ODOUR OF CHRYSANTHEMUMS

" Wait a minute ! " she said.

The three men waited in silence while she mopped
up the water with a duster.

" Eh, what a job, what a job, to be sure! " the
manager was saying, rubbing his brow with trouble
and perplexity. " Never knew such a thing in my
life, never! He'd no business to ha' been left. I
never knew such a thing in my life ! Fell over
him clean as a whistle, an' shut him in. Not four
foot of space, there wasn't -- yet it scarce bruised
him."

He looked down at the dead man, lying prone,
half naked, all grimed with coal-dust.

" ' 'Sphyxiated,' the doctor said. It is the most
terrible job I've ever known. Seems as if it was
done o' purpose. Clean over him, an' shut 'im in,
like a mouse-trap " -- he made a sharp, descending
gesture with his hand.

The colliers standing by jerked aside their heads
in hopeless comment.

The horror of the thing bristled upon them all.

Then they heard the girl's voice upstairs calling
shrilly : " Mother, mother -- who is it ? Mother,
who is it ? "

Elizabeth hurried to the foot of the stairs and
opened the door :

" Go to sleep ! " she commanded sharply. " What
are you shouting about ? Go to sleep at once --
there's nothing ---- "

Then she began to mount the stairs. They could
hear her on the boards, and on the plaster floor of
the little bedroom. They could hear her distinctly :

" What's the matter now ?--what's the matter