T H E T H R E E - D AY B L 0 W 25 know why it was. I couldn't help it. Just like when the three-day blows come now and rip all the leaves 0 代 the trees. " "WeII, it's over. That's the point, ” BiIl said. "lt was my fault," Nick said. "lt doesn't make any difference whose fault it was," Bill "NO, I suppose not," Nick said. The big thing was that Marjorie was gone and that probably he would never see her again. He had talked to her about how they would go t0 ltaly together and the fun they would have. Places they would be together. lt was all gone now. "SO long as it's over that's all that matters; ” Bill said. "I tell you, Wemedge, I was worried while it was going on. You played it right. I understand her mother is sore as hell. She told a 10t ofpeople you were engaged ・ ' 'We weren 't engaged," Nick said. "lt was all around that you were. ' "I can't help it, ” Nick said. "We weren't. " "Weren't you going t0 get married?" BiIl asked. "Yes. But we weren't engaged," Nick said. "What's the difference?" Bill askedjudicially. "I don't know. There's a difference. ' "I don't see it, ” said Bill. "AII right," said Nick. "Let's get drunk " "AII right," Bill said. "Let's get really drunk " "Let's get drunk and then go swmming," Nick said. He drank offhis glass. "l'm sorry as hell about her but what could I do?" he said. "You know what her mother was like! ” "She was terrible," Bill said. "AII of a sudden it was over," Nick said. "I oughtn't t0 talk about it. ' 。、 u aren't," Bill said. 当 talked about it and now l'm through. We won't ever speak of it again. You don't want t0 think about it. You might get back into it again ・ ' Nick had not thought about that. lt had seemed so absolute. That was a thought. That made him feel better. "Sure," he said. "There's always that danger. ' said.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT SHORT STORY? The sudden unforgettable revelation ofcharacter; the vision 0f a world through another's eyes; the glimpse of truth; the c 叩 - ture Ofa moment ⅲ tlme. AII this the short story, at its best, is uniquely capable of con- veying, for ⅲ its very shortness lies its greatest strength. lt can discover depths ofmeamng ⅲ the casual word or action; it can suggest ⅲ a page what could not be stated in a volume. Such is the quality 0f expenence offered you, ln many and di- verse ways, by the fifty short stories which make up this b00k. MILTON CRANE, EDITOR

26 E R N E S T H E M I N G WAY He felt happy now. There was not anything that was rrrevo- cable. He might go into town Saturday night. Today was Thursday. "There's always a chance," he said. "You'll have to watch yourself," Bill said. 当 ' Ⅱ watch myself," he said. He 危 lt happy. Nothing was finished. Nothmg was ever lost. He would go into town on Saturday. He lt lighter, as he had felt before Bill started to ね lk about it. There was always a way out. "Let's take the guns and go down to the point and 100k for your dad," Nick said. "AII right. " Bill took down the two shotguns 丘 om the rack on the wall. He opened a box of shells. Nick put on his Mackinaw coat and his shoes. His shoes were stiff om the drying. He was still quite drunk but his head was clear. "How do you feel?" Nick asked. "SweII. l've just got a good edge on. " Bill was buttoning up his sweater. "There's no use getting drunk 。。 No. We ought to get outdoors. ' They stepped out the door. The wind was blowmg a gale. "The birds will lie right down in the grass with this," Nick They struck down toward the orchard. "I saw a woodcock this morning," Bill said. "Maybe we'll jump him," Nick said. "You can't shoot in this w ⅲ 4 ” Bill said. Outside now the Marge business was no longer so tragic. lt was not even very rmportant. The wind blew everything like that away. "lt's coming right offthe big lake," Nick said. Against the wind they heard the thud 0fa shotgun. 、 'That's 面 4 " Bill said."He's down ⅲ the swamp. "Let's cut down that way," Nick said. "Let's cut across the lower meadow and see ifwe Jump any- thing; ” BiII said. "AII right," Nick said. said.

T H E T H R E E - D AY B L 0 W Bill had poured out the drinks "That's 明 awfully big shot," Nick said. "Not for us, Wemedge," Bill said. 23 "What'II we drink to?" Nick asked, holding up the glass. "Let's drink to fishing," Bill said. "AII right," Nick said. "Gentlemen, I give you fishing. "AII fishing," Bill said."Everywhere. " "Fishing," Nick said."That's what we drink t0. " 、、 lt's better than baseball,' ” BiII said. "There isn't any comparrson; ” said Nick."How did we ever get talking about baseball?" "lt was a mistake," Bill said. "Baseball is a game for louts. ' They drank all that was in their glasses. "Now let's drink to Chesterton. ' "And Walpole," Nick interposed. Nick poured out the liquor. Bill poured ⅲ the water. They looked at each other. They lt very fine. "Gentlemen," Bill said, "I give you dhesterton and Walpole. " "Exactly, gentlemen," Nick said. They drank. Bill 創厄 d up the glasses. They sat down ⅲ the big chairs ⅲ front ofthe e 、 "You were very wise, Wemedge," Bill said. f'What do you mean? ” asked Nick. "To bust 0 仕市 at Marge business," Bill said. 当 guess so," said Nick. "lt was the only thing t0 d0. If you hadn't, by now you'd be back home worktng trying t0 get enough money t0 get mar- ried. ” Nick said nothmg. "Once a man's married he's absolutely bitched," Bill went on. 。、 He hasn't got anything more. N0thing. N0t a damn 市ⅲ g. He's done 応 r. You've seen the guys that get married. " Nick said nothing. "You can tell them," Bill said. "They get this so れ offat mar- ried look. They're done 応 r,. " "Sure; ” said Nick. "lt was probably bad busting it 0 塒 ' Bill said. "But you

236 F L A N N E RY 0 ' C 0 N N 0 R "AII right!" he shouted and drew the car to a stop at the side ofthe road. 、、 WiII you all shut up? WiII you all just shut 叩 for one second? lfyou don't shut up, we go anywhere. " "lt would be very educational for them," the grandmother murmured. "AII right," BaiIey said, "but get this: this is the only time we're gorng t0 stop for anything like this. This is the one and only time. " "The dirt road that you have to turn down is about a mile back," the grandmother directed. "I marked it when we passed. ' "A dirt road," Bailey groaned. After they had turned around and were headed toward the dirt road, the grandmother recalled other po ⅲ about the house, the beautiful glass over the front doorway and the candle-lamp ln the hall. John WesIey said that the secret panel was probably ⅲ the fireplace. "You can't go inside this house," Bailey said. "You don't know who lives there. ' 。。市 ile you all talk to the people in front, I'II run around be- hind and get ⅲ a window," J0hn Wesley suggested. "We'II all stay ⅲ the car," his mother said. They turned onto the dirt road and the car raced roughly along ⅲ a swirl 0f pink dust. The grandmother recalled the times when there were no paved roads and thlrty miles was a day's journey. The dirt road was hilly and there were sudden washes in it and sharp curves on dangerous embankments. All at once they would be on a hill, looking down over the blue tops of trees for miles around, then the next minute, they would be a red depression with the dust-coated trees looking down on them. 'This place had better turn up in a minute," Bailey said, "or l'm going t0 turn around. ' The road looked as ifno one had traveled on it ⅲ months. "lt's not much farther," the grandmother said andjust as she said it, a horrible thought came t0 her. The thought was so em- barrassing that she turned red ⅲ the face and her eyes dilated and her feet jumped up, upsetting her valise ⅲ the corner. The instant the valise moved, the newspaper top she had over the

24 E R N E S T H E M I N G WAY always ねⅡ for somebody else and then it's all right. FaII for them but don't let them ruin you. “ s , ” said Nick. "lfyou'd have married her you would have had to m the whole family. Remember her mother and that guy she mar- ried: ” Nick nodded. "lmagme having them around the house all the time and going t0 Sunday dinners at their house, and having them over t0 dinner and her telling Marge all the time what to do and how tO act. ” Nick sat quiet. "You came out of it damned well; ” Bill said. "Now she can marry somebody ofher own so れ and settle down and be happy. You can't mix 0i1 and water and you can't mix that SO れ ofthing any more than if l'd marry lda that works for Strattons. She'd probably like it, t00. " Nick said nothing. The liquor had all died out of him and 厄代 him alone. BiII wasn't there. He wasn't sittlng ⅲ front 0f the fire or going fishing tomo な ow with Bill and his dad or any- thing. He wasn't drunk. lt was all gone. AII he knew was that he had once had Marjorie and that he had lost her. She was gone and he had sent her away. That was all that mattered. He might never see her again. Pr0bably he never would. lt was all gone, finished. "Let 's have another drink; ” Nick said. Bill poured it out. Nick splashed ⅲ a little water. "lf you'd gone on that way we wouldn't be here no " Bill said. That was true. His original plan had been to go down home and get a j0b. Then he had planned t0 stay ⅲ Charlevoix all winter so he could be near Marge. NOW he did れ 0t ow what he was going t0 d0. "Pr0bably we wouldn't even be going fishmg tomo な ow , " BiII said. "You had the right dope, all ⅱ t. " "I couldn 't help it," Nick said. "I know,. That's the way it works out; ” Bill said. "AII of a sudden everything was over; ” Nick said. "I don't

198 What will we do? I said. W I L L I A M S A R OYA N WeII, he said, we'll either take him back or hide him until to- 1 れ orro ー 1 れ ormng. He didn't sound worried and I knew he'd hide him and not take him back. Not for a while, at any rate. Where will you hide him? I said. I ow a place, he said. HOW long ago did you steal this horse? I said. lt suddenly dawned on me that he had been taking these early mormng ndes for some tlme and had come for me this morning only because he knew how much I longed to ride. Who said anything about stealing a horse? he said. Anyhow, I said, how long ago did you begin riding every morning? N0t until this mornlng, he said. Are you telling the truth? I said. Of course not, he said, but if we are found out, that's what you're to say. I don't want both ofus to be liars. AII you know is that we started riding this mormng. AII right, I said. He walked the horse quietly to the barn of a deserted vine- yard which at one time had been the pride of a farmer named FetvaJian. There were some oats and dry al ね 1 ね in the barn. We began walking home. lt wasn't easy, he said, to get the horse to behave so nicely. At first it wanted to run wild, but as l've told you, I have a way with a horse. I can get it to want to do anything lwant it to do 、 Horses understand me. HOW d0 you d0 it? I said. I have an understanding with a horse, he sard. Yes, but what sort ofan understanding? I said. A simple and honest one, he said. WeII, I said, I wish I knew how to reach an understanding like that with a horse. You're still a small boy, he said. When you get to be thirteen you'll know how to do it. I went home and ate a hearty breakfast. That afternoon my uncle Khosrove came to our house for

THE SUMMER OF THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE HORSE 197 That is up t0 the horse, my cousin said. Get down. The ん 0 e will let me ride, I said. We shall see, he said. Don't forget that I have a way with a horse. Well, I said, any way you have with a horse, I have also. For the sake ofyour safety, he said, let us hope so. Get down. AII right, I said, but remember you've got t0 let me try t0 ride alone. I got down and my cousin Mourad kicked his heels into the horse and shouted, 瓰ゴ尾 , run. The horse stOOd on its hind legs, snorted, and burst int0 a ん 0f speed that was the loveliest thing I had ever seen. My cousin Mourad raced the horse across a field of dry grass to an imgation ditch, crossed the ditch on the horse, and five minutes later returned, dripping wet. The sun 、 C01 れ lng up. NOW it's my turn t0 ride, I said. My cousin Mourad got 0ffthe horse. Ride, he said. I leaped t0 the back 0fthe horse and for a moment knew the awfulest fear imaginable. The horse did not move. Kick into his muscles, my cousin Mourad said. What are you waiting for? We've got t0 take him back before everybody ⅲ the world is up and about. I kicked into the muscles of the horse. Once again it reared and snorted. Then it began t0 run. I didn't know what t0 d0. lnstead 0f running across the field t0 the irrigation ditch the horse ran down the road t0 the vineyard 0f Dikran Halabian where it began tO leap over vines. The horse leaped over seven vines before I 危Ⅱ . Then it continued runmng ・ My cousin Mourad came running down the road. l'm not worried about you, he shouted. We've got t0 get that horse. You go this way and l'll go this w . If you come 叩 on him, be kindly. l'll be near. I continued down the road and my cousin Mourad went across the field toward the lrrigation ditch. lt took him half an ho 町 to find the horse and bring him back. AII right, he said, jump on. The whole world is awake now.

8 K AT H E R I N E M A N S F I E L D Sadie brought them in and went back to the door. Ofcourse Laura and Jose were far t00 grown-up t0 really care about such things. AII the same, they couldn't help agreeing that the puffs looked very attractive. Very. C00k began arranging them, shak- ing 0ffthe extra icing sugar. "Don't they carry one back to all one's parties?" said Laura. 、、 I suppose they d0 , ” said practical Jose, wh0 never liked t0 be carried back. "They 100k beautifully light and feathery, I must say. "Have one each, my dears," said C00k in her comfortable V01Ce. 1 れ a 、 kno 、 M.. ' Oh, impossible. Fancy cream puffs SO soon after breakfast. The very idea made one shudder. AII the same, two minutes later Jose and Laura were licking their fingers with that ab- sorbed inward 100k that only comes 仕 om whipped cream. "Let's go int0 the garden, out by the back way," suggested Laura. "l want tO see hOW the men are gettmg on with the mar- quee. They're such awfully mce men. But the back door was blocked by cook, Sadie, G0dber's man and Hans. Something had happened. "Tuk-tuk-tuk," clucked cook like an agitated hen. Sadie had her hand cl 叩 ped t0 her cheek as though she had toothache. Hans's face was screwed up ⅲ the e 仕 0 t0 understand. Only Godber's man seemed to be enjoymg himself; it was h1S st0 . "What's the matter? ・ What's happened?" "There's been a horrible accident," said cook. "A man killed. ” "A man killed! Where? How? When? ” But Godber's man wasn't going t0 have his story snatched from under hiS very nose. "Know those little cottages just below here, miss?" Know them? Of course, she knew them. "Well, there's a young chap living there, name 0f Scott, a carter. His horse shied at a traction-engine, corner Of Hawke Street this mornmg, and he was thrown out on the back ofhis head. Ⅱ ed. ” "Dead! ” Laura stared at G0dber's man. "Dead when they picked him up," said G0dber's man with

T H E L 0 T T E RY 167 her school friends breathed heavily as she went forward, switching her skirt, and t00k a slip daintily 仕 om the box. "Bill, Jr. ," Mr. Summers said, and Billy, his face red and his feet over- large, nearly knocked the box over as he got a paper out. "Tessie," Mr. Summers said. She hesitated for a minute, 100k - ing around defiantly, and then set her lips and went up t0 the box. She snatched a paper out and held it behind her. "Bill; ” Mr. Summers said, and BiII Hutchinson reached into the box and felt ound, brmging his hand out at last with the slip ofpaper ln it. The crowd was qmet. A girl whispered, 当 hope it's not Nancy," and the sound ofthe whisper reached the edges ofthe cro 、 Md. "lt's not the way it used t0 be," 01d Man Warner said clearly. 。甲 eop 厄 ain't the way they used t0 be. "AII right," Mr. Summers said. "Open the papers. Harry, you open little Dave's. ' Mr. Graves opened the slip ofpaper and there was a general sigh through the crowd as he held it up and everyone could see that it was blank. Nancy and Bill, Jr. , opened theirs at the same time, and both beamed and laughed, turning 0 皿 d t0 the crowd and holding their slips ofpaper above their heads. "Tessie," Mr. Summers said. There 、 a pause, and then Mr. Summers looked at Bill Hutchinson, and BilI unfolded his paper and showed it. lt was blank "lt's Tessie," Mr. Summers said, and his voice was hushed. "Show us her paper, Bill. ' BiII Hutchinson went over to his wife and forced the slip 0f p 叩 er out ofher hand. lt had a black spot on it, the black spot Mr. Summers had made the mght before with the heavy pencil in the coal-company 0ffce. Bill Hutchinson held it 叩 , and there 、 a stir in the crowd. "AII right, folks," Mr. Summers said."Let's finish quickly. " AIthough the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered t0 use stones. The pile 0f stones the boys had made earlier was ready; there were stones on the ground with the blowing scr 叩 s ofpaper that had come out Of the box. 、行 s. Delacroix selected a stone SO large