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What Necessity Knows by Lily Dougall
page 37 of 550 (06%)



CHAPTER IV.


The girl lifted the latch of the house-door, and went in. She was in the
living-room. The old woman sat in a chair that was built of wood against
the log wall. She was looking discontentedly before her at an iron
stove, which had grown nearly cold for lack of attention. Some chairs, a
table, a bed, and a ladder which led to the room above, made the chief
part of the furniture. A large mongrel dog, which looked as if he had
some blood of the grey southern sheep dog in him rose from before the
stove and greeted the in-comer silently.

The dog had blue eyes, and he held up his face wistfully, as if he knew
something was the matter. The old woman complained of cold. It was plain
that she did not remember anything concerning death or tears.

There was one other door in the side of the room which led to the only
inner chamber. The girl went into this chamber, and the heed she gave to
the dog's sympathy was to hold the door and let him follow her. Then she
bolted it. There were two narrow beds built against the wall; in one of
these the corpse of a grey-haired man was lying. The dog had seen death
before, and he evidently understood what it was. He did not move quickly
or sniff about; he laid his head on the edge of the winding-sheet and
moaned a little.

The girl did not moan. She knelt down some way from the bed, with a
desire to pray. She did not pray; she whispered her anger, her
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