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PARTISAN REVIEW
the same thing: woods-not a mountain, not a waterfall, not any
kind of planted bush or flower, just woods. The sunlight was woven
through them at that particular time of the afternoon so that every
thin pine trunk stood out in all its nakedness. A pine trunk is a pine
trunk, he said to himself, and anybody that wants to see one don't
have to go far in this neighborhood. Every time he got up and looked
out, he was reconvinced of his wisdom in selling the lot. The
dis–
satisfaction it caused Pitts would be permanent, but he could make
it up to Mary Fortune by buying her something. With grown people,
a road led either to heaven or hell, but with children there were
always stops along the way where their attention could be turned
with a trifle.
The third time he got up to look at the woods, it was almost
six o'clock and the gaunt trunks appeared to be raised in a pool of
red light that gushed from the almost hidden sun setting behind
them. The old man stared for some time, as if for a prolonged in–
stant he were caught up out of the rattle of everything that led to
the future and were held there in the midst of an uncomfortable
mystery that he had not apprehended before. He saw it, in his hal–
lucination, as if someone were wounded behind the woods and the
trees were bathed in blood. After a few minutes this unpleasant
vision was broken by the presence of Pitts's pick-up truck grinding
to a halt below the window. He returned to his bed and shut his
eyes and against the closed lids hellish red trunks rose up in a
black wood.
At the supper table nobody addressed a word to
him,
including
Mary Fortune. He ate quickly and returned again to his room and
spent the evening pointing out to himself the advantages for the
future of having an establishment like Tilman's so near. They would
not have to go any distance for gas. Anytime they needed a loaf of
bread, all they would have to do would be step out their front door
into Tilman's back door. They could sell milk to Tilman. Tilman
was a likable fellow. Tillman would draw other business. The road
would soon be paved. Travelers from all over the country would
stop at Tilman's.
If
his daughter thought she was better than Tilman,
it would be well to take her down a little. All men were created free
and equal. When this phrase sounded in his head, his patriotic sense
triumphed and he realized that it was
his
duty to sell the lot, that
