An Unexpected Gift, Baptism, After Supper Summary

In "An Unexpected Gift," Jim doesn't want to confront his mom. He knows she'll make him lie down and will be worried about him. He arrives in Aliceville, the town where he lives, and finds the town abandoned. Jim knows most of the women are preparing lunch for the men who'll return home from their work soon. He sees Pete Hunt who is the town's railroad station agent seated at the depot. Pete had wired houses in town for electricity though the power has not yet come to Aliceville. As he walks through town, he's feeling a bit sorry for himself because his birthday has been awful.

When Jim is walking by the hotel, Whitey Whiteside, a traveling salesman for Governor Feeds, calls out and asks Jim to wait. Whitey's real name is...