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The place see death everywhere else in the world She looks for the stand of guns by the door, but instead she finds a rack for coats and umbrellas, a closet for muddy boots There are no boards nailed across the s--instead there are layers of lace and e toylike tassels on the ends There is no blood crusted brown on the walls and the floors No lookout stations No gunner nests It is as though she has entered a different era entirely

The first thing she hears when she co played on a piano She assu stops abruptly and starts again, and she realizes so is a peaceful one, but also full of chords that make her ache It’s a sad peacefulness

Who’s playin the piano? she asks Johns

Mr Grierson practices in the s

And who’s that on the wall?

She points to a portrait of abeside a woown Behind thenizes as the one belonging to the South of the olden days

They are Henrietta and Williarandparents of Mrs Grierson

I’ettin the picture In other words, this is the Grierson estate

It is called Belle Isle

Whatever you say Let me just wipe the blood off ives her a withering look, and she smiles back sweetly

How shall I announce you? he asks

Your norive?

Oh, Sarah Mary Williams

And his name?

You can just call him dummy--me and his open one of the tall sets of doors off the entrance hall to reveal a parlor filled with floral-patterned couches and chairs and a massive black piano with its lid propped up to reveal all the strings inside At the side of the roo solitaire and sipping a drink hat looks like crushed leaves in it She seeal seventies, handsoown like Temple’s never seen before in real life, full of shi man dressed in a full suit, his hair slicked back, and his body leaning and swaying with theWhen he turns around, Tereen eyes and his closely shaven face, and she supposes that he must be five years older than she is

Mrs Grierson, Johns announces, this young lady and her friend were traveling by and needed assistance Miss Sarah Mary Williams

We don’t really need no assistance, Temple says, just maybe a bite to eat or somethin

Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise! Mrs Grierson says, getting up fro across the room to take Temple in her ar out her hand to the large slow-eyednext to Temple

Oh, never mind him, Temple says He don’t kno to shake--

But to her surprise, he holds out his hand and lets Mrs Grierson shake it

Corandson Richard

The young htly in their direction

Grandson, Teured the two of you wasas I care to rerandsons and their father Their poor father isn’t well at the moment, I’m afraid Would you care for solass on the card table

What you got in it, plants?

That’s fresh oes out and a wos in a tray with glasses of iced tea on it, and sets it on the coffee table and goes out again, and they sit around on the couches and talk and Temple makes a special effort to be cordial and ladylike and she tries not to gulp down her tea like she wants to but rather sip it like Mrs Grierson see, and she tries to remember to wipe her mouth with the little cloth napkin by her drink rather than with her sleeve, and she sits back and crosses her legs like so forith her elbows on her knees--which is obviously the better way to sit if you have to defend yourself all of a sudden

Now tell us where you hail from, Sarah Mary, Mrs Grierson says

Me? I’m from the area--just tns over

She pointed in a direction

Oh, you’re froia peach when I see one Which town? Lake Park? Statenville?

Statenville That’s the one Me and hirew up there He’s ain after him because of the way he turned out

You shouldn’t be traveling by yourself, Richard says He has a child’s voice, despite his age, and when he uses it to sound authoritative it trips over itself It’s a good thing you found us We’ll take care of you