190 THE COUNTRY BOY 



Once inside, a few seconds after I had 

 rapped, it was all over. We were home, and 

 in their presence I felt safe. We visited for 

 two or three hours as hard as people ever visit. 

 Night had come but it didn't get dark. The 

 glare from the street below seemed to light us 

 up for miles. Finally, with their permission, 

 I w-ent to the front window and, with my fore- 

 head plastered against the pane, until it had 

 stuck, I stood a good while looking down on 

 Market Street below. It didn't seem possible 

 that I would ever be able to walk down there 

 alone ; and, as I watched the traffic coming and 

 going and saw the first signs of the real out- 

 side world, I thought and longed for Silverton, 

 which seemed so far away. 



THE END 



