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541
One
of
them
,
stretching
his
neck
,
edged
forward
,
ready
to
run
,
and
little
by
little
he
approached
Tom
s
legs
and
sniffed
loudly
at
them
.
Then
he
backed
away
and
watched
Pa
for
some
kind
of
signal
.
The
other
pup
was
not
so
brave
.
He
looked
about
for
something
that
could
honorably
divert
his
attention
,
saw
a
red
chicken
go
mincing
by
,
and
ran
at
it
.
There
was
the
squawk
of
an
outraged
hen
,
a
burst
of
red
feathers
,
and
the
hen
ran
off
,
flapping
stubby
wings
for
speed
.
The
pup
looked
proudly
back
at
the
men
,
and
then
flopped
down
in
the
dust
and
beat
its
tail
contentedly
on
the
ground
.
542
"
Come
on
,
"
said
Pa
,
"
come
on
in
now
.
She
got
to
see
you
.
I
got
to
see
her
face
when
she
sees
you
.
Come
on
.
She
ll
yell
breakfast
in
a
minute
.
I
heard
her
slap
the
salt
pork
in
the
pan
a
good
time
ago
.
"
He
led
the
way
across
the
fine
-
dusted
ground
.
There
was
no
porch
on
this
house
,
just
a
step
and
then
the
door
;
a
chopping
block
beside
the
door
,
its
surface
matted
and
soft
from
years
of
chopping
.
The
graining
in
the
sheathing
wood
was
high
,
for
the
dust
had
cut
down
the
softer
wood
.
The
smell
of
burning
willow
was
in
the
air
,
and
as
the
three
men
neared
the
door
,
the
smell
of
frying
side
-
meat
and
the
smell
of
high
brown
biscuits
and
the
sharp
smell
of
coffee
rolling
in
the
pot
.
Pa
stepped
up
into
the
open
doorway
and
stood
there
blocking
it
with
his
wide
short
body
.
He
said
,
"
Ma
,
there
s
a
coupla
fellas
jus
come
along
the
road
,
an
they
wonder
if
we
could
spare
a
bite
.
"
543
Tom
heard
his
mother
s
voice
,
the
remembered
cool
,
calm
drawl
,
friendly
and
humble
.
Отключить рекламу
544
"
Let
em
come
,
"
she
said
.
"
We
got
a
plenty
.
Tell
em
they
got
to
wash
their
han
s
.
The
bread
is
done
.
I
m
jus
takin
up
the
side
-
meat
now
.
"
And
the
sizzle
of
the
angry
grease
came
from
the
stove
.
545
Pa
stepped
inside
,
clearing
the
door
,
and
Tom
looked
in
at
his
mother
.
She
was
lifting
the
curling
slices
of
pork
from
the
frying
pan
.
The
oven
door
was
open
,
and
a
great
pan
of
high
brown
biscuits
stood
waiting
there
.
She
looked
out
the
door
,
but
the
sun
was
behind
Tom
,
and
she
saw
only
a
dark
figure
outlined
by
the
bright
yellow
sunlight
.
She
nodded
pleasantly
.
"
Come
in
,
"
she
said
.
"
Jus
lucky
I
made
plenty
bread
this
morning
.
"
546
Tom
stood
looking
in
.
Ma
was
heavy
,
but
not
fat
;
thick
with
child
-
bearing
and
work
.
She
wore
a
loose
Mother
Hubbard
of
gray
cloth
in
which
there
had
once
been
colored
flowers
,
but
the
color
was
washed
out
now
,
so
that
the
small
flowered
pattern
was
only
a
little
lighter
gray
than
the
background
.
The
dress
came
down
to
her
ankles
,
and
her
strong
,
broad
,
bare
feet
moved
quickly
and
deftly
over
the
floor
.
Her
thin
,
steel
-
gray
hair
was
gathered
in
a
sparse
wispy
knot
at
the
back
of
her
head
.
Strong
,
freckled
arms
were
bare
to
the
elbow
,
and
her
hands
were
chubby
and
delicate
,
like
those
of
a
plump
little
girl
.
She
looked
out
into
the
sunshine
.
Her
full
face
was
not
soft
;
it
was
controlled
,
kindly
.
Her
hazel
eyes
seemed
to
have
experienced
all
possible
tragedy
and
to
have
mounted
pain
and
suffering
like
steps
into
a
high
calm
and
a
superhuman
understanding
.
547
She
seemed
to
know
,
to
accept
,
to
welcome
her
position
,
the
citadel
of
the
family
,
the
strong
place
that
could
not
be
taken
.
And
since
old
Tom
and
the
children
could
not
know
hurt
or
fear
unless
she
acknowledged
hurt
and
fear
,
she
had
practiced
denying
them
in
herself
.
And
since
,
when
a
joyful
thing
happened
,
they
looked
to
see
whether
joy
was
on
her
,
it
was
her
habit
to
build
up
laughter
out
of
inadequate
materials
.
But
better
than
joy
was
calm
.
Imperturbability
could
be
depended
upon
.
And
from
her
great
and
humble
position
in
the
family
she
had
taken
dignity
and
a
clean
calm
beauty
.
From
her
position
as
healer
,
her
hands
had
grown
sure
and
cool
and
quiet
;
from
her
position
as
arbiter
she
had
become
as
remote
and
faultless
in
judgment
as
a
goddess
.
She
seemed
to
know
that
if
she
swayed
the
family
shook
,
and
if
she
ever
really
deeply
wavered
or
despaired
the
family
would
fall
,
the
family
will
to
function
would
be
gone
.
Отключить рекламу
548
She
looked
out
into
the
sunny
yard
,
at
the
dark
figure
of
a
man
.
Pa
stood
near
by
,
shaking
with
excitement
.
"
Come
in
,
"
he
cried
.
"
Come
right
in
,
mister
.
"
And
Tom
a
little
shamefacedly
stepped
over
the
doorsill
.
549
She
looked
up
pleasantly
from
the
frying
pan
.
And
then
her
hand
sank
slowly
to
her
side
and
the
fork
clattered
to
the
wooden
floor
.
Her
eyes
opened
wide
,
and
the
pupils
dilated
.
She
breathed
heavily
through
her
open
mouth
.
She
closed
her
eyes
.
"
Thank
God
,
"
she
said
.
"
Oh
,
thank
God
!
"
And
suddenly
her
face
was
worried
.
"
Tommy
,
you
ain
t
wanted
?
You
didn
t
bust
loose
?
"
550
"
No
,
Ma
.
Parole
.
I
got
the
papers
here
.
"