1021
her brother
a bright plaid shirt.
1022
The parents
were more sedately1 attired2,
1023
Mr. Clutter
in navy-blue flannel,
his wife in navy-blue crepe.
1024
And it was this especially
that lent the scene
an awful aura,
1025
the head of each
was completely encased
in cotton.
1026
A swollen3 cocoon4
1027
twice the size of
an ordinary blown-up balloon.
1028
And the cotton,
1029
because it had been sprayed
with a glossy5 substance,
1030
twinkled like
Christmas tree snow.
1031
One Tuesday at dawn,
a carload of strangers,
1032
ignorant
of the local disaster,
1033
were startled
by what they saw
as they crossed the prairies
1034
and passed through Holcomb.
1035
Windows ablaze6.
1036
Almost every window
in almost every house,
1037
and in
the brightly-lit rooms,
fully-clothed people,
1038
even entire families,
1039
who had sat
the whole night wide awake
watchful, listening.
1040
Of what
were they frightened?
