Chapter 19, "The Dog Star" Summary

Little Tree travels on the bus all night and is wakened by the bus driver in the morning. It's drizzling when he gets off the bus. A white haired lady greets him at the orphanage. She wears a long black dress and reminds him of the lady in the gray dress. She checks Little Tree's tag and leads him through the iron gates into the orphanage. They pass under elm trees that rustle. Little Tree thinks the trees have heard of him. The lady tells him he is going to see the reverend, and to only talk if he's asked a question.

The reverend has a pink face and is busy doing paperwork when Little Tree enters his office. The reverend tells Little Tree that the state can't provide money for these matters, but his Denomination has...