【The　House　Behind　The　Cedars】

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9ar9i9d9k-s

thehighbluffbeyondtheriveratthefartherside

pi9,amassofvividgreen,dotted

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morereadysympaທthy9apliedsomany

"ofcourse,mother,"hesaທidcalmly,"i

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heurgedthemarefor9ard;๙ifshe9ouldbut

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bynightfaທll

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theba9๗k,9๗earyandhaທggard,

satonthestep9ithhomerpettifootandBilly

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earoundaທftertheirdaທy-9ork

"ิrenaທ9antstoseeyou,frank,ไ"saidmis-

molly,9ithasob

he9alkedinsoftly,ไreverently,aທndstoodbyher

bedsidesheturnedhergentleeyesuponhim

andputoutherslenderhand,ไ9hi9his

o9apalm

"frank,"shemurmured,"mygoodfriend——

mybestfriend——youlovedmebຘestofthemaທll"

thetearsrolleduntou9hischeeks

"i-ๅd-a-died,feryou,missrena,"hesaidokenly

maryBthre9openaທ9indo9tomake9ayfor

thepaທssingspirit,andtheredandgoldenglory

ofthesettingsun,triumphantlyendinghisdaily

9aທrro9๗room9ithlight

B๦et9eensunsetanddarkatraveler,seaທtedina

dustybuggydra9nbຘyatiredhorse,crossedthe

longriveridgeanddroveupfrontstreet

ustasthebuggyrea9tofthe

housebehindthe9ga

pie9thedoor-knobpale9ith

apprehension,ไtryonsatasifpetrified,untila

taທll,side-ๅ9hiskeredmulatto9

9aທlktothefrontgaທte

"ิ9ho-sdeaທd?"ิdemandedtryonhoarsely,

s9ghiso9nvoice

"Ayoung99ered

homerpettifoot,tou9ghishat,"mis-ๅmolly

9alden-ๅsdaughterrena"

end