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 {{block center|Early Autumn: A Short Short<br />Story About Early Love}}
-{{di|W}}{{uc|hen}} Bill was very young, they had been in love. Many nights they had spent walking, talking together. Then something not very important had come between them, and they didn't speak. Impulsively, she had married a man she thought she
+{{di|W}}{{uc|hen he}} was very young, they had been in love. Many nights they had spent walking, or talking, together. But something not very important had come between them. Then she had married a man she thought she loved. And the boy went away, bitter about women.
-loved. Bill went away, bitter about women.
-Yesterday, walking across Washington Square, she saw him for the first time in years.
+Yesterday (fifteen years gone by) walking across Washington Square, she saw him.
-"Bill Walker," she said.
+"Hello, Bill Walker," she said.
-He stopped. At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old.
+He stopped. But at first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old.
 "Mary! Where did you come from?"
-Unconsciously, she lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand.
+She lifted her face as though wanting a kiss, but he held out his hand. She took it.
+"I live here now," she said. "In New York."
-She took it.
+"Oh," smiling politely, then a little frown came quickly between his eyes.
-"I live in New York now," she said.
-"Oh"—smiling politely, then a little frown came quickly between his eyes.
 "Always wondered what happened to you, Bill."
-"I'm a lawyer. Nice firm, way downtown[1]."
+"I'm a lawyer. Nice firm. Downtown."
 "Married yet?"
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 "Oh," she said.
-A great many people went past them through the park. People they didn't know. It was late afternoon. Nearly sunset. Cold.
+A great many people went past them through the park. People they didn't know. It was late afternoon. Nearly sunset and cold.
 "And your husband?" he asked her.
-"We have three children. I work in the bursar's office at Columbia[2]."
+"We have three children. I'm working in the bursar's office at Columbia."
-"You're looking very…" (he wanted to say old) "…well," he said.
+"You're looking very…" (he wanted to say old) …"well," he said.
-She understood. Under the trees in Washington Square, she found herself desperately reaching back into the past. She had been older than he then in Ohio.
-Now she was not young at all. Bill was still young.
+But she understood. Under the trees in Washington Square, desperately she found herself reaching back into the past. She had been older than he then in Ohio. Now she was not young any longer at all. Not young! But Bill was still young.
-"We live on Central Park West[3]," she said. "Come and see us sometime."
+"We live on Central Park West," she said. "Come and see me sometime."
-"Sure," he replied. "You and your husband must have dinner with my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I'd love to have you."
+"Sure," he replied. "And you and your husband must have dinner with my family some night. Any night. Lucille and I'd love to have you."
-The leaves fell slowly from the trees in the Square. Fell without wind. Autumn dusk.
+The leaves fell slowly from the trees in the Square. Fell without wind. Autumn dusk. She felt a little sick.
+"We'd love it, too," she answered.
-She felt a little sick.
+"You ought to see my kids," He grinned.
-"We'd love it," she answered.
+Suddenly the lights came on—up the whole length of Fifth Avenue, double chains of misty brilliance in the blue air.
-"You ought to see my kids." He grinned.
+"I must go," she said. "There's my bus"
-Suddenly the lights came on up the whole length of Fifth Avenue[4], chains of misty brilliance in the blue air.
+He held out his hand, "Goodbye."
-"There's my bus," she said.
+"When—" she wanted to say, but the bus-man was ready to pull off. The lights on the Avenue twinkled, blurred, twinkled and blurred. And she was afraid to open her mouth. Afraid it would be impossible to utter a single word.
-He held out his hand. "Good-bye."
+"Goodbye!" she shrieked very loudly, but the door had closed.
-"When..." she wanted to say, but the bus was ready to pull off. The lights on the avenue blurred. And she was afraid to open her mouth as she entered the bus. Afraid it would be impossible to utter a word.
+The bus started. People came between them, people crossing the street, people they didn't know. Space and people. She lost sight of Bill.
-Suddenly she shrieked very loudly, "Good-bye!" But the bus door had closed.
-The bus started. People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn't know. Space and people. She lost sight of Bill. Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address—or to ask him for his—or tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill, too.
+Then she remembered she had forgotten to give him her address; or to ask him for his; or tell him that her youngest boy was named Bill, too.