Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-06-01
all knowledge of her disappearance OIL


whereabouts.
In the course of another day or two,
public opinion changed again from In
dian theory to the pond theory. Boats
and hooks were procured, and Wachusett
pond was thoroughly dragged and sen-
tries, regularly relieved, carefully watch
ed the pond day and night for the body
to rise to the surface. The hunt was
continued with great zeal for several
weeks, by great numbers of people
some at the pond. others on and around
the mountain, and others still at places
far remote Rumors of some fact or dis
covery at long distance away would
come and, seeming worthy of investi-
cation, parties would start off to inves-
tigate them. None of these investiga-
tions ever resulted in finding anything.
But the news spread all over New Eng
land and New York, and became the
common talk of people living hundreds
of miles from Wachusett
In the course of time, however, every
body gave up the search as hopeless, ex-
ceptiug the Keyes family. 1t was no
use to tell Robert Keyes or his wife that
their child could not be found. They
continued the search for the rest of their
lives. Robert lived forty years after
ward, and died at the age of eighty-four /;
and his wife lived nearly to the same
1 age. 1t is said no day of all those years
ever passed, that she did not 60 out into
the woods and hunt behind rocks and
trees. Just at nightfall she would go to
the edge of the woods behind her house,
where her child passed out of sight for
ever, call her name three times and add,
"Why don't you come home ?'' The
next morning after her child's disap-
pearance, it was observed that her hair
had turned from black to gray and in
less than two weeks it was white as
snow. 1t is not for mortal tongue or
pen to describe that mothers woe If
her child had died in her arms, and she
had laid her in the grave with decent
burial, it would have been no more than
other mothers have endured without be-
coming insane. But the unfathomable
mystery of the child's fate was too great
a burden for her intellect to survive.
Robert did not lose his intellect but
deep sadness settled down on the rest
of his life. He never gave up the idea
that the child might be alive; and to
find her became the main purpose of his
life. He did not continue to search In
the woods behind the house as his wife
did but, in pursuit of his purpose, he
travelled far and long, tracing rumors-
some of them exceedingly wild. and all
of them baseless-to their sources. Re-
cital of his different journeys and adven-
lures in pursuit of these rumors would
fill volume | will mention but two
of them. There came a story of white
child having been seen in possession of
Indians in Canada. With strong hopes
the father started off to search for his
child among a tribe of Indians reported
to dwell in some remote wilderness some
where north of the st. Lawrence River,
and was gone year upon the fruitless
journey. He found the Indians, and
was not unkindly received by them; but
could learn nothing of any white child
Another story was of young woman,
living with Indians at Niagara Falls,
who could speak English, and recollect-
ed living, when child on Chusett Hill
And the fathers hopes revived again
He would find out about this young wo.
man. And he went to Niagara and
found her but she was not his daugh.
ter. His daughter would at that time
if living, have been nineteen years old
This woman was without doubt, at least
thirty; and that part of the story which
attributed her to recollection of living
on hill with name somewhat resem
, bling Wachusett turned out to be fab
, rieation. Notwithstanding these disap
pointments, the mind of Robert Keyei
settled down more and more firmly, az
he advanced in years, in conviction O
the truth of the Indian theory but hi
wife always regarded the woods behind
her house as the proper place to look fol
her child. And she was right but botE
parents went down to their graves with
out ray of light upon. 1.-The fate of theil
lost Lucy.
The true theory has not been named
, Half century passes away, and ther,
, lies upon his death-bed, at Deerfeld, il
the State of New York, wretehed ole
man, apparently dying for many days
suffering untold agonies of body and hor
rors of mind. Day after day he Ian
guishes, and languishing doth live, long
) ing, praying, hoping to die. Why car
, not the old man die ? 1t is not unlike
ly that the experienced reader may have
suspected the true theory, and recogniz
ed the devil of our tragic story but 81
: far as known, neither Robert Keyes mo-
any of his family, nor neighbors, nor o
r all the thousands who in l775 searchet
the slopes and base of Wachusett for til,