Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1917-07-13
The Face In the Well
By EDWARD T. STEWART

Driving along a country road, since
l had not watered my steel horse
that is. put water in my radiator tank
for some time. | looked out for
place to fill IL l came presently to
farmhouse where a girl sat on u porch.
| saw 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:
you'll have to draw the water your.
self"
"Of course I'll draw it myself. Why
did you think | would expect you TO
do it?"
81 wouldn't If 1 were you"
Wouldn't what?"
DRAW the water
| looked at her curiously. She was
dressed in white and black. There was
marked sadness in her visage.
why do you advise me not to draw
the water?' | asked.
Because a face will look up at you
out of the well that will freeze the
marrow in your bones"
1t was evident to me that her mind
was unhinged, but | was curious and
encouraged her to tell me more about
the face in the well. She hesitated a
moment. then said:
Il had a brother. He and father
didn't get ON well at all. 1t seemed to
me that the reason was that Ben came
when father was passing into old age.
lone evening father was lecturing
Ben, reproaehing him for the trouble
he gave. | was sitting in my room by
the window. l heard high words be-
tween them, and then | saw in the
cleaning Ben run out over the ground.
1t was nearly dark, and | could see him
only as far as the We'll house. Father
| followed him there. The last l saw of
! them fathers hand was raised TO strike.
covered my face with my hands. and
that is the last | knew Of anything for
a week.
"When | returned to consciousness l
knew that father had killed Ben and
thrown him down the WELL
She paused and shuddered.
How do you know your father did
that" Z
"Oh, know it. know it,!
She manifested such emotion that L
gave her time to recover from it. Whena
she had done so, she continued:
Il felt what had been done, though 1
said nothing of it to any one. They.
told me Ben had gone away. As soonl
as | was able | went to the well. l.
dreaded to look down into it, but IL
couldn't help doing SO. l approached
and put my hands on the stone coping
and remained in that position till L
could bring myself to look down at the Z
water below.
Il gave a shrek and fell to the
ground. They all came running out of
the house and carried me back to bed"
What frightened you"
Il saw Ben's face down in the well"
| needed no further information as to
the cause and nature of the girls trou-
BILE. | did not try to assist her out OF
her malady. but, going to the WE'LL,
drew "a bucket of water, filed my tank
and, having thanked her, got into my
car and drove away.
l found it impossible to get this girl
out of my mind A desire took posses
sion of me to cure her ailment. Later.
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 fled,
and the father had followed him. The
father returned to the house, but the
boy had never been seen there since.
1t occurred to me that the way to
cure the girl was TO find the boy. /
learned his name but to find any indi,
vidual in this big world is like looking
for a needle in a haystack. The girl
had certainly marked effect on me or
/ would never have undertaken the
task. She was on my mind all the
while. l suppose l had fallen in love
with her. AT any rate, was under a
spell concerning her.
Since | could not divert myself Of :
my enthrallment | went to work me-
thodically. II George English-that
was his name-had not gone to some
foreign country. there was a chance
spent a great deal of money advertis-
ing. but to no effect.
Meanwhile the great world war
broke out. Considering the young
ster's idiosyncrasies. l thought it 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 | went there and, exam
lining the rosters of the different ros-.
tiers, found his name on the rolls of an
infantry regiment
I 1Oubfal If ANYTHING short Of nrO.
ducing the young man himself would
cure the invalid, so l said nothing
about the trace | had found, \ It con- +.
Guided to go TO Belgium, find Ia and
if | could not bring him home arrange
for his sister to go to him. While |
was making my preparations | saw in