The daily Alaskan., 1917-07-14
The Face
 In the Well By EDWARD T. STEWART


 place to fill 1t. l came presently to a farmhouse where a girl sat on a porch 1 saw a well house on the grounds and, pulling up at the gate, asked her if she would permit me to fill my tank. She hesitated, then said:
 "Youn have to draw the water your self"
 "Of course I'll draw 1t myself. Why did you think I would expect you to do itT
 'I wouldn't If were you"
 "Wouldn't what"
 "Draw the water"
 looked at her curiously. She wan dressed in white and black. There was a marked sadness in her visage.
 "Why do you advise me not to draw the water?' I asked.
 Because a face will look up at you out of the well that will freeze the marrow in your bones."
 It was evident to me that her mind was unhlnged, but l was curious and encouraged her to tell me more about the face in the well. She heaitated a moment, then said:
 "I had a brother. He and father didn't get on well at all. It seemed to me that the reason was that Ben came when father was passing into old age.
 "One evening father was lecturlng Ben, reproaching him for the trouble be gave was sitting in my room by the window. I heard high words be- tween them, and then 1 saw n the gloaming Ben run out over the ground. It was nearly dark, and l could see him only as far as the well house. Father followed him there. The last saw of them fathers hand was raised to strike. I covered my face with my hands, and that Is the last knew of anything for week.
 When I returned to consciousness knew that father had killed Ben and thrown him down the we'll"
 She paused and shuddered.
 "How do you know your father did thatP
 "Oh, know 1t, I know 1t"
 She manifested such emotion that gave her time to recover from t. When she had done so, she continued:
 "I felt what had been done, though said nothing of 1t to any one, They told me Ben had gone away. As soon as I was able I went to the well l dreaded to look down into 1t, but l couldn't help doing so. l approached and put my hands on the stone coping and remained in that position till could bring myself to look down at the water below.
 q gave a shrlek and fell to the ground. They all came running out of the house and carried me back to bed"
 "What frightened yOuT
 q saw Ben's face down In the well"
 needed no further information as to the cause and nature of the girls trou- ble. did not try to assist her out Of her malady, but, going to the well, drew a bucket of water, filled my tank and, having thanked her, got into my car and drove away. 1 found 1t impossible to get this girl out of my mind. A desire took posses sion of me to cure her ailment. Later I drove back to the place and got the balance of her story from her neigh bors. Her father and her brother had really had trouble. The boy had hed, and the father had followed him. The father returned to the house, but the boy had never been seen there since.
 It occurred to me that the way to cure the girl was to find the boy. l learned his name, but to find any indl- Yidual in this big world Is like looking for n needle in a haystack. The girl had certainly a marked effect on me or l would never have undertaken the task. She was on my mind an the while. I suppose I had fallen in love with her. At any rate, I was under a spell concerning her.
 Since I could not divert myself of my enthrallment went to work me medically. If George Ehglish-that was his name-had not gone to some foreign country, there was chance. I spent great deal of money advertls- ing, but to no effect.
 Meanwhile the great world war broke out Considering the young sters idlosyucruslcs, I thought 1t pos sible that he might have wished to have a hand in it. If so he would probably have gone to Canada and en- listed there I went there and, exam ming the rosters of the different ros- ters, found his name on the rolls of an Infantry regiment.
 doubted if anything short of pro ducing the young man himself would cure the invalid. so I said nothing about the trace I had found, but con cluded to go to Belgium, find him and If could net bring him home arrange for his sister to go to him. While l was making my preparations I saw in newspaper an announcement that George English of the British aero plane corps had brought down his fifth enemy in the air.
 The puzzle now was how to bring George to his sister or take her to him. The former was not to be considered. The latter finally effected by going to relatives of hers, whom convinced that if she saw her brother alive she