Shewassickftime。heragain，herhairwasakingherlooklikeagirl，withavagueresemblahoseangelsincoloreddidserene。
&ownhadjustletthetractsfthesidewalks，andinthesummerafterherfather'sdeaththeybegantowork。ThestruewithniggersandmulesandmadaforemannamedHomerBarron，aYankee-abig，dark，readyman，withabigvoideyeslighterthaleboyswouldfollowingroupstohearhimiggers，andtheniggerssingiheriseandfallofpicks。PrettysoonhekneweverybodyintownWheneveryouheardalotoflaughithesquare，HomerBarroheterofthegroup。PreseoseehimandMissEmilyonSundayafternintheyellow-wheeledbuggyachedteamofbaysfromtheliverystable。
AtfirstweweregladthatMissEmilywouldhavea，becausetheladiesallsaid，&quriersonwouldnotthinkseriouslyofaNortherner，adaylaborer。"Buttherewerestillothers，olderpeople，whosaidthatevengriefotcausearealladytetnoblesseoblige-withoutgitheyjustsaid，"PoorEmily。Herkinsfolkshouldetoher。"ShehadsomekininAlabama;butyearsagoherfatherhadfallenoutwiththemovertheestateofoldladyWyatt，thean，andtherewasnounibetweewofamilies。Theyhadnoteveedatthefuneral。
Andassoonastheoldpeoplesaid，"PoorEmily"，thewhisperi;Doyousupposeit'sreallyso?"theysaidtoo;ofcourseitis。Whatelsecould。。。"Thisbehindtheirhands:rustlingofedsilkandsatinbehindjalousiescloseduponthesunofSundayafternoohin，swiftclop-atchedteampassed:"PoorEmily"。
Shecarriedherheadhighenough-evenwheshewasfallen。ItwasasifshedemahainityasthelastGrierson;asifithadwaouchofearthioreaffirmherimperviousness。Likewheheratpoisowasoverayearaftertheyhadbeguntosay"PoorEmily。"awofemaleswerevisitingher。
"Ioison，"shesaidtist。Shewasoverthirtythen，stillaslightwoman，thoughthihanusualwithcold，haughtyblaafacethefleshofwhichwasstrainedacrossthetemplesandabouttheeye-socketsasyouimagihouse-keeper'sfaceoughttolook。"Ioison，"shesaid。
"Yes，MissEmily。Whatkind?Forratsandsuch?I'dreend-"
"Iwayouhave。Idon'tcarewhatkind。"
&;They'llkillanythinguptoawhatyouwantis-"
"Arseniilysaid"Isthatagoodo;
"Is。。。arsenic?Yesma'am。Butwhatyouwant-"
"Iwa;
&lookeddownather。Shelookedbackathim，erect，herfacelikeastrainedflag。"Why，ofcourse，&quistsaid。"Ifthat'swhatyouwant。Butthelawrequiresyoutotellwhatytouseitfor。"
MissEmilyjuststaredathim，herheadtiltedbaordertolookhimeyeforeye，untilhelookedawayaandgotthearsenideditup。TheNegrodeliverybhtherthepackage;thedruggistdidn'tebasheopehepackageathometherewaswrittenonthebox，uheskulla;Forrats。"
IV
Sothedayweallsaid，"Shewillkillherself";awouldbethebestthing。WhenshehadfirstbeguhHomerBarron，wehadsaid，"Shewillmarryhim。"Thenwesaid，"Shewillpersuadehimyet，"beselfhadremarked-helikedmen，anditwasknownthathedrankwiththeyouheElk'sClub-thathewasnman。Laterwesaid，"PoorEmily，"behindthejalousiesastheypassedonSundayafternooeringbuggy，MissEmilywithherheadhighandHomerBarronwithhishatdahisteeth，reinsandwhipinayellowglove。
TheheladiesbegantosaythatitwasadisgracetothetownaotheyouhemendidnotwaatlasttheladiesforcedtheBaptistminister-MissEmily'speoplewereEpiscopal-toher。Heweenedduringthatiherefusedtogoba。TheSundaytheyagaihestreets，andthefollowier'swifewrotetoMissEmily'srelationsinAlabama。
Soshehadblood-kinunderherroofagaibackwatents。Atfirstnothihehattheyweretobemarried。WelearMissEmilyhadbeentothejeos;sandorderedaman'stoiletsetihelettersH。B。owodayslaterwelearshehadboughtapleteoutfitofmen'sg，inganightshirt，andwesaid，"Theyaremarried。"Wewerereallyglad。WeweregladbecausethetwofemaleswereevenmriersonthanMissEmilyhadeverbeen。
&surprisedwhenHomerBarroshadbeeimesine。Wewerealittledisappoihereublig-off，butwebelievedthathebadgooprepareforMissEmily'sing，iveheracetogetridofthes。（BythattimeitwasadwewereallMissEmily'salliestohelptthes。）Sureeherweektheydeparted。And，asectedallalong，withinthreedaysHomerBarronwasba。AneighborsawtheNegromanadmithimatthekitdooratduskoneevening。
AndthatwasthelastwesawofHomerBarron。AndofMissEmilyforsometime。TheNegromainandoutwiththemarketbasket，butthefrontdoorremainedowandthenwewouldseeheratawindowforamoment，asthemendidthatheyspriforalmostsixmoappearohehiswastobeexpectedtoo;asifthatqualityofherfatherwhichhadthwartedheros;slifesomanytimeshadbeentoovirulentandtoofurioustodie。
&sawMissEmily，shehadgrownfatandherhairwasturninggray。Durifewyearsitgrewgrayerailitattainedanevenpepper-and-saltiroceasedturning。Uptothedayofherdeathatseventy-fouritwasstillthatvigray，likethehairofana。
Fromthattimeodoorremainedclosed，saveforaperiodofsixorsevenyears，whenshewasabwhichshegavelessonsintiedupastudioihedownstairsrooms，wherethedaughtersandgranddaughtersofelSartoris'porariesweresehesameregularityandihattheyweresenttoSundayswithatwepiecefortheeaaxeshadbeeed。
&heiohebadthespiritofthetoaintingpupilsgrewupandfellawayanddidheirtoherwithboxesofdtediousbrushesafromtheladies'magazidoorclosedupooneandremainedclood。WhefreepostaldeliveryMissEmilyalothemfastealnumbersaboveherdoorandattachamailboxtoit。Shewouldhem。
Daily，monthly，yearlywewategrrayeraooped，goinginandoutwiththemarketbasket。EachDecemberweseaxnotice，whichwouldbereturofficeaweeklater，unowandthenwewouldseeherihedos-shehadevidentlyshutupthetopfloorofthehouse-likethetorsoofanidolinanigornotlookingatus，weevertellwhich。Thusshepassedfromgeogeion-dear，inescapable，impervious，tranquil，andperverse。
Andsoshedied。Fellillinthehousefilledwithdustandshadows，withonlyadromantowaitoevenknoehadlongsiryianyinformationfromtheonoone，probablyoher，forhisvoicehadgrownharshandrusty，asiffromdisuse。
Shediedihedownstairsrooms，inaheavywalha，hergrayheadproppedonapillowyellowandmoldywithageandlalight。
V
Thehefirstoftheladiesatthefrontdoorahtheirhushed，sibilaheirquick，curiousglahenhedisappeared。Hewalkedrightthroughthehouseandoutthebadwasnotseenagain。
&wofemaleeatohefuhesedday，withthetowningtolookatMissEmilybehamassofboughtflowers，withthefaceofherfathermusingprofouhebierandtheladiessibilantaheveryoldmeheirbrushedfederateuniforms-onthepordthelawn，talkingofMissEmilyasifshehadbeenaporaryoftheirs，believingthattheyhaddahherandcourtedherperhaps，gtimewithitsmathematicalprogressiooastisnotadiminishingroad，but，instead，ahugemeadoiouches，dividedfromthemnowbythenarrowbottlehemostretdecadeofyears。
Alreadywekherewasoneroominthatregioairswhiehadseeninfortyyears，andwhichwouldhavetobeforced。TheywaiteduntilMissEmilywasdethegrouheyope。
Theviolencedownthedoorseemedtofillthisroomwithpervadingdust。Athin，acridpallasofthetombseemedtolieeverywhereuponthisroomdedfurnishedasforabridal:uponthevalaainsoffadedrosetherose-shadedlights，uptable，upoearrayofdtheman'stoiletthiarnishedsilver，silversotarhemonogramwasthemlayadtie，asiftheyhadjustbeenremoved，which，lifted，leftuponthesurfaceapaleti。Upthesuit，carefullyfolded;behetwomuteshoesandthediscardedsocks。
Themanhimselflayinthebed。
Fwhilewejuststdorofoundahebodyhadapparentlyontheattitudeofanowthelooutlastslove，thatquerseventhegrimaceoflove，had。Whatwasleftofhim，rottedbewasleftofthenightshirt，hadbeeirithebedinwhichhelay;anduponhimanduponthepillowbesidehimlaythatevengofthepatientandbidingdust。
&icedthatinthesedpillowwastheiionofahead。Oneofusliftedsomethingfromit，andleaningforward，thatfaintandidryandathenostrils，wesawalongstrandrayhair。