A furniture factory owner named Mr. Carlson leaves work early one day, something he has not done in twenty years, and he is leaving to talk about a dead man. The whole morning, he was filled with excitement, and thought who else in New York was a searcher into a past like he would be this afternoon. The dead man was not someone Mr. Carlson knew or ever met, but his brother-in-law heard him speak once. Mr. Carlson goes to his brother-in-law George's work. George is surprised to see him, and he asks how Mr. Carlson's wife Ethel is. Ethel and Mr. Carlson have a strenuous relationship. Ethel had been Mr. Carlson's bookkeeper before they were married, and she constantly belittles him for not being able to give her children. George wants to change the conversation away from Ethel because it makes him uncomfortable. He asks what is on Mr. Carlson's mind, and Mr. Carlson says that he has something to ask him, and that they should get lunch. The two men go to get lunch, and Mr. Carlson has several drinks. Mr. Carlson asks if George remembers the book Mr. Carlson made him read called "Winesburg, Ohio." George reveals that he does not remember much from the book, only that it was sad. Mr. Carlson says that the book is not meant to be remembered, but felt. Mr. Carlson tells George that on one of the days that he could not face Ethel, he went to the library. Someone asked for "Winesburg, Ohio," so Mr. Carlson decided to read it too, since he was from Ohio. He asked the young librarian questions about the book. He read the book straight through, and then went to the bookstore to buy it. Ethel teased him for reading when she saw it. Mr. Carlson asks George if he remembers when he saw Sherwood Anderson, the author of the book, speak. George only vaguely remembers, and Mr. Carlson asks what Anderson looked like. George responds that Anderson looked like an unemployed bricklayer, which amuses Mr. Carlson. Mr. Carlson tells George that one day Anderson just walked out of everything and began to write books, which George thinks is ridiculous. George goes back to his office, but Mr. Carlson stays at the bar. He watches waiters who are standing at the bar, and wonders if he should walk out on everything, and sell the factory and leave Ethel. Mr. Carlson decides that he does not have the guts to do this like Sherwood Anderson did, and wishes he had been able to talk to the author. Mr. Carlson tells the waiter that he is expecting a Mr. Anderson to meet him there. The waiter asks for the man's full name, and Mr. Carlson says that it is Mr. Sherwood Anderson. The waiter says that maybe Mr. Anderson did not see him and left, so he asks what he looked like. Mr. Carlson says that Mr. Anderson looked like an unemployed bricklayer, and he smiles at the bewildered waiters. He tells the waiters that if Mr. Anderson does come in, to tell him to call Mr. Carlson's office. Mr. Carlson leaves and goes to his car, chuckling. He thinks that maybe he should go back to the library and talk to the young librarian who introduced him to "Winesburg, Ohio."