But suddenly, from this position, she leaped backward
with the mad energy of a frightened colt. Her
face was in this instant turned to a grey, featureless
thing of horror. A yell, wild and hoarse as a
brute-cry, burst from her. “Daddie!”
She flung herself to a place near the door, where
she remained, crouching, her eyes staring at the motionless
figure, spattered by the quivering flashes from the
fire. Her arms extended, and her frantic fingers
at once besought and repelled. There was in them
an expression of eagerness to caress and an expression
of the most intense loathing. And the girl’s
hair that had been a splendor, was in these moments
changed to a disordered mass that hung and swayed
in witchlike fashion.
Again, a terrible cry burst from her. It was
more than the shriek of agony—it was directed,
personal, addressed to him in the chair, the first
word of a tragic conversation with the dead.
It seemed that when she had put her arm about its
neck, she had jostled the corpse in such a way that
now she and it were face to face. The attitude
expressed an intention of arising from the table.
The eyes, fixed upon hers, were filled with an unspeakable
hatred.
* * * *
*
The cries of the girl aroused thunders in the tenement.
There was a loud slamming of doors, and presently
there was a roar of feet upon the boards of the stairway.
Voices rang out sharply.
“What is it?”
“What’s th’ matter?”
“He’s killin’ her!”
“Slug ‘im with anythin’ yeh kin
lay hold of, Jack!”
But over all this came the shrill, shrewish tones
of a woman. “Ah, th’ damned ol’
fool, he’s drivin’ ‘er inteh th’
street—that’s what he’s doin’.
He’s drivin’ ‘er inteh th’
street.”
A child was standing on a street-corner. He leaned
with one shoulder against a high board fence and swayed
the other to and fro, the while kicking carelessly
at the gravel.
Sunshine beat upon the cobbles, and a lazy summer
wind raised yellow dust which trailed in clouds down
the avenue. Clattering trucks moved with indistinctness
through it. The child stood dreamily gazing.
After a time, a little dark-brown dog came trotting
with an intent air down the sidewalk. A short
rope was dragging from his neck. Occasionally
he trod upon the end of it and stumbled.
He stopped opposite the child, and the two regarded
each other. The dog hesitated for a moment, but
presently he made some little advances with his tail.
The child put out his hand and called him. In
an apologetic manner the dog came close, and the two
had an interchange of friendly pattings and waggles.
The dog became more enthusiastic with each moment
of the interview, until with his gleeful caperings
he threatened to overturn the child. Whereupon
the child lifted his hand and struck the dog a blow
upon the head.
