"
"The line is out there," said George, with a jerk of his shoulder.
"Are you afraid?"
"No, I ain't," replied the boy resentfully, and went out with a
pale face.
After that Cordelia hung the Townsend wash in the yard of their own
house, standing always with her back to the vacant lot. As for
David Townsend, he spent a good deal of his time in the lot
watching the shadows, but he came to no explanation, although he
strove to satisfy himself with many.
"I guess the shadows come from the smoke from our chimneys, or else
the poplar tree," he said.
"Why do the shadows come on Monday mornings, and no other?"
demanded his wife.
David was silent.
Very soon new mysteries arose. One day Cordelia rang the dinner-
bell at their usual dinner hour, the same as in Townsend Centre,
high noon, and the family assembled. With amazement Adrianna
looked at the dishes on the table.
"Why, that's queer!" she said.
"What's queer?" asked her mother.
Cordelia stopped short as she was about setting a tumbler of water
beside a plate, and the water slopped over.
"Why," said Adrianna, her face paling, "I--thought there was boiled
dinner.
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