1 They didn’t hear the two people coming down the gully path, Dad and the pretty girl with the hard, bright face like a China doll’s. But they heard her laugh, right by the porch, and the tune stopped on a wrong, high, startled note. Dad didn’t say anything, but the girl came forward and spoke to Granddad prettily, "I’ll not be seeing you leave in the morning, so I came over to say goodbye." 2 "It’s kind of you," said Granddad, with his eyes cast down ; and then, seeing the blanket at his feet, he stooped to pick it up. "And will you look at this," he said in embarrassment, "the fine blanket... Show more

1 They didn’t hear the two people coming down the gully path, Dad and the pretty girl with the hard, bright face like a China doll’s. But they heard her laugh, right by the porch, and the tune stopped on a wrong, high, startled note. Dad didn’t say anything, but the girl came forward and spoke to Granddad prettily, "I’ll not be seeing you leave in the morning, so I came over to say goodbye."
2 "It’s kind of you," said Granddad, with his eyes cast down ; and then, seeing the blanket at his feet, he stooped to pick it up. "And will you look at this," he said in embarrassment, "the fine blanket my son has given me to go away with !"
3 "Yes," she said, "it’s a fine blanket." She felt the wool, and repeated in surprise, "A fine blanket—I’ll say it is !" She turned to Dad and said to him coldly, "It cost something, didn’t it ?"
4 He cleared his throat, and said defensively, "I wanted him to have the best…"
5 The boy went abruptly into the shanty. He was looking for something. He could hear the girl reproaching Dad, and Dad becoming angry in his slow way. And now she was suddenly going away in a huff… As Petey came out, she turned and called back, "All the same, he doesn’t need a double blanket!" And she ran up the gully path.
6 "Oh, she’s right," said the body coldly. "Here, Dad"—and he held out a pair of scissors. "Cut the blanket in two."
7 Both of them stared at the boy, startled. "Cut it in two, I tell you, Dad!" he cried out. "And keep the other half!"
8 "That’s not a bad idea," said Granddad gently. "I don’t need so much of a blanket."
9 "Yes," said the boy harshly, "a single blanket’s enough for an old man when he’s sent away. We’ll save the other half, Dad, it will come in handy later."
10 "Now what do you mean by that ?" asked Dad.
11 "I mean," said the boy slowly, "that I’ll give it to you, Dad—when you’re old and I’m sending you away."
12 There was a silence, and then Dad went over to Granddad and stood before him, not speaking. But Granddad understood. Petey was watching them. And he heard Granddad whisper, for he put out a hand and laid it on Dad’s shoulder. "It’s all right, son—I know you didn’t mean it…" And then Petey cried.
13 But it didn’t matter—because they were all three crying together. (418 words)

Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow choosing the correct options from, the ones given below each question :

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