E-text prepared by David Clarke, Martin Pettit,
and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
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THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS
BY
GEORGE DOUGLAS
THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, LTD.
LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND NEW YORK
CONTENTS
THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS.
CHAPTER I.
The frowsy chambermaid of the "Red Lion" had just finished washing thefront door steps. She rose from her stooping posture and, being ofslovenly habit, flung the water from her pail straight out, withoutmoving from where she stood. The smooth round arch of the falling waterglistened for a moment in mid-air. John Gourlay, standing in front ofhis new house at the head of the brae, could hear the swash of it whenit fell. The morning was of perfect stillness.
The hands of the clock across "the Square" were pointing to the hour ofeight. They were yellow in the sun.
Blowsalinda, of the Red Lion, picked up the big bass that usually laywithin the porch, and carrying it clumsily against her breast, moved offround the corner of the public-house, her petticoat gaping behind.Halfway she met the hostler, with whom she stopped in amorous dalliance.He said something to her, and she laughed loudly and vacantly. The sillytee-hee echoed up the street.
A moment later a cloud of dust drifting round the[Pg