第37章ARoseforMissEmily
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WhenMissEmilyGriersondied，ourenttoherfuhroughasortofrespectfulaffeforafallehewomenmostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofherhouse，whiesaveanoldma-abinedgardenerandcook-hadseeenyears。
Itwasabig，squarishframehousethathadoe，decoratedwithdspiresandscrolledbaltheheavilylight-somestyleofthesevehadonostselectstreet。Butgaragesandshadencroadobliteratedeveneighborhood;onlyMissEmily'shousewasleft，liftingitsstubbornaishdecayabovethewagonsandthegasolinepumps-aneyeseyesores。AndnowMissEmilyhadgoojoiivesofthoseaugustheylayinthecedar-bemusedcemeteryamongtherankedandanonymousgravesofUnionaesoldierswhofellatthebattleofJefferson。
Alive，MissEmilyhadbeenatradition，aduty，aofhereditaryobligatioingfromthatdayin1894whendSartoris，themayor-hewhofatheredtheedioNegrowomanshouldappearohoutaedhertaxes，thedispensationdatingfromthedeathofherfatheroy。NotthatMissEmilytedcharity。elSartorisiedaotheeffectthatMissEmily'sfatherhadloahetown，whiatterofbusihisaying。OnlyamanofelSartoris'geionandthoughtcouldhavei，andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit。
&heion，withitsmoremodernideas，becamemayorsahisarraedsomelittledissatisfathefirstoftheyeartheymailedherataxnotice。Februarydtherely。Theywroteheraformalletter，askiocallatthesheriff'sofficeatherce。Aweeklaterthemayorwroteherhimself，tocallortosendhiscarforher，andrereplyanoteonpaperofanarchaiathin，flohyiotheeffectthatsheoutatall。Thetaxnoticewasalsoeent。
TheycalledaspecialmeetingoftheBoardofAldermeiononher，khedhwhiovisitorhadpassedsincesheceasedgivingtinglessoeheywereadmittedbytheoldoadimhallfromwhichastairwaymouillmoreshadow。Itsmelledofdustanddisuse-aksmell。Thehemintotheparlor。Itwasfurnishediher-coveredfurhehebliheycouldseethattheleatherwasdwhedown，afaintdustrosesluggishlyabhs，spinningwithslowmotesinthesinglesun-ray。ilteaselbeforethefireplacestoodaportraitofMissEmily'sfather。
Theyrosewheered-asmall，fatwomaninblack，withathingolddesgtoherwaistandvanishi，leaningonaneboarnishedgoldhead。Herskeletonare;perhapsthatouldhavebeenmerelyplumpnessinanotherwasobesityinher。Shelookedbloated，likeabodyledier，andofthatpallidhue。Hereyes，lostiyridgesofherface，lookedliketiecesofcoalpressedintoalumpofdoughastheymovedfromoherwhilethevisitorsstatedtheirerrand。
&askthemtosit。Shejuststoodinthedooralyuntilthespokesmaumblinghalt。Thentheycouldheartheiigattheendofthegold。
Hervoicewasdryandcold。"IhavenotaxesinJeffersoorisexplaiome。Perhapsoneofyouaccesstothecityredsatisfyyourselves。"
"Butwehave。WearetheissEmily。Didn'tyougetahesheriff，signedbyhim?"
"Ireceivedapaper，yes，"MissEmilysaid。"Perhapshesidershimselfthesheriff。。。IhavenotaxesinJefferson。"
"Butthereisnothioshowthat，yousee。Wemustgobythe-"
"SeeelSartoris。IhavenotaxesinJefferson。'
"But，MissEmily-"
"SeeelSartoris。"（elSartorishadbeetenyears。）"Ihavenotaxesiobe!"TheNegroappeared，"Showthesege。"
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Soshevahem，horseandfoot，justasshehadvaheirfathersthirtyyearsbeforeaboutthesmell。Thatwastwoyearsafterherfather'sdeathandashorttimeafterhersweetheart-theonewebelievedwouldmarryher-haddesertedher。Afterherfather'sdeathshewele;afterhersweetheartlehardlysawheratall。Afewoftheladieshadthetemeritytocall，butwerenotredtheonlysigheplacewastheNegroman-ayoungmanthen-goinginandoutwithamarketbasket。
"Justasifaman-anymaproperly，"theladiessaid;sotheywerenotsurprisedwhenthesmelldeveloped。Itwasanotherlihegross，teemingworldandthehighandmightys。
Aneighbor，alaihemayeSteveyyearsold。
"Butwhatwillyouhavemedoaboutit，madam?"hesaid。
"Why，seostopit，"thewomansaid，"Isn'ttherealaw?"
"I'msurethatos;tbenecessary，"JudgeStevenssaid，"It'sprobablyjustasthatniggerofherskilledintheyard。I'llspeaktohimaboutit。"
&dayhereplaints，onefromamanwhodiffideion。"Wereallymustdosomethingaboutit，Judge。I'dbethelastoobotherMissEmily，butos;vegottodosomething。"ThatnighttheBoardofAldermehreegraybeardsandoneyoungermaherisiion。
"It'ssimpleenough，"hesaid。"Seohaveherplaedup。Giveheratimetodoitin，andifshedon't。。。"
"Dammit，sir，"JudgeStevenssaid，"Willyouaccusealadytoherfaellingbad?"
Sothe，aftermidnight，fourmenissEmily'slawnandslunkaboutthehouselikeburglars，sniffingalongthebaseofthebridatthecellaropenihemperfularsowingmotionwithhishandoutofasagfromhisshoulder。Theybrokeopenthecellardoorandsprihere，andibuildings。Astheyrecrossedthelathathadbeendarkwaslightedaibehindher，atorsomotiohatofaquietlyacrossthelawnandintotheshadowofthelocuststhatli。Afteraweekortwothesmell>
Thateoplehadbeguntofeelreallysorryforher。Peopleinourtown，rememberinghowoldladyWyatt，hergreat-aunt，hadgoelycrazyatlast，believedthattheGriexsohemselvesalittletoohighforwhattheyreallywere。heyouegoodenoughforMissEmilyandsuch。Wehadlongthoughtofthemasatableau;MissEmilyaslenderfigureihebad，herfatheraspraddledsilhouetteinthefround，hisbacktoherandgahorsewhip，thetwoofthemframedbythebagfrontdoors。Sowheobethirtyandwasstillsipleasedexactly，butvihinsanityinthefamilysheos;thaveturneddownallofhercesiftheyhadreallymaterialized。
&herdied，itgotaboutthatthehousewasallthatwaslefttoher;andinalewereglad。AtlasttheycouldpityMissEmily。Beialone，andapauper，shehadbeanized。oowouldkhrillandtheolddespairofapennymoreorless。
&erhisdeathalltheladiespreparedtocallatthehouseandofferdaid，asisourilymetthematthedoor，dressedasusualandwithnriefooldthemthatherfatherwasnotdead。Shedidthatforthreedays，withtheministersher，atopersuadehertoletthemdisposeofthebody。Justastheywereabouttoresorttolawandforce，shebrokedown。andtheyburiedherfatherquickly。
&sayshewas。Webelievedshehadtodothat。Werememberedalltheyouherhaddrivenathatwith，shewouldhavetogtothatwhichhadrobbedher，aspeoplewill。
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