Mr. Leaonard Mead Walks Through The Silent, Long Streets.
Hello in there
Mr. Leaonard Entranced by Police
He wouldstand upon the corner of an intersection and peerdown long moonlit avenues of sidewalk in fourdirections, deciding which way to go, but it reallymade no difference;
Police Questions Mr. Leaonard Mead
'Hello, in there,' he whispered to everyhouse on every side as he moved.
Police officer Arrests Mr. Leaonard Mead
...the lone car turned a corner quitesuddenly and flashed a fierce white cone of lightupon him. He stood entranced, not unlike a nightmoth, stunned by the illumination and then drawntoward it.
Mr. Leaonard Mead gets taken to thePsychiatric Center for Research onRegressive Tendencies
No profession, said the phonograph voice,hissing. What are you doing out?Walking, said Leonard Mead.Walking!Just walking, he said simply, but his facefelt cold.
Walking where? For what?
HEY, WHAT ARE U DOING OUT HERE
Walking for air,. Walking to see.
WalkingJust walking
Is that all? he asked politely.Yes, said the voice. Here. There was asigh, a pop. The back door of the police car sprangwide. Get in.Wait a minute, I haven't done anything!
GET IN!
Why?! I did nothing wrong!
The car moved down the empty river-bedstreets and off away, leaving the empty streets withthe empty side-walks, and no sound and no motion allthe rest of the chill November night.