Presently she saw Judith come out of the house and stride away to
the pine wood behind it. Judith always betook herself to the pines
in time of mental stress and strain.
Salome could see the sunlight shining on Lionel Hezekiah's bare
head as he mixed his pies. In the pleasure of watching him she
forgot where she was and the curious eyes turned on her.
Suddenly Lionel Hezekiah ceased concocting pies, and betook himself to the
corner of the summer kitchen, where he proceeded to climb up to the top
of the storm-fence and from there to mount the sloping kitchen roof.
Salome clasped her hands in agony. What if the child should fall?
Oh! why had Judith gone away and left him alone? What if--what if--
and then, while her brain with lightning-like rapidity pictured
forth a dozen possible catastrophes, something really did happen.
Lionel Hezekiah slipped, sprawled wildly, slid down, and fell off
the roof, in a bewildering whirl of arms and legs, plump into the big
rain-water hogshead under the spout, which was generally full to the brim
with rain-water, a hogshead big and deep enough to swallow up half
a dozen small boys who went climbing kitchen roofs on a Sunday.
Then something took place that is talked of in Carmody to this day,
and even fiercely wrangled over, so many and conflicting are the opinions
on the subject.
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