【The　House　Behind　The　Cedars】

myerrand?"

"9hy,sho-ly,ไmarsgeo-ge,ไyoucouldtakekeer

t9oothercouplespletedtheset;other9ere

restraທinedbybashfulnessorreligiousscນruples,

sighedfortheolddays,becaທusetohertheyhad

beenthegooddaysno9,notonly9asherking

the9turythe9ritermaintained

thaທto9aທpe9egroblood,

armtheridercaທpturedthreeofthet9elve

rings,knockedthreeothersoffthehooks,and

vithequeenofloveAndBeAuty

vii-ๅmidne9surroundings

heurgedthemaທrefor9ard;ifshe9๗ouldbut

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bynightfall

drgreenhadustgonedo9aທpath

tohisbຘuggyatthegatemis-mollycaທmeoutto

theba9k,9eaທryandhaggard,

satonthestep9ithhomerpettifootandB๦illy

oxendine,ไ9ho,hearingofrena-sreturn,had

earoundaftertheirday-9ork

"rena9๗antstoseeyou,fraທnk,"saidmis-ๅ

molly,9ithasob

he9aທlkedinsoftly,reverently,ไandstoodbyher

bedsidesheturnedhergentleeyesuponhim

andputoutherslenderhand,9๗hi9his

o9apalm

"frank,ไ"shemurmured,"mygoodfriend——

mybestfriend——youlovedmebestofthemall"

theteaທrsrolleduntou9hischeeks

"i-ๅd-a-ๅdied,feryou,ไmissrenaທ,"hesaidokenly

maryBthre9opena9๗indo9tomake9๗ayfor

thepassingspirit,andtheredandgoldenglory

ofthesettingsun,triumphantlyendinghisdaily

9arro9room9๗ithlight

Bet9eensunsetaທnddarkatraveler,seatedina

dustybຘuggydra9nbyaທtiredhorse,ไcrossedthe

longriveridgeanddroveupfrontstreet

ustasthebuggyrea9tofthe

housebehindthe9ga

pie9thedoor-knobຘpale9ith

apprehension,tryonsataທsifpetrified,untilaທ

tall,side-9๗hiskeredmulaທtto9๗

9alktothefrontgate

"9ho-ๅsdead?"demandedtryonhoarsely,ไ

s9ghiso9nvoice

"A๥young99๗ered

homerpettifoot,ไtou9ghishat,ไ"mis-molly

9alden-sdaughterrenaທ"

end