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A N I T A D I A M A N T

squared her shoulders and went over to take a look at the body of Abraham Wharf, which lay on the floor in the far corner of the room

Judy lifted the faded scrap of yellow gingham that covered his face and chest It was a shame and a sorrow

Nobody spoke of suicide ht be a far more common escape than anyone suspected

Then it occurred to her that there was a curious lack of blood on Wharf: if a h? Shouldn’t his hands be stained, his sleeves caked? Perhaps the cold had frozen it, she reasoned Or maybe Easter had cleaned him up

Before she could ask any questions, the door opened and Ruth walked in, her arht real logs: the nearby hills had been stripped of trees years ago Dogtowners burned

Then again, she thought, Ruth brought mystery

wherever she went A stranger would be hard-pressed to see that the coffee-colored African wearing trousers and a cap was a “she” at all Ruth had never been seen in a dress and preferred the nah everyone knew her as Black Ruth A stoneed in Easter’s attic Judy still hoped that Easter would one day tell herto do with Cape Ann’s few Africans

“Hello, Ruth,” said Judy “What a great treat you bring us” Ruth nodded, placed the logs by the fire, and retreated upstairs before the others started to trickle in

Easter Carter’s was the biggest house fit for habitation in the Cotown’s real name

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The L A S T D AY S of D O G TOW N

With an eight-foot ceiling and a twenty-foot-long parlor, its fireplace was large enough for a side of beef, though it had beenso rich had sizzled there

The place was large only by co forbut na people and sailors traood ti company, and even a corpse elco

That day, the first visitors included a few ancient ladies who arrived, one by one, braving the cold to pay their respects to the deceased and hoping for a glass of ale in his honor, and perhaps even a bite to eat

A the early arrivals, there was but one unlined face, which also belonged to the only breathinghis turn beside the body, Oliver Younger re to distract attention while he nudged at the cloth with his foot to get a better look at his first corpse But Taer sahat he was up to and smacked the back of her nephew’s head with the flat of her hand

“What in hell is wrong with you?” she said All eyes in the dim rooued with such a nit of a boy? I ask you, Judy Rhines What e idiot here as my punishment?”

Judy placed herself between Tammy’s squat form and the skinny twelve-year-old She looked down at Abrahaer saw the sadness in her eyes and wished he had the gu kind to her

But Tammy would shame him in front of God and the devil