492
PARTISAN REVIEW
enough firmness. He had been too generous. He was so occupied
with these thoughts that he did not notice the signs that said how
many miles to Tilman's until the last one exploded joyfully in his
face: "Here it is, Friends, TILMAN'S!" He pulled in under the shed.
He got out without so much as looking at Mary Fortune and
entered the dark store where Tilman, leaning on the counter in front
of a triple shelf of canned goods, was waiting for him.
Tilman was a man of quick action and few words. He sat habit–
ually with his arms folded on the counter and his insignificant head
weaving snake-fashion above them. He had a triangular-shaped face
with the point at the bottom and the top of his skull was covered with
a cap of freckles. His eyes were green and very narrow and his tongue
was always exposed in his partly opened mouth. He had his check–
book handy and they got down to business at once. It did not take
him long to look at the deed and sign the bill of sale. Then Mr.
Fortune signed it and they grasped hands over the counter.
Mr. Fortune's sense of relief as he grasped Tilman's hand was
extreme. What was done, he felt, was done and there could be no
more argument, with her or with himself. He felt that he had acted
on principle and that the future was assured.
Just as their hands loosened, an instant's change came over
Tilman's face and he disappeared completely under the counter as
if
he had been snatched by the feet from below. A bottle crashed
against the line of tinned goods behind where he had been. The
old man whirled around. Mary Fortune was in the door, red-faced
and wild-looking, with another bottle lifted to hurl. As he ducked,
it broke behind him on the counter and she grabbed another from
the crate. He sprang at her but she tore to the other side of the
store, screaming something unintelligible and throwing everything
within her reach. The old man pounced again and this time he
caught her by the tail of her dress .and pulled her backward out of
the store. Then he got a better grip and lifted her, wheezing and
whimpering but suddenly limp in his arms, the few feet to the car. He
managed to get the door open and dump her inside. Then he ran
around to the other side and got in himself and drove away as fast
as he could.
His heart felt as if it were the size of the car and was racing
forward, carrying him to some inevitable destination faster than he
