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returned to her.
    She went into the kitchen and saw the havoc caused by the cat.
    A sickly yellow fluid dribbled out of the hole in the can of condensed milk. She picked it up, wiped it, then placed it in the cupboard.
    After arranging the dishes on the sink, she went up stairs.
    Her mother was stretched across the bed, while the cat sniffed at her body. Sally screamed, and threw a shoe at the cat. It scampered down the stairs in a snarl. She rushed to her mother, then into the yard where the other children were playing. “Run and get Dr. Farway!” she shouted, “Mother’s ill!”
    The children hurried for the doctor, while Sally ran to the house of a neighbor, and breathless, asked, “Please, may I telephone my sister—my mother’s very sick.”
    “You know where it is, Sally.” Old Mrs. Ridge pointed her thumb over her shoulder, and remained seated in her chair, a clay pipe gripped in her hand.
    Leora turned from the telephone to the doctor. “Mother’s ill,” she said, “will you take me to her?”
    Doctor Farway was already leaning over Mrs. Blair when they arrived. The children stood silent about. Sally was crying.
    Dr. Farway looked up as Dr. Haley entered with Leora. He shook his head from side to side and said to Dr. Haley, loud enough for Leora to hear, “Poison.”
    Leora clutched her mother’s dead left hand. Turning, for a slight moment, with wet eyes, she went to Dr. Farway. “Will you do what you can?” she asked, and added the word, “Please.”
    Dr. Farway patted her shoulder gently, as a father would a hurt child.
    As Dr. Haley approached, the younger man said to her, “We will make the necessary arrangements.” Dr. Haley nodded assent.
    The two men straightened Mrs. Blair’s body and put a sheet over it. Motioning Sally to him, Dr. Farway said, “You must keep the cat out of the house.”
    All went downstairs but Leora.
    The children went ahead.
    “She’s better off,” said Dr. Farway.
    “Much,” replied Dr. Haley.
    A sobbing was heard up stairs.
    “You had better go and get her,” Dr. Haley said to Sally.
    Her arms about her, Leora lay by the side of her dead mother. She clung tenaciously when Sally tried to pull her away.
    The corpse nearly fell to the floor. Sally called, “Doctor,” from the top of the stairs.
    Both men came.
    Dr. Haley held the body of the dead woman while the younger man took Leora away.
    “He killed her, God damn him,” she sobbed again and again.
    “No, he didn’t, child,” said Dr. Farway, “it just happened.”
    “You know better,” she sobbed.
    Sally looked in amazement at Leora. It was the first time in her life she had ever been hysterical.
    “I’ll go and make arrangements,” said Dr. Haley, “you stay here, Doctor, and do what you can.”
    “All right, Doctor,” returned Farway.
    Forlorn as wind-beaten sheep the other children huddled in the kitchen, as Sally entered. “Denny,” she said to her young brother— ”will you run and tell Aunt that Mother’s dead?”
    The snub-nosed little boy with the wet red eyes stepped it way from the huddled group and said, “Yes, Sister.”
    Sobbing again, Leora clung to Dr. Farway.
    Heavy steps were heard. “It’s your father,” said the doctor, pushing her gently away.
    “Who the hell cares?” returned Leora, standing more closely to him. “He’s got no more strings on me.”
    The engine wiper came into the house.
    “She’s gone,” said Dr. Farway.
    “I, I—” he said no more, and went up stairs. Leora and Farway followed him. He dropped his hat as he stumbled toward the bed.
    His tobacco-stained mustache rose and fell. His cheeks were sunken. His body drooped. His bleared eyes focused on the covered body. He became unaware of his daughter and the doctor.
    Reaching the bed, he pulled the sheet from his wife, with a spotted, grease-stained hand. Then he screamed, “Nina! Nina! Oh God! Nina! Nina!”
    Leora pulled his arm.
    The engine wiper paid no attention, but fell on his