The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-10-14
i MAIN STREET
The Story of Carol Kenucott
ny SINCLAIR LEWIS
Copyright 1890 Harcourt Trace & Howe Inc


BILE their own natalent lap dogsf
The ancient stale inequalities. or
something different In history. un.
like the tedious maturity OF other
empirosf What future and what
hopef
Carols head achcd with the riddle
She saw tho prairie, flat IN giant
patches or rolling In long hummoeka
The width and higness OF Il. which
had expanded her spirit an hour ago.
began TO brighten her, II spread
out so. IL went on so uncontroiiahly:
she could never know t. Kennlcott
was closeted IN hts detective story.
With tho loneliness which comes
most deprcssinFly In the midst OF
many people she tried 60 forget
problems, 10 look at tho prairie ob.
jectiVcly.
The grass beside the railroad had
been burnt over. u was a amudge
prickly with charred stalks OF weeds
Beyond the undertaking harbsd wire
fences were clumps Of golden rod.
only this thin hedge shut them Off
from the plaina---shorn wheat lands
of autumn. a hundred acres 10 a
field. prickiy and gray near by but
In the blurred distance like tawny
velvet stretched over dipping Hill
locks. The long rows OF wheat shocks
marched like soldiers in worn yellow
tahards- Tho newly plowed fields
were black banners fallen on the
distant slope. II was a martial i'm.
mensity vigorous. little harsh. un.
sottcned by kindly gardcna
The eXpanse was relieved hy
clumps OF oaks with patches OF
short wild grass. and every mile or
two was chain OF cobalt slews.
with the flicker OF blackbirds' wings
across them
All this working land was turned
into cxuberance by the Hight. The
sunshine was dizzy on open s,ubbie:
shadows from Immense cumulus
clouds were forever sliding across
low mounds. and the sky was. wider
and lofticr and more resOluteiy blue
than the sky OF cities ahe
declared.
Its a glorious country: a land
TO be big in" she crooned.
Then Kennloott startled her by
chuckiing. ID you realize the town
after the next is Gopher Pralrie1
Home-'
That one word--hofnc---l, terrified
her. Had she really bound herself
70 live. inescapabiy. In this town
called Gopher Prairief And this
thick man beside her. who dared 10
define her future. he was a stranger
she turned In her seat. stared NJ
him. Who was he7 Why was he SIT.
ting with herr He wasn't OF her
kind His neck was heavy: his speech
wac heavy: he was II or 10 years
older than she; and about him was
none OF the magic Of shared adven.
lures and eagcrness. She could not
believe that she had ever slept IN
bis arms. That was one Of the
dreams which you had but did not
officially admit
She told herself how good he was.
how dependable and understanding.
she touched his ear. smOothcd the
plane OF his solid jaw, and. turning
away again. concentrated upon TX.
ing his town. II wouldn't be like
these barren settlements. II couldn't
bel Why, Il had 1000 population
That was a great many people
There would be coo houses or more.
And The lakes near n would b.
70 lovely. Shed seen them In pho
tographs. They had looked charm.
INK hadn't they7
As the train left Wnhkeenyan she
began nervousiy to watch for the
lakes-the entrance 10 an her future
life. But when she discovered them.
10 the left Of the track. her only in.
precision Of them was that they res
sernbicd the photographs.
A mile from Gopher Prairie the
track mounts curvlng low ridge.
and she could see the town az a
whole. With a passionate Jerk she
pushed up the window. looked out.
the arched fingers Of her left hand
trembling on the sill. her right hand
at her breast.
And she saw that Gopher Prairie
was merely an enlargement OF all
the hamlets which they had been
passing. Only TO the eyes OF a Ken.
nicott was II exceptional. The hud.
died low wooden houses broke the
plains scarcely more than would a
hazel thicket The fields swept up
70 1t. past II. 1t was unprotected
and unprotectng; there was no dig
nifty in Il nor any hope OF greatness.
Only the tail red grain elevator and