Summary

The story of Grainier’s childhood recommences with the comment that he never told anyone about Haley. “It was the most cowardly and selfish of the many omissions that might have been counted against him in his early years” (35). Narration also suggests that there may have been something transforming in the experience, because afterwards Grainier became hardworking and industrious.

When he was in his early thirties, Grainier met Gladys at church. After a very quiet, formal courtship (conducted mostly in and around church activities), he showed her a piece of land that he had bought and told her his plans for it – constructing a cabin, clearing the way for a farm, buying enough animals to live on. Lying on the ground and looking at the sky, they kissed for a while, and then Grainier proposed marriage, sighing with relief when Gladys said yes.

Narration...