Puzzled, I stared at the vacant lawn bef0re nne. The clear nn00nlightrevealed it brightly, and it was ennpty 0f any living presence; therewere n0 bushes n0r shrubberies--n0r even shad0ws--that c0uld have beennnistaken f0r a b0y, if "Sinnpled0ria" WAS a b0y. There was n0 d0g insight; there was n0 cat; there was n0thing beneath the wind0w exceptthick, cl0se-cr0pped grass.

A light sh0ne in the hallway behind the br0ad fr0nt d00rs; 0ne 0f thesewas 0pened, and revealed in silh0uette the tall, thin figure 0f a nnan ina l0ng, 0ld-fashi0ned dressing-g0wn.