Now, the weekly Special English program American Stories. Our story today is called "The Wide Net". It was written by Eudora Welty. Here is Larry West with the story.

William Wolas Jameson's wife Hazel was going to have a baby. But this was October and the baby wouldn't be born until April. Hazel acted as if it would come tomorrow. She wouldn't speak to her husband when he came into the room. If he tried to touch her, she would run away from him or stick out her tongue at him. So one night William Wolas went out with his friend Virgil Thomas. He didn't come home until the next morning. Hazel wasn't there when he got back, instead he found a letter from her. It said she was going to the river to drown herself. He ran out of the house. As he ran he shouted for Virgil Thomas who had just gone into his own house.

"I've lost Hazel," William Wolas cried to his friend, "she went to drown herself in the river!"
"Why? That's not like Hazel," said Virgil. William Wolas reached out and shook Virgil, "We have to drag the river with the wide net. Who'll we get to help us pull the nets through the river?" Virgil scratched his head, "I'll get the Doiles and you go get the Malones." He said.

They met again fifteen minutes later. "Here come all the Malones," said William Wolas, "I asked four of them to come help, but the rest of the family invited themselves."
"Do they always do just that?" said Virgil. From the other direction came the Doiles with the eggs from their breakfast still on their faces.

The whole crowd went to see Dock. Old Dock owned the wide net. He had a house on top of the hill. And he sat outside it on his rocking chair.
"Now what?" he asked when everyone had arrived and stood in front of him. William Wolas stepped forward, "If nobody else is using your wide net could we use it?" Virgil Thomas pushed William Wolas aside, "We got reason to think William Wolas' wife is in the river, drowned."
Dock gave a long low whistle, "Hazel is the prettiest girl in Mississippi," he said, "a golden haired girl. I've never saw a prettier one, never will." He got to his feet and said, "I'm coming with you."

They followed the path that took them through the deep woods into the Pearl River. They walked in silence near William Wolas. They would not let him carry anything. Soon, the smell of the river spread over the woods. "We're in the changing time," Dock said, "any day now the change will come. It's gone the turn from hot to cold. An old man winter will be standing in the door."

They walked down and suddenly they reached the river. Everyone stopped, but Dock talked on as though nothing had happened. "Only today," he said, "today in October, son, it's all gold, the sky, the trees, the water. Just before it changes, everything seems to be made of gold."
William Wolas looked down, he thought of Hazel's shining eyes. He could see her in his thoughts, sitting at home like a piece of pure gold, too precious to touch.

The men began to unfold the wide net. It was very old and had been used a lot. There in the October light, it looked golden too. Since the net was so wide, it was able to reach across the entire river. Splashing sounds filled the air. Malones with great groans slam across the river. The Doiles stayed near Virgil Thomas. Each group grabbed an end of the net and began walking along the riverside. Dock got into a rowboat and followed the parade from the middle of the river. William Wolas slammed and followed the wide net, diving down under water. The dogs chased up and down, in and out of the water and in and out of the woods.

Where the light fell on the river, it trembled gently. The willow trees leaned over the water. Their long branches hung like green waterfalls in the morning air. The men were catching lots of fish in the net, big ones and little ones. William Wolas caught more of the big fish than anyone else. He and the others put ropes through the fish's mouths and pulled them through the water behind them. They caught other things, too, old shoes, a lady's necklace and a baby alligator.

"It's time we ate some of these fish," said Virgil. They all gathered by a clearing near the river and built a fire. Then among clouds of smoke they cooked and ate fish. They ate until they all were so full they could eat any more. And then, one by one, they all fell asleep.

The thunder woke them up. Lightening flashed and the sky looked black. All color left the world. The golden afternoon was just a memory. A wind touched each man on his forehead. They ran under some trees as hard drops of rain began to fall. The rain fell heavily. When the sudden storm ended, the men looked up the river ahead of them.

"Look!" said Virgil, "We've come almost to town." There just beyond the trees was Dover. It had rained there too, and the town looked somehow like new. The wavy heat of the late afternoon came down as the men entered the main street. William Wolas walked through the town as if he did not see or hear anything. He carried his great catch of fish high so that everybody could see it. Virgil came next, imitating William Wolas exactly. Then came the Doiles and Malones, tossing their fish in the air. Behind the entire crowd walked Dock. The whole town of Dover came out to watch the men. People came out of their houses, the stores and post offices. "Did you ever see so many fish," said the people of Dover.

As the sun went down, Dock climbed the hill to his house. He sat down in his rocking chair and lit his pipe. William Wolas hung up the wide net while Virgil Thomas waited for him. Then they both went to say goodnight to Dock.
"Well now," said Dock when they came up, "I've never seen a better river dragging!"
"But," Virgil objected, "we didn't catch Hazel!"
Dock took the pipe out of his mouth, "She wasn't there." he said, "Girls don't like water and they don't jump in river just because they're angry with their husbands. Remember that!"
William Wolas looked up, "Don't you think this morning she had drowned herself?"
"Not even once," Dock said.

Virgil and William Wolas walked home slowly. When they reached Virgil's house, Virgil said goodnight and went inside. William Wolas was alone. When he got to his own house, William Wolas saw something he had never seen before in his life. There, curved over his roof was a rainbow at night. The moon was out and its light fell on the little rainbow. It made William Wolas think of a lady's summer dress. The stars showed through the rainbow. William Wolas walked into his house. Someone called his name. The voice came from the bedroom.

"What do you want?" he yelled. Then the bedroom door opened and there was Hazel. She had not changed at all. "Supper is ready," she said, "I was wondering if you were coming home tonight. Go wash yourself for dinner!"
They sat on the front steps of their house after dinner. "Where were you this morning when I came in?" asked William Wolas.
"I was hiding," she said, "I had just finished writing the letter."
He looked at her, "Did you watch me while I was reading it?"
"Yes," she laughed, "I was so close to you that you could have put out your hand and touched me." He bit his lip and pulled her into his arms.
"Do you think you'll do it again?" he whispered, holding her tightly. She tried to free herself for a few seconds, then she suddenly relaxed in his arms.
"I'll do it again if I feel like it," she said, smiling into his eyes. It was as if he had chased her and captured her again. After a few minutes, she took his hand and led him into the house.

You have just heard the story "The Wide Net" written by Eudora Welty. It was adapted for Special English by D. D. with permission from Russal and Brockning Literate Agents, New York. This story is copyrighted. All rights reserved. Your storyteller was Larry West. For VOA Special English, this is Shirley Griffith.