wo　weeks。　During　that　time　I　didn't　dare　fart　sideways；　let　alone　so　take　a　day　off　to　investigate　the　idea　I'd　gotten　at　my　kitchen　table　on　the　morning　after　all　the　upheavals。　I　knew　for　sure　that　the　circus　had　left　town　when　I　got　to　work　on　a　day　just　shy　of　the　middle　of　November　…　the　twelfth；　I　think；　but　don't　hold　me　to　that。　That　was　the　day　I　found　the　piece　of　paper　I'd　been　dreading　on　the　middle　of　my　desk：　the　DOE　on　John　Coffey。　Curtis　Anderson　had　signed　it　instead　of　Hal　Moores；　but　of　course　it　was　just　as　legal　either　way；　and　of　course　it　had　needed　to　go　through　Hal　in　order　to　get　to　me。　I　could　imagine　Hal　sitting　at　his　desk　in　Administration　with　that　piece　of　paper　in　his　hand；　sitting　there　and　thinking　of　his　wife；　who　had　bee　something　of　a　nine　days；　wonder　to　the　doctors　at　Indianola　General　Hospital。　She'd　had　her　own　DOE　papers　handed　to　her　by　those　doctors；　but　John　Coffey　had　tom　them　up。　Now；　however；　it　was　Coffey's　turn　to　walk　the　Green　Mile；　and　who　among　us　could　stop　it？　Who　among　us　would　stop　it？

The　date　on　the　death　warrant　was　November　20th。　Three　days　after　I　got　it　…　the　fifteenth；　I　think　I　had　Janice　call　me　in　sick。　A　cup　of　coffee　later　I　was　driving　north　in　my　badly　sprung　but　otherwise　reliable　Ford。　Janice　had　kissed　me　on　my　way　and　wished　me　good　luck；　I'd　thanked　her　but　no　longer　had　any　clear　idea　what　good　luck　would　be　…　finding　what　I　was　looking　for　or　not　finding　it。　All　I　knew　for　sure　is　that　I　didn't　feel　much　like　singing　as　I　drove。　Not　that　day。

By　three　that　afternoon　I　was　well　up　in　the　ridge　country。　I　got　to　the　Purdom　County　Courthouse　just　before　it　closed；　looked　at　some　records；　then　had　a　visit　from　the　Sheriff；　who　had　been　informed　by　the　county　clerk　that　a　stranger　w