Noon Wine, Section One, pp. 93-112 Summary

In 1896, a travelling man named Olaf Helton arrives at a small farm in the south of Texas. Mr. Helton steps over the two little boys playing in the dirt and approaches the porch, where the farmer sits churning butter. The farm is neglected and dirty, and the farmer spits tobacco juice all over the porch as he churns, coating the steps. Helton introduces himself and says that he is looking for work.

The farmer introduces himself as Royal Earle Thompson and he asks Mr. Helton what he can do and what kind of wages he wants. Mr. Thompson laughs when Mr. Helton asks for a dollar a day, but offers him seven dollars a month, instead. Mr. Thompson has an opening because his two hired hands recently got into a knife fight, so...