She sat on the stairs until she fell asleep herself , her head pillowed on her arm . Judith found her there when she came in , severe and triumphant , from her bout with the henhouse door . Her face softened into marvelous tenderness as she looked at Salome . `` She 's nothing but a child herself in spite of her age , '' she thought pityingly . `` A child that 's had her whole life thwarted and spoiled through no fault of her own . And yet folks say there is a God who is kind and good ! If there is a God , he is a cruel , jealous tyrant , and I hate Him ! '' Judith 's eyes were bitter and vindictive . She thought she had many grievances against the great Power that rules the universe , but the most intense was Salome 's helplessness -- Salome , who fifteen years before had been the brightest , happiest of maidens , light of heart and foot , bubbling over with harmless , sparkling mirth and life . If Salome could only walk like other women , Judith told herself that she would not hate the great tyrannical Power . Lionel Hezekiah was subdued and angelic for four days after that affair of the henhouse door . Then he broke out in a new place . One afternoon he came in sobbing , with his golden curls full of burrs . Judith was not in , but Salome dropped her crochet-work and gazed at him in dismay . `` Oh , Lionel Hezekiah , what have you gone and done now ? '' `` I -- I just stuck the burrs in 'cause I was playing I was a heathen chief , '' sobbed Lionel Hezekiah . `` It was great fun while it lasted ; but , when I tried to take them out , it hurt awful . '' Neither Salome nor Lionel Hezekiah ever forgot the harrowing hour that followed . With the aid of comb and scissors , Salome eventually got the burrs out of Lionel Hezekiah 's crop of curls . It would be impossible to decide which of them suffered more in the process .
Salome cried XXXXX hard as Lionel Hezekiah did , and every snip of the scissors or tug at the silken floss cut into her heart .
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