She went home two daysago, leaving Caroline and
Richard.
Faintly,in the silence, they heard Bens song. That
boy may behere when the rest of us are pushing d-d-daisies.
Eugene entered the parlor and found Gant seated
alone before abright coal-fire.
If Iwere you Id put the light out now and turn
in.
Eugene found Dixielandalmost deserted, save for a
glum handful of regular or semi-regularguests.
He had been home for a week or two when Eugene
arrived.
They have all been down sickwith the
flu.
Did you give a damn, as long as there was fifty
cents to be madeout of your lousy boarders? If Iwere you Id put the light out now
and turn in.
In one ofthe cars lined at the station curbing, the
driver lay huddled belowhis blanket. He turned away, with a convulsive
gesture.
Cant you see hes fighting for his
breath?
She had seen him turn his head wearily away when
she had gone in.
She burst into tears, hoarse, unstrung, hysterical.
Id go back and sayhello before you see Ben if I were you.
He maybe here long after some of the rest of us are
under the sod.
Only two or three months, they assured him. The
doctors said he was gone from the start.
Youre keeping thewhole house awake with your talk.
The lights were dull and weary: a fewburned with slow lust in the cheap
station-hotels.
And Eliza said, grimly: If she calls up again you
let me talk toher. They told him that he must wait until there was another draft.
Then, in a low voice, shesaid: What do you think?
The town and the nation seethed in the yeasty
fermentof war.
By four oclock it was apparent that death was near.
In one ofthe cars lined at the station curbing, the driver lay huddled belowhis
blanket. But they cant fool me, no matterwhat they say. The lights were dull and
weary: a fewburned with slow lust in the cheap station-hotels.
Then, there was a change and a terrible wait of
several hours at ajunction. He wasthinner and more like old ivory than ever. His
strange andsudden return to it heightened his feeling of unreality. You let me go to
hell from thetime I was twelve years old. If I were you, Id make a big joke of it
all.
Then suddenly, with mad brooding face, she said:
Sometimes Ithink I hate her! Young men who wereeighteen years old were being
admitted into the officers trainingcorps.
Eugene and Luke raced to Woods pharmacy in Hugh
Bartons car, foran oxygen tank.