erick's　back。

The　farmhouse　was　on　the　exchange　…　another　sign　to　the　neighbors　that　the　Dettericks　were　prospering；　at　least　moderately；　in　disastrous　times　…　and　Marjorie　used　Central　to　call　as　many　of　her　neighbors　that　were　also　on　the　exchange　as　she　could；　telling　them　of　the　disaster　which　had　fallen　like　a　lightning…stroke　out　of　a　clear　sky；　knowing　that　each　call　would　produce　overlapping　ripples；　like　pebbles　tossed　rapidly　into　a　stilly　pond。　Then　she　lifted　the　handset　one　last　time；　and　spoke　those　words　that　were　almost　a　trademark　of　the　early　telephone　systems　of　that　time；　at　least　in　the　rural　South：　〃Hello；　Central；　are　you　on　the　line？〃

Central　was；　but　for　a　moment　could　say　nothing；　that　worthy　woman　was　all　agog。　At　last　she　managed；　〃Yes；　ma'am。　Mrs。　Detterick；　I　sure　am；　oh　dear　sweet　blessed　Jesus；　I'm　a…prayin　right　now　that　your　little　girls　are　all　right………！'

〃Yes；　thank　you；〃　Marjorie　said。　〃But　you　tell　the　Lord　to　wait　long　enough　for　you　to　put　me　through　to　the　high　sheriff's　office　down　Tefton；　all　right？〃

The　Trapingus　County　high　sheriff　was　a　whiskeynosed　old　boy　with　a　gut　like　a　washtub　and　a　head　of　white　hair　so　fine　it　looked　like　pipe…cleaner　fuzz。　I　knew　him　well；　he'd　been　up　to　Cold　Mountain　plenty　of　times　to　see　what　he　called　〃his　boys〃　off　into　the　great　beyond。　Execution　witnesses　sat　in　the　same　folding　chairs　you've　probably　sat　in　yourself　a　time　or　two；　at　funerals　or　church　suppers　or　Grang