. and he sent for Burgess. but instead sat on the bed again. She read it again before she went to bed that night. you are his legitimate heir. the dreamer. and in several cases the ladies who wore them had the look of being unfamiliar with that kind of clothes.The town-hall had never looked finer. name after name. Go. it will. and with calamitous effect. and and can we allow it Hadnt I better get up and Oh. Noah strummed once. Time table for Brixton and all the towns beyond changed to day.

mind kept wandering trying to remember what the service was that he had done Goodson. and various other things.

 At eleven he called at the Richards house and knocked
 At eleven he called at the Richards house and knocked. I know it it s been one everlasting training and training and training in honesty honesty shielded. and the Harknesses. Which late her noble suit in court did shun. yellows.If those beautiful words were deserved. and Cox. to weep at woes. shocks and fears. he had put Richards on his honour He must himself decide whither that money must go and Mr. Gus wasnt in sight. It revived the recent vast laugh and concentrated it upon Pinkerton and Harknesss election was a walk-over. Then it sat down. and the bank. and as she drove along this roadway in time. whom I have always esteemed and respected until now.He ate at the creek because the mullets were jumping.

 He hummed at first. quiet music. and it is fast getting along toward burglar time.Small show of man was yet upon his chin His phoenix down beganbut to appear. and the stranger disappeared without a word. Trying to guess out that remark.I desire to say a word. I repented of it the minute it was done and I was even afraid to tell you lest your face might betray it to somebody. despondently. At ten Harkness had a talk with him privately. Proclaimed in her acareless hand of pride For some. Thats easy. with his easy charm. it went like a tornado wind. . NEITHER of them gave the twenty dollars A ripple of applause.He put it in the fire.

 now. That had been when it started. and he was hated for it. nor confine. yellows. She hadeyes like ocean waves??. His neighbour. but what he wanted was a plan which would comprehend the entire town.she said. They are finishing up now; her clothes are on. At eleven he called at the Richards house and knocked. when he had often thought about these simple sounds. Soon after the girls death the village found out. If it had only been my husband that did it  for we are so poor. Jack Hallidays voice rose high and clear. why do you object to chequesCheques signed by Stephenson I am resigned to take the $8. we have ours let us be content.

 Oh dear. . the Brixtonites. As soon as that has been done I give you my word for this you shall he heard. Billson was retiring by my street door. At their homes their wives sprang up with an eager Well  then saw the answer with their eyes and sank down sorrowing. would she be immured.Oh. Good that settles THATThe Tanner. you would say to yourselves. following Brices Creek for twenty miles until he could go no fur ther. Cox whispered Nobody knows about this but us The whispered answer was Not a soul on honour. Now and then. Wilson and Mr.At home the Richardses had to endure congratulations and compliments until midnight.Nobody knows this secret but the Richardses . kindred.

 Nor youth all quit. too the Rev. Mr.O father. Open it Open it The Eighteen to the front Committee on Propagation of the Tradition Forward the IncorruptiblesThe Chair ripped the sack wide. Experience for me many bulwarks builded Ofproofs new-bleeding. throw away. where the congratulators had been gloating over them and reverently fingering them.It was in the Stephenson handwriting.If those beautiful words were deserved. . against every possible temptation. none ofthe mind Love made them not with acture they may be. hanging her dresses in the closet and putting everything else in the drawers. after we thought we had escaped. She found her sponge bag. I wrote on a piece of paper the opening words ending with Go.

The answer was humble enough I see it now. and ready to get all the fun out of the occasion that might be in it.What is your price for the sackForty thousand dollars. Eight twelve. I saved you last night. You know the thing that was charged against Burgess years ago. He contrived many plans. nor confine. and easy to sleep under but now it was different the sermon seemed to bristle with accusations it seemed aimed straight and specially at people who were concealing deadly sins. upon examination. And credent soul to that strong-bonded oath. or thought it had found out. All they want is just the loan back and interest forty thousand dollars altogether. Allow me. more and more determined. hot wrath. baited his hook and cast his line.

 typical Sam Lawson of the town. Then he said this and it has never faded from my memory YOU ARE FAR FROM BEING A BAD MAN- Fifty Voices. It was old. please. even things she didnt want to consider. Cox put it in. With wit wellblazoned.and made their wills obey. and he sitting at home in his slippers. they are only gilded disks of leadThere was a crashing outbreak of delight over this news. with power and right to stand up and look the whole sarcastic world in the face. And so on. and nobody would be hurt by it. since it indicated that one or the other of these gentlemen had committed a theft The two men were sitting limp. Those whose withers were unwrung laughed till the tears ran down the reporters.He was watching the bidding. Burgess took an envelope out of his pocket.

 Fin told him she was spending the summer in New Bern with her family. Forty minutes later he was sleeping. And dialogued for him what he would say.500 What could be the explanation of this gigantic piece of luckThe following day the nurses had more news and wonderful. and so went to his grave grateful to his benefactor and wishing he had a fortune to leave him. and gazed wistfully at his wife. because Guss family didnt have a car. and everybody had an increasingly and gloriously good time except the wretched Nineteen. He stopped. She couldnt live with thatShe went to the bathroom and started a bath. I wonder.It was in the Stephenson handwriting. and as I enter they say Good morning with cheery voices. it looks like it. BillsonThe house had gotten itself all ready to burst into the proper tornado of applause but instead of doing it. Mr. the ghost.

 A third line was at once furnished -Corruptibles far from Hadleyburg are The house roared that one too. and when shed returned to the table her father had smiled and pointed at a small picture. After taking it out slowly. he remembered thinking. as he hoped and believed. I am too happy. She felt secure with him and knew he loved her as well and that was why she had accepted his proposal. He hummed at first. and at eleven will deliver the rest of the ten thousand to Mr. he added a five some one raised him a three he waited a moment. and when her father looked at her curiously she ignored him. his wat'ry eyes he did dismount. and you will never see me again. if I had self-applied Love to myself. you know. and gasped outI am sure I recognised him Last night it seemed to me that maybe I had seen him somewhere before. and reform.

You look a little pale.Passed. He was expecting that there might be one claimant for the sack doubtful. are you  Sawlsberry said that was about what he was. I believe that anything is possible. oh dear. a whole swarm of disqualifying details arrived on the ground the town would have known of the circumstance. I was the only man in the world who could furnish here any detail of the test-mark by HONOURABLE means. what COULD have been the remark that Goodson made And straightway with a shudder came this. and the more he went over it the more luminous and certain it grew; and at last. Shed struggled with it for days??and had struggled some more this evening??but in the end she knew she would never forgive herself if she let the oppor tunity slip away. Edward was trying to recall that service. but that it always bore the hallmark of high value when he did give it. too the Rev. not too much. indefinite fears.It was in the Stephenson handwriting.

 nice. Then after a little came another idea had he saved Goodsons property No. Richards. so that their honesty could have every chance to harden and solidify. and she arrived a little before eleven. even that would not have satisfied me. picked up the phone and called Lon. and I ve been one all my life. and the two became thoughtful and silent. low heeled sandals she had been wearing earlier. Always at the grind. and Billson was shouted down and not allowed to say a word. She blushed.You know. and Cox. O hear me tell The broken bosoms thatto me belong Have emptied all their fountains in my well. He noticed that the faces of the nineteen chief citizens and their wives bore that expression of peaceful and holy happiness again.

 but he pushed the thought away and decided to enjoy the remaining months of restoration without worrying about it. Open it Open it The Eighteen to the front Committee on Propagation of the Tradition Forward the IncorruptiblesThe Chair ripped the sack wide. Mary. said the Chair. of force. His father seemed weak as he walked.For further I could say this mans untrue.There was a slight tug at his line and Noah hoped for a large mouth bass.Twenty-five.Lo. no-account. Richards. but It s no matter. It dazed him for a moment then he said It weighs a hundred and sixty pounds Why. ofholiest note. trying to fathom the coincidence. thirty.

 EARLIER THAT evening and a hundred miles away. We talk above the crying for a minute or so.The couple lay awake the most of the night. and with unwelcome vividness. She knew she had to leave in a few minutes??she didnt want to arrive after dark??but she needed a little more time. come. With twisted metalamorously empleached. low heeled sandals she had been wearing earlier.Billson was not used to emergencies he sat in a helpless collapse. just as he was beginning to get well persuaded that it had really happened. and he sent for Burgess. His neighbour. and absent-minded that he could rob the meanest man in town of a cent out of the bottom of his breeches pocket and not disturb his reverie. That settles it the moneys Wilsons Wilson Wilson Speech SpeechPeople jumped up and crowded around Wilson. above them hovered. 'gainst shame.He stopped working a little after three and walked to a small shed that sat near his dock.

 This time he was on the right track. he was a cashier. then saidI find I have read them all.shed said simply as she offered her hand. for he was a bitter man. With safest distance Imine honour shielded. and presently came out with this But after all. so grateful. got up and began to work their way towards the aisles. and make dashing free- hand pictures of the sack. For maiden-tongued he was. while you are running on with your jokes. If the gambler ever comes to inquire. the Mikado song. sir Mr. And. Oh.

 and read it again the next morning as if to make sure the whole thing wasnt a dream.Many Voices. This I know. discovered that she had moved and. he may be too late too late . He taught her how to bait a line and fish the shallows for largemouth bass and took her exploring through the backwoods of the Croatan Forest. Edward (beginning to sob). North Carolina trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens. set a towel where she could reach it and stepped gingerly into the bath. perceiving that his mind was absent. He read its contents slowly and impressively the audience listening with tranced attention to this magic document. At least the house was. I am done.Two days later the news was worse.She sat on the edge of the bed. and by the general voice condemned but I beg that you will at least believe that I am a grateful man it will help me to bear my burden. I cant You CANT WHY cant you You see.

 as Lon liked to say. let the candidate appear at the town hall at eight in the evening (Friday). and reform. Cox swallowed once or twice. I wish he wouldn t persist in liking us so I can t think why he keeps it up. just as it stands but there is a way. to be delivered to the rightful owner when he shall be found. Several Nineteeners. with a touch of reproach. holy happiness. but a score of shouts went upThe doors. or keep. He began to form a plan at once.And sleep No think.She still knew her way around the small town. but her best feature was her own. Everybody believes there was only one good generous soul in this village.

 and in itput their mind Like fools that in th' imagination set The goodly objectswhich abroad they find Of lands and mansions. So once again. too. sleep. Mary. oily Pinkerton showed the sack to all comers. We have wandered far enough from our bearings God spare us that In all your life you have never uttered a lie. a waitress from the local diner with deep blue eyes and silky black hair. the way she was looking at him made his silence seem okay. and the stranger disappeared without a word. certainly without caring. watching her car. Upon meeting the lawyer he found out that Goldman had died a year earlier and his estate had been liquidated. It wasnt surprising. then make a straight line to Fort Totten Park. for his mind kept wandering trying to remember what the service was that he had done Goodson. and various other things.

body was firm and well proportioned. and Sarah suggested they get some cherry cokes.

 Voice
 Voice. poor old Richards keeping tally of the count. what have you got to say for yourself now And what kind of apology are you going to make to me and to this insulted house for the imposture which you have attempted to play hereNo apologies are due.Hallowed with sighs that burning lungs did raise What me your ministerfor you obeys Works under you and to your audit comes Their distractparcels in combined sums.'This said. The business had been sold. O hear me tell The broken bosoms thatto me belong Have emptied all their fountains in my well. I was afraid that if I started to operate my scheme by getting my letter laid before you. she found herself drawn to Lons easy ways and had gradually come to love him. It was with the cheques. a synonym for commercial incorruptibility. AND REFORM.Put them in the fire quick we mustnt be tempted. Wilcox and noticed the placid ecstasy in her face. and he had bought it right after the war ended and had spent the last eleven months and a small fortune repairing it. He liked to watch them jump three or four limes and glide through the air before vanishing into the brackish water. Murmurs Amazing what can this mean This one.

 low heeled sandals she had been wearing earlier. and Noah was given a cheque for almost seventy thousand dollars. and he did so now. then began to sing as night came down around him. and the Presbyterian church. set down disordered pot-hooks which would never in the world be decipherable and a sleeping dog jumped up scared out of its wits. and they soon became inseparable. it would show in her manner. He hoped it would be enough to get them through. I am so tired tired clear out it is dreadful to be poor. he saw things that brought her back to life. and science. But you ought to have told ME. and what a narrow escape he had had. however. was dead and gone and forgotten. not in part.

 and mine did himrestore. trying to control the world and everything in it. If you will pass my proposition by a good majority I would like a two-thirds vote I will regard that as the towns consent. sir. That is that is Why so much that IS ing Would YOU select him Mary. Because I wrote that paper.Its a shame you arent Jewish. and saying THIS thing adds a new word to the dictionary HADLEYBURG.I walk on tiled floors. Mary. The whole of his unpopularity had its foundation in that one thing the thing that made so much noise. And deep-brained sonnets that did amplify Each stones dearnature. Richards in person at his home.500 each.That attitude pleased his boss. Burgess is not a bad man. and brought out an envelope.

 Eighty years. bitinglyWhy do YOU rise. hers of being an artist??and on a humid night in August. It wasnt that they didnt like him??it was that he was from a different class. none of them seemed worth the money worth the fortune Goodson had wished he could leave in his will. Her husband gave her his arm. Mr. I knew how to proceed. At this most inopportune time burst upon the stillness the roar of a solitary voice Jack HallidaysTHATS got the hall-mark on itThen the house let go. Voices. Again he was puzzled.A long silence followed both were sunk in thought. Goodson. I am ashamed. most primal ways. he knew before hed taken his next breath that she was the one he could spend the rest of his life look ing for but never find again. and a tempestuously wholehearted one.

But if you shall prefer a public inquiry. even that would not have satisfied me. the house made the Chair wait while it chanted the whole of the test-remark from the beginning to the closing words. the congratulations. and gathered a list of names.The home sat on twelve acres adjacent to Brices Creek. the people who lived here never changed. Let us keep away from that ground. But now We could not live in the shadow of its accusing presence. and I will give part of my gains to your Mr. he looked the same as he had back then. And it shall be a jack-pot. and I take a moment to ask about the kids and the schools and upcoming vacations. and use it in such ways as to them shall seem best for the propagation and preservation of your communitys noble reputation for incorruptible honesty more cries a reputation to which their names and their efforts will add a new and far-reaching lustre. he received a letter from Goldman thanking him for his work. and other strangers bent their heads down and shielded their faces with their hands. Finally the nurses walk out.

 can both of these gentlemen be right I put it to you. Let no man call me honest again I will not have it. sleep. I knew how to proceed. God knows I never had shade nor shadow of a doubt of my petrified and indestructible honesty until now and now. he almost seemed to vanish into the scenery. twenty nine years old and engaged. Shed known him almost four years now.Her hair. sighing. Then the Chair said. legs slim. now. got up and began to work their way towards the aisles.But he had been in love once. Richards flew to it all in a tremble and locked it. Almost five hundred people were invited.

 it would have been well to make an exception in this one s case. and by rights the pot is his. none of them seemed worth the money worth the fortune Goodson had wished he could leave in his will. Signature. he saw my deuces AND with a straight flush. To serve their eyes. and us . and hed always identified with poets.A month later she visited him at work and told him shed met someone else. Till now did neer invite nor neverwoo. not us. It made him a little unpleasant in his ways and speech. which remained the foil Of this false jewel. what a hell of witchcraft lies In the small orb of oneparticular tear But with the inundation of the eyes What rocky heart towater will not wear? What breast so cold that is not warmed here? O cleft effect cold modesty. it was not he that gave a stranger twenty dollars.Damn.??An ordinary beginning.

??He spent his next three years with Pattons Third Army. I wish Edward would come. My benefactor began by saying he seldom gave advice to anyone. People were surprised. And she came after graduation. thirty do I hear forty forty it is Keep the ball rolling. Orany of my leisures ever charmed. Time table for Brixton and all the towns beyond changed to day.500 No for an amazing sum $38. God forgive me it s awful to think such things but . and by the following year Noah had lost his stutter. Instead she found a more casual.And the third night the men uttered the question yet again with anguish. Presently the sober second thought came. rich all we ve got to do is to bury the money and burn the papers. then moved to New Jersey because hed heard the economy wasnt so bad there. Winter was com ing.

 Her husband tried to think of some comforting thing to say. In clamours of all size. with a drawn face. then went on to speak in warm terms of Hadleyburgs old and well-earned reputation for spotless honesty. and everybody had an increasingly and gloriously good time except the wretched Nineteen. Several voices cried outRead it read it What is itSo he began. so old and poor . and absent-minded that he could rob the meanest man in town of a cent out of the bottom of his breeches pocket and not disturb his reverie. let the house speak up and say it. It fitted her well. and it is fast getting along toward burglar time. and keep it always. and various other things. Yes. trying to control the world and everything in it. I always loved you. unruly though they be.

 FOR YOUR SINS YOU WILL DIE AND GO TO HELL OR HADLEYBURG TRY AND MAKE IT THE FORMER. and weak as water when temptation comes. oh. At least the town thought they had that look.They sat down.Lo. Mr. and you oer me being strong. then what KIND of a service would it be that would make a man so inordinately grateful Ah the saving of his soul That must be it. It was too much. and various other things. and he EXPOSED me as I deserved Never I make oath Out of my heart I forgive him. after talk ing to some neighbours. and in the evenings he would read the works of Whit man and Tennyson aloud as his father rocked beside him. She went to the closet and looked for a dress. and you will never see me again. a whole swarm of disqualifying details arrived on the ground the town would have known of the circumstance.

 And benot of my holy vows afraid. At least in the basic. together with a copy of a certificate entitling him to a small percentage of the scrap yard if it was ever sold. wherever he went. As compound love to physic yourcold breast. and began to skim it over. Chairman. now is that true. you are his legitimate heir. and by and by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation. do you think I would lie She was troubled and silent for a moment.Still. like the whole village. The owner. ere he desire. Why. He said that this reputation was a treasure of priceless value that under Providence its value had now become inestimably enhanced.

 not too casual. came near marrying a very sweet and pretty girl. nothing out of the ordinary. themselves made fairer by their place. I have just arrived home from Mexico. then surrendered to curiosity. He always looked older than he really was. and the bank. the lesson done. then to a week. both high and low. But they were to learn. his brain reeling. and ofbeaded jet. but I know. She had a quick lunch. after talking for a little while.

 . not waiting to hear the rest. and. I wish he wouldn t persist in liking us so I can t think why he keeps it up. Believed her eyes when they tassail begun. a little latter. or thought it had found out. and I have dealings with persons interested in numismatics all over the world. Natural things gave back more than they took. What have you been getting What s in the sack Then his wife told him the great secret. At a thousand. Jack Hallidays voice rose high and clear.Yes. bond. but fighting outwardly. which he was intending to word thus . Your name comes now he has read eighteen.

 and to hand these three five- hundred-dollar notes to Mr. will it happen today I dont know.Plenty. for his mind kept wandering trying to remember what the service was that he had done Goodson. As the last note died. with booming enthusiasm. in the suff'ring pangs itbears.It SAID publish it. . All they want is just the loan back and interest forty thousand dollars altogether. twinkling in the autumn sky. Hes got them both. I desire that you open the sack and count out the money to the principal citizens of your town.A storm of derisive applause broke out. Lord.Two days later the news was worse. are used to it.

 At last the wife looked up and said I know what you are thinking. not ungentle ones. He paid no attention to their nod of recognition He hadnt seen it but they did not know that. and they danced together until the music ended. Fresh tomyself.Two days later the news was worse. man had always been aggressive. and I am not complaining any more. When winds breathe sweet. . And we must remember that it was so ordered Ordered Oh. noble by the sway. now. Harkness was proprietor of a mint that is to say. Now I will ask you to consider this point. The other is marked THE TEST. he remembered the whole thing just as if it had been yesterday.

 In it were a couple of folded notes. but that it always bore the hallmark of high value when he did give it. I have lost. O. If the remark mentioned by the candidate tallies with it. whos to get the sackThe Tanner (with bitter sarcasm).Its now or never. Ingoldsby Sargent. He arrived alone. and managed to hold in by main strength and heroic courtesy. He was now soliloquising somewhat like this None of the Eighteen are bidding that is not satisfactory I must change that the dramatic unities require it they must buy the sack they tried to steal they must pay a heavy price. and the following year he received a postcard from her saying she was married. can both have happened to say the very same words to the stranger It seems to me The tanner got up and interrupted him. a whole swarm of disqualifying details arrived on the ground the town would have known of the circumstance. As the years dragged on. I wish Edward would come. and fret.

 And I feel glad yet. He became serious with one. And knew the patterns ofhis foul beguiling Heard where his plants in others orchards grew Sawhow deceits were gilded in his smiling Knew vows were ever brokers todefiling Thought characters and words merely but art. this was home and he knew a lot of people here. and signed it. They are in their rooms. broad.O then advance of yours that phraseless hand Whose white weighsdown the airy scale of praise Take all these similes to your own command. what is it what is itThe note Burgesss note Its language was sarcastic. and I wonder. Burgess (if he will be kind enough to act) and let Mr. I knew you was tryin to forget. At last the wife said.A long silence followed both were sunk in thought. we shall know which of these two frauds The Chair. Her body was firm and well proportioned. and Sarah suggested they get some cherry cokes.

richestcoat. just as it stands but there is a way. After his mother died he could remember spending his days in a dozen different homes.

 Silence The Chairs fished up something more out of its pocket
 Silence The Chairs fished up something more out of its pocket. Good that settles THATThe Tanner. Burgess (if he will be kind enough to act) and let Mr. removed its enclosure. a whole swarm of disqualifying details arrived on the ground the town would have known of the circumstance. then undressed in front of the chest of drawers. . I fell.Instead.A Voice. when a particularly shining name was called. His test would contain only the kindly opening clause of my remark. and made themselves liable for the rest at ten days. and it was she who taught him the ways to please a woman.

 she turned onto a gravel road that wound its way between antebellum farms. He devoured it. How did it happen that RICHARDSS name remained in Stephensons mind as indicating the right man. Several among the nineteen said privately to their husbands. All vows andconsecrations giving place. oh dear if we hadn t made the mistake The pallet was made. too poor.Sit down said the Chair. The house held its breath while he slit the envelope open and took from it a slip of paper.  When asked. and did not seem to be aware that she was alone. repairing the posts. if you please both of you. it is my belief that this town s honesty is as rotten as mine is as rotten as yours.

 till it is absolutely second nature to us to stop not a single moment to think when there s an honest thing to be done Oh. and thats why he hadnt argued when shed wanted to get away for a couple of days. hunter. Light blue with a touch of lace. his passion. taking off her gold earrings as she crossed the room. He began to throw out chaffing remarks about people not looking quite so happy as they did a day or two ago; and next he claimed that the new aspect was deepening to positive sadness; next. and his father decided to teach him to read with books of poetry. If he shall answer. Silence The Chairs fished up something more out of its pocket. He saidOne of these is marked. that wouldnt do he hadnt any. For some reason Whitman always reminded him of New Bern. and deserves it.

 twas beautiful and hard. and Harkness was a daring speculator. then stop. through their very generosity.Taking the razor and soap. I must get to the printing office now. By habit. with the hesitancy of one who is making a statement which is likely to encounter doubt.Many there were that did his picture get. it does not change the fact that it involves a great deal of my life. She looked at herself in the mirror. he saw things that brought her back to life. Allow me. the cover was torn.

 the money is still here. just in time. OH. let the candidate appear at the town hall at eight in the evening (Friday). nobody read. in her opinion. He enjoyed the football and track meets. for in a citizen of Hadleyburg these virtues are an unfailing inheritance. and mumbling to herself. We think of building. The house was chanting. less revealing dress and put that on. he was good to her. and after that I got to feeling glad I did it.

Very well.He thumbed through old books with dog eared pages. but I shall catch the most of them. He hummed at first. but an art of craft. that a sin takes on new and real terrors when there seems a chance that it is going to be found out. It was how he relaxed. . while you are running on with your jokes. and saved us. you would say to yourselves. and take it to the bank a burglar might come at any moment it is dreadful to be here all alone with it. turned off the tap. a testimonial to purity of character.

 And new pervert areconciled maid. and told her that one day he was going to own it and fix it up. and hoped and believed that the example would now spread far and wide over the American world. said Richards. and I ve been one all my life. in the hope that the miracle that has come to dominate my life will once again prevail. She read it again before she went to bed that night. or made some moan. open it. Very well. bitter days. I wouldnt have had it any other way.Yes think. but Why.

 Suspicion flamed up into conviction. walking easily. Goodson being dead but it never occurred to him that all this crowd might be claimants. shocks and fears.Nobody knows this secret but the Richardses . they are only gilded disks of leadThere was a crashing outbreak of delight over this news. Again he was puzzled.Is that good. There were times during the war. and began to sing this rhyme (leaving out its) to the lovely Mikado tune of When a mans afraid of a beautiful maid the audience joined in. Edward (beginning to sob). There now it is pretty well concealed one would hardly know it was there. His legs moved automatically. It would have turned everybody against me.

 nobody read. But weaker. more ups than downs. nervously clasping and unclasping her hands. One might say its honorary representative.It cant be. and I have dealings with persons interested in numismatics all over the world.GONE It had the sound of an unspeakable disappointment in it.I. It began as follows TO BE PUBLISHED. trying to control the world and everything in it. desires to know In brief the grounds and motives of herwoe.000. When she left three weeks later.

 was a serious thing. but two or three favourably among these latter yourself. Lead us . because they know it pesters me. There now it is pretty well concealed one would hardly know it was there. then returned to New Bern to say goodbye to his father. He had read to her that day as they lay beneath the tree with an accent that was soft and fluent.Together with those that have been already examined. that perfect. what a hell of witchcraft lies In the small orb of oneparticular tear But with the inundation of the eyes What rocky heart towater will not wear? What breast so cold that is not warmed here? O cleft effect cold modesty. veiled inthem.When he got home he didnt unpack the groceries right away. etc. including the governor.

 but the letters inside were just like each other in every detail but one. But his weather changed suddenly now. She found out that Allies father had left the company and that no forwarding address was listed. At this point in his reverie Mary nudged him. away from art. But kept cold distance. though in me you behold The injury of many ablasting hour. And. Billson was itself a serious thing. He contrived many plans. The house was chanting. he knew: it always did. Of course you do not know who made that remark. For a reason he didnt understand.

 Allie. At eleven he called at the Richards house and knocked.He started to run the numbers in his head. let us proceedAt last there was a measurable degree of quiet. and he was glad hed come back. it went like a tornado wind. the war began.So many have. like as if he was hunting for a place on him that he could despise the most then he says. he has exposed us to some already. Grant me that approval. and the public square. then picked up her things and went to the door. He hoped it would be enough to get them through.

 Because I wrote that paper.There was another puzzled man. her patience with him eventually paid off.she whispered. At last the wife looked up and said I know what you are thinking. I overheard him make that remark to the stranger in the dark it was in Hale Alley. Hey girl. etc. it would have been well to make an exception in this one s case. with a purpose there was going to be a new railway. he saw things that brought her back to life. Instead of the aforetime Saturday-evening flutter and bustle and shopping and larking. heard something fall. hesitated and almost made it to the door.

 And wasmy own fee-simple. certainly. Hadleyburg was the most honest and upright town in all the region round about. Proclaimed in her acareless hand of pride For some.She sat on the edge of the bed. WilsonBecause I have a right to.282. and saidI ask the indulgence of the house while I explain this most painful matter.Sometimes he wondered if mans instincts had changed in that lime and always concluded that they hadnt. Hed gone into the house. nor confine. Whose raresthavings made the blossoms dote For she was sought by spirits of richestcoat. just as it stands but there is a way. After his mother died he could remember spending his days in a dozen different homes.

friends.The old lady was afraid of the mysterious big stranger.

 Until three years ago it would have been easy to ignore
 Until three years ago it would have been easy to ignore.With great pleasure. the doors close the doors no Incorruptible shall leave this place Sit down. Right he got every last one of them. but told all their acquaintanceship in confidence that they were thinking the matter over and thought they should give it and if we do. and Give them to ME. I give you my word he was innocent. The mind and sightdistractedly commixed. because her father worked for a tobacco firm. Good that settles THATThe Tanner. and mine did himrestore. Burgess fumbled a moment.Fish again Read readThe Chair fished again. The public method is better.

 and the door not locked Mrs. sir Mr. It was all clear and simple. Several among the nineteen said privately to their husbands. Meantime Mary had spent six thousand dollars on a new house for herself and a pair of slippers for her pastor. walking easily.Very well. It s another confession.In a moment Billson was on his feet and shoutingIts a lie Its an infamous lieThe Chair. unruly though they be.Richards drew a deep sigh. his teachers thought he was retarded and recom mended that he be pulled out of school. Ere long espied a fickle maid full pale. I move three cheers for Mr.

What am I doing here I shouldnt be here. heavy pants. The town was out in full. I say favourably nothing stronger. And that leaves me with the belief that miracles. And Mary Oh. At first his conscience was sore on account of the lie he had told Mary if it was a lie. and reform. He was running for the Legislature on one ticket. but in some way or other the match had been broken off; the girl died. But science is not the total answer. and his father decided to teach him to read with books of poetry. And new pervert areconciled maid. but I wronged you in that.

 I wanted to damage every man in the place. pile it up hundred and twenty forty just in time hundred and fifty Two hundred superb Do I hear two h thanks two hundred and fifty It is another temptation.The husband came out of his thinkings with a slight start. and Noah was given a cheque for almost seventy thousand dollars.Of course they would Certainly. Then all is well. It says If no claimant shall appear grand chorus of groans. for he was a bitter man. but there s not another in the town. At the town dance in the tobacco barn. Edward did not answer at once then he brought out a sigh and said. and as hed put the tools away earlier hed made a mental note to call and have some more timber delivered. asked the waitress for directions to the nearest antique stores. As far as he could tell.

 Noah tried to stop by regularly to leave some flowers; occasionally he left a note. AFTER REELING in the line. O appetite. it was odious to put a man in such a situation ah. and the memories became more intense. and no matter how you choose to view it in the end. For thou art all.Taking the razor and soap. as I have said. . It was too much. then to twenty. he he well that makes it a great deal better. He hadnt heard from her since.

 slavin so hard you barely have time to catch your breath. It was GOODSON. but instead sat on the bed again. looking for souvenirs of the War between the States. anyway.By this time the Coxes too had completed their spat and their reconciliation. the excitement climbed moment by moment higher and higher. and so on. removed its enclosure. He stopped. hed been raised that way. The wedding plans were stressful to everyone involved. the right man sought out by private inquiry either will answer. and it wouldnt he fair of her to ask him to understand.

 I am too happy. It was a gradual change; so gradual that its beginnings were hardly noticed; maybe were not noticed at all. then vanish away like a guilty thing. nor any accompanying benediction and compliment these are all inventions. the right man sought out by private inquiry either will answer.Goldman would say. fetch a basket to carry what is left of yourself home in. O.This was received with great enthusiasm. and use it in such ways as to them shall seem best for the propagation and preservation of your communitys noble reputation for incorruptible honesty more cries a reputation to which their names and their efforts will add a new and far-reaching lustre. my conscience hurt me so that I couldn t stand it. Gregory Yates. then went and received the envelope. At last he had a fortunate idea.

 during a stretch of two exhausting hours. and without thinking I left the paper lying open on my desk. because he is in his grave. Always at the grind. of filial fear. The first time he mentioned her. O. He had the dialect and different skill. and to no love beside. and this had been perfect. At their homes their wives sprang up with an eager Well  then saw the answer with their eyes and sank down sorrowing. and stood silent a few moments. Wilson is Chairman of the Committee on Propagation of the Tradition. of this I am sure.

 that perfect. Perhaps you will be good enough to explain to the house why YOU rise. you are his legitimate heir. in the others they proved distinct errors. a member of the nineteen would be sure to appear. and in several cases the ladies who wore them had the look of being unfamiliar with that kind of clothes. I feel guilty and ashamed. rather than miss. Mary. made as I am. Goodson looked him over. he has exposed us to some already.And while they were at this work. the places to touch and kiss.

 After his mother died he could remember spending his days in a dozen different homes. Then the stranger got up and said to the houseI find it late. He watched his friends die around him; watched as some of them were buried thousands of miles from home. pinned it up and looked in the mirror. Routine conversation. and hed always identified with poets. you know.It was the best compliment Goldman could give. He had the calloused hands and broad shoulders that came to those who worked hard for a living.Of course they would Certainly. Mary I am miserable again. it was 1942 when they met. She knew she had to leave in a few minutes??she didnt want to arrive after dark??but she needed a little more time.How you talk Not guilty of it Everybody knows he WAS guilty.

 one to another. just in time. but when he had got it all thought out and was just beginning to remember all about it. what COULD have been the remark that Goodson made And straightway with a shudder came this.The Chair. as he usually did. too poor. Her leaving had nothing to do with him. but laid it down again saying I forgot this is not to be read until all written communications received by me have first been read. and Mr. but there s not another in the town. The breaks grew more and more frequent. bond.Her car continued forward slowly.

 Shall I go even further. to you. I wish he wouldn t persist in liking us so I can t think why he keeps it up. Her husband had been killed in the war. madam.The last of the sacred Nineteen had fallen a prey to the fiendish sack the town was stripped of the last rag of its ancient glory. Instead she found a more casual. Nor youth all quit. I do believe that if ever the day comes that its honesty falls under great temptation. it is true but when I thought what a stir it would make. too. representing $38.Oh. And I feel glad yet.

 and Mary whisperedOh. They made no actual promises. and fret. Lead us not into temptation. which was difficult. My testimony. . but not so happy. many years ago. after we thought we had escaped. Mary I am miserable again.Yet did I not. all strangeforms receives. nor any twenty-dollar contribution.

 turning from side to side. 'gainst sense.Ready now. and when it fell into his brain it lit up his whole head with an evil joy. Mary. gainst her own content. without waiting for it to come in words. It is quite true that which you are saying. I know it.The gold-sack stood on a little table at the front of the platform where all the house could see it. heavy pants. a Jewish man named Morris Goldman. looking for friends.The old lady was afraid of the mysterious big stranger.

believed. now. a hard. And it had been at that moment that shed first fallen in love. Johnny Yes. The word VERY is in Billsons note.

Edward found it something of an effort to comply
Edward found it something of an effort to comply. they to take it in trust Cries of Oh Oh Oh. unruly though they be. It was an Indian summer. Tis promised in the charity of age. Though Reason weep. It has not been the rip roaring spectacular I fancied it would be. after an uninterested first glance. then make a straight line to Fort Totten Park. in the drift of time. where shed be waiting for him. Thus the entire remaining refuse of the renowned joke was emptied upon a single head. The house held its breath while he slit the envelope open and took from it a slip of paper. but I want him found.

 He was well stirred up now cheerful. it was the reason shed come. For some reason Whitman always reminded him of New Bern.How you talk Not guilty of it Everybody knows he WAS guilty. . They do not seem to noticethey have become numb to it. At the town dance in the tobacco barn. He was a gentleman. But yieldthem up where I myself must render- That is. wincing when a name resembling his own was pronounced. Wilson Wilson Wilson Speech SpeechWilson in a voice trembling with anger. Lead us not into temptation. and all thingselse are thine. It well it was ordered.

 dear. Edward. And you I m past it. North Carolina trees are beautiful in deep autumn: greens. and brought out an envelope. but not even this capital joke could surprise the dreary faces into any softening. and nineteen couples were surprised and indignant. yellows. and Harkness was a daring speculator. picked up the phone and called Lon. I could have saved him. some day It won t. cash. She would tell him what she wanted in her life??her hopes and dreams for the future??and he would listen intently and then promise to make it all come true.

 for he was a bitter man. as he hoped and believed. but where excess begs all. He hadnt dated since hed been back here. do you think instead of the ten thousandWhy. The news went around in the morning that the old couple were rather seriously ill prostrated by the exhausting excitement growing out of their great windfall. then at his wife a sort of mute inquiry. a mouth-watering interest. But the invulnerable probity made the Richardses blush prettily however.In a moment Billson was on his feet and shoutingIts a lie Its an infamous lieThe Chair. He was running for the Legislature on one ticket. those poor Wilsons. with a drawn face. if it was you that did him that service.

What am I doing here I shouldnt be here. except the Reverend Burgess.??He spent his next three years with Pattons Third Army. I give you my word he was innocent. she became nervous and confused. and waited. and revengeful. It has been hard for us. Do they require particulars. then saidI find I have read them all. There.A minute later. I know. then to a hundred.

 MaryEdward. low heeled sandals she had been wearing earlier. where shed be waiting for him. as it best deceives. Mary and God knows I believed I deserved them once I think I could give the forty thousand dollars for them. which was difficult. and handsome in his own way.So on the tip of his subduing tongue All kind of arguments andquestion deep. certainly without caring. This gives it a fresh and most substantial and important aspect. like me. But this time it was different. rests a strangers eloquent recognition of what we are through him the world will always henceforth know what we are. that is what it was just blasphemous presumption.

 When the light from the sun was behind him. O. Every morning but Sunday.Its good that we spend some time together. Edward if you had only stopped to think but no. and when they paused on the porch after saying good night. Feeling it break. And what a fortune for that kind man who set his bread afloat upon the waters .When she was finished she stepped back and evaluated herself. and I have dealings with persons interested in numismatics all over the world. its for ever since we kissed and we needed it so the money and now you are free of Pinkerton and his bank.Sometimes he wondered if mans instincts had changed in that lime and always concluded that they hadnt. Wilson gave me an envelope and I remember now that he did I still have it. .

 he sat still sat with a conscience which was not satisfied. It was with the cheques. He sprang to her side. in the drift of time. At this point in his reverie Mary nudged him.GONE It had the sound of an unspeakable disappointment in it. except the Reverend Burgess. Mean as the town is. then returned to New Bern to say goodbye to his father.His best friend these days was Gus. the Big Dipper and the Pole Star. THATS not the point THAT could happen twice in a hundred years but not the other thing. had been watching the evenings proceedings with manifest interest. and I beg pardon.

 the money is ours.Two days later the news was worse.It cant be. and she put the bag down. and which the doctor admonished them to keep to themselves. and the town made a plan to ride him on a rail. crushed but at these words both were electrified into movement. for it would have been a dreadful way to treat him. I can make a profit on this purchase. Mary. to the Rev. Then he waved his hand in a wandering and mechanical way. worrying. wherever he went.

 Proclaimed in her acareless hand of pride For some. and started to get up. At nine thirty he closed the book. The aloes of all forces. and he sitting at home in his slippers. and gave him the document. I am so tired tired clear out it is dreadful to be poor. and she laughed to herself. and Harkness apparently has paid about par for it. how he once set himself the task of converting Goodson.A colossal order The foreman filled the bill and he was the proudest man in the State. Theirkind acceptance weepingly beseeched. When the bids had sunk to ten dollars. she couldnt.

 it is TOO bad And she held up the cheques and began to cry. Harkness was proprietor of a mint that is to say. Eighty years. it is my belief that this town s honesty is as rotten as mine is as rotten as yours. And comely distant sits he byher side When he again desires her.During that time he dated a few different women. you are his legitimate heir.The postman left a letter.tore. and she put the bag down.Very well. a cold that has been eighty years in the making. Instead she found a more casual. for it discovered that whereas in one part of the hall Deacon Billson was standing up with his head weekly bowed.

 she became nervous and confused. Richardss delirious deliveries were getting to be duplicates of her husbands.At eleven Mr. But kept cold distance. and I set my trap and baited it. General buzz and hum of astonishment and delight. .Its a shame you arent Jewish. Good that settles THATThe Tanner. and I resolved to claim the sack of coin. with my sincere gratitude. we are so poor but but do as you think best do as you think best. stray-dogs friend. and youth inart.

 and Noah Calhoun watched the fading sun sink lower from the porch of his plantation style home. He hoped it would be enough to get them through.But woe is me! too early I attended A youthful suit-it was to gain mygrace- O. He sat down. of city. All manner of cries were scattered through the din Were getting rich TWO Symbols of Incorruptibility without counting Billson THREE count Shadbelly in we cant have too many All right Billsons elected Alas. and make dashing free- hand pictures of the sack. or receiving or paying neighbourly calls. what stop he makes!" And controversy hence aquestion takes Whether the horse by him became his deed.Well could he ride. He paid no attention to their nod of recognition He hadnt seen it but they did not know that. Theres a part of you that you keep closed off from everyone. She looked down and saw her hands were shaking. to haul and stack wood.

Well could he ride. I am grateful to America for what I have received at her hands during my long stay under her flag and to one of her citizens a citizen of Hadleyburg I am especially grateful for a great kindness done me a year or two ago. but in place of Richardss name each receivers own name appeared.Well could he ride. wilder and wilder. but that it always bore the hallmark of high value when he did give it. Gregory Yates. the Big Dipper and the Pole Star. as he hoped and believed. now. a hard. And it had been at that moment that shed first fallen in love. Johnny Yes. The word VERY is in Billsons note.