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citizen had to es… cape as best he could。 To the people of the town it seemed as though she wanted to run them down。 When she had driven through several streets； tear… ing around corners and beating the horses with the whip； she drove off into the country。 On the country roads after she had gotten out of sight of the houses she let the horses slow down to a walk and her wild； reckless mood passed。 She became thoughtful and muttered words。 Sometimes tears came into her eyes。 And then when she came back into town she again drove furiously through the quiet streets。 But for the influence of her husband and the respect he inspired in people's minds she would have been arrested more than once by the town marshal。
Young David Hardy grew up in the house with this woman and as can well be imagined there was not much joy in his childhood。 He was too young then to have opinions of his own about people； but at times it was difficult for him not to have very definite opinions about the woman who was his mother。 David was always a quiet； orderly boy and for a long time was thought by the people of Wines… burg to be something of a dullard。 His eyes were brown and as a child he had a habit of looking at things and people a long time without appearing to see what he was looking at。 When he heard his mother spoken of harshly or when he overheard her berating his father； he was frightened and ran away to hide。 Sometimes he could not find a hiding place and that confused him。 Turning his face toward a tree or if he was indoors toward the wall； he closed his eyes and tried not to think of anything。 He had a habit of talking aloud to himself； and early in life a spirit of quiet sadness often took possession of him。
On the occasions when David went to visit his grandfather on the Bentley farm； he was altogether contented and happy。 Often he wished that he would never have to go back to town and once when he had come home from the farm after a long visit； something happened that had a lasting effect on his mind。
David had come back into town with one of the hired men。 The man was in a hurry to go about his own affairs and left the boy at the head of the street in which the Hardy house stood。 It was early dusk of a fall evening and the sky was overcast with clouds。 Something happened to David。 He could not bear to go into the house where his mother and father lived； and on an impulse he decided to run away from home。 He intended to go back to the farm and to his grandfather； but lost his way and for hours he wandered weeping and frightened on country roads。 It started to rain and lightning flashed in the sky。 The boy's imagination was ex… cited and he fancied that he could see and hear strange things in the darkness。 Into his mind came the conviction that he was walking and running in some terrible void where no one had ever been be… fore。 The darkness about him seemed limitless。 The sound of the wind blowing in trees was terrifying。 When a team of horses approached along the road in which he walked he was frightened and climbed a fence。 Through a field he ran until he came into another road and getting upon his knees felt of the soft ground with his fingers。 But for the figure of his grandfather； whom he was afraid he would never find in the darkness； he thought the world must be altogether empty。 When his cries were heard by a farmer who was walking home from town and he was brought back to his father's house； he was so tired and excited that he did not know what was happening to him。
By chance David's father knew that he had disap… peared。 On the street he had met the farm hand from the Bentley place and knew of his son's return to town。 When the boy did not come home an alarm was set up and John Hardy with several men of the town went to search the country。 The report that David had been kidnapped ran about through the streets of Winesburg。 When he came home there were no lights in the house； but his mother ap… peared and clutched him eagerly in her arms。 David thought she had suddenly become another woman。 He could not believe that so delightful a thing had happened。 With her own hands Louise Hardy bathed his tired young body and cooked him food。 She would not let him go to bed but； when he had put on his nightgown； blew out the lights and sat down in a chair to hold him in her arms。 For an hour the woman sat in the darkness and held her boy。 All the time she kept talking in a low voice。 David could not understand what had so changed her。 Her habit… ually dissatisfied face had become； he thought； the most peaceful and lovely thing he had ever seen。 When he began to weep she held him more and more tightly。 On and on went her voice。 It was not harsh or shrill as when she talked to her husband； but was like rain falling on trees。 Presently men began coming to the door to report that he had not been found； but she made him hide and be silent until she had sent them away。 He thought it must be a game his mother and the men of the town were playing with him and laughed joyously。 Into his mind came the thought that his having been lost and frightened in the darkness was an altogether unimportant matter。 He thought that he would have been willing to go through the frightful experience a thousand times to be sure of finding at the end of the long black road a thing so lovely as his mother had suddenly become。
During the last years of young David's boyhood he saw his mother but seldom and she became for him just a woman with whom he had once lived。 Still he could not get her figure out of his mind and as he grew older it became more definite。 When he was twelve years old he went to the Bentley farm to live。 Old Jesse came into town and fairly de… manded that he be given charge of the boy。 The old man was excited and determined on having his own way。 He talked to John Hardy in the office of the Winesburg Savings Bank and then the two men went to the house on Elm Street to talk with Louise。 They both expected her to make trouble but were mistaken。 She was very quiet and when Jesse had explained his mission and had gone on at some length about the advantages to come through having the boy out of doors and in the quiet atmosphere of the old farmhouse； she nodded her head in ap… proval。 〃It is an atmosphere not corrupted by my presence；〃 she said sharply。 Her shoulders shook and she seemed about to fly into a fit of temper。 〃It is a place for a man child； although it was never a place for me；〃 she went on。 〃You never wanted me there and of course the air of your house did me no good。 It was like poison in my blood but it will be different with him。〃
Louise turned and went out of the room； leaving the two men to sit in embarrassed silence。 As very often happened she later stayed in her room for days。 Even when the boy's clothes were packed and he was taken away she did not appear。 The loss of her son made a sharp break in her life and she seemed less inclined to quarrel with her husband。 John Hardy thought it had all turned out very well indeed。
And so young David went to live in the Bentley farmhouse with Jesse。 Two of the old farmer's sisters were alive and still lived in the house。