Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-10-04
THE
BLACK
ROCK
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20 by d. ]. walsh.)


IN EFORD the storm had passed
Sarah Fenton was out of doors
~ looking for Old Cream, She
crossed the creek on the slip
perry log, sure-footed, yet not daring
to look at the wild red waters that
ragged underneath. Bushes drenShed
her as she struggled up the hillside
to the pasture. Old Cream ought to
have been at the bars an hour ago.
mooing to be MIXED. In fact she
should have come down to the bars
before the storm broke. AS she was
always punctual Sarah was alarmed,
slender dark woman with grazing
hair and tired lines on her sweet face
was Sarah Fenton. Two years before,
her husband, Tom Fenton, had died
of a lingering sickness leaving her
with three young children, many debts
and only the tiny place, half In the
creek valley, half on the hillside, to
look to for support. Very brave and
determined was Sarah, skillful in maxi
ing one penny do tho work Of five.
She had been a teacher before her
marriage to Tom Fenton who was
something Of an experlmentallst In
agriculture, and her education had
bred In her splendid resourcefulness
that had not yet failed any test.
Nevertheless, her heart sank now as
she thought of what might have hap
pened to Old Cream, who contributed
nightly to the children's wellbeing.
The black rock Her eyes sweeping
the confines of the pasture came to
rest upon the great boulder which
lowered in grim isolation upon the
hillside Beside 1t stood tree with
cred and dead. Lightning had struck
1t last summer Old Cream was no.
where to be seen. with horror grip
ping her heart Sarah went to look on
the other sidt of the rock. There lay
the w--dead--l,llled by lightning.
II was indescribable misfortune.
Tonight there would be no warm milk
for little alllng Ellen, no cream to-
morrow for the morning coffee and
Richard and Jula's toast. Sarah's
lips quvered and she sank down upon
the rock, covering her face for a mo-
ment with her hands, regardless of the
moisture that was yet falling.
Old Cream was gone. She had per-
haps been wandering past the bleak
rock when the first bolt sped from the
menaclng cloud overhead. It smote
her where she was.
Sitting there Sarah remembered
all the times lightning had struck in
that place. A calf had been killed
besides Old Cream, the tree blasted,
and once Tom had been stunned be-
fore he could get away from the
vicinity. Only that spring she had
stood at the window with Ellen In
her arms and had seen the flaming
Iances Of the lightning strike again
and again at the lightning boulder.
The old saying that lightning strikes
often in the same place, especially
where there Is mineral caused her to
mediate. There must be something
there besides innocent trees and beasts
to attract the lightning She would
put her mind to work upon the mys-
terry; It would keep her head steady
in the face of this new calamity
She went down to the house and
got a spade and buried Old Cream and
shed some bitter tears in the process.
Then she went on quite as usual.
There was no money with which to
buy new COW and every day she
sent Julln to neighbours for pail
of precious milk.
After much thought Sarah wrote a
letter to John Mills, an old school
mate Of hers who had made some
thing of success in mlneralogy She
told him all about the black rock and
the llghtnlng's love for It.
A week passed and then Sarah was
surprised to see car laundering up
the rough creek road. John Mills had
come himself In answer to her letter.
He was fine looking man with stu
dent stoop, spectacles, gentle alb
stractedness Of expression. They VS.
tied the black rock, sat upon 1t, dis
cussed II and John Mills Clipped speci-
mems from the ridge. Sarah gave him
the best meal she could set forth,
thanked him for the trouble he had
taken and lei him go, with only a
slight lingering regret He had told
her nothing.
Summer was passing and Sarah
realized that her worst trial awaited
her with the coming of winter. she
decided to sell the place II she could
find anybody to buy 1t. 1t adjolned
the fine farm Of Samuel HerrIck and
she offered It to him for pltIfuliy
small sum.
my good woman" the man said
with a laugh that was little short Of a
sneer, 81 wouldn't give you 10 cents
for the whole premises. The buildings
are falling down and your pasture
isn't safe place for cattle. No, ]
don't want It."
Sarah put pltlful little advertise
ment In the village paper, but It at.
tracted no attention. Everybody knew
that poor Tom Fenton had been woe
fully cheated when he bought the
place and consequently prejudice
against 1t was great.
A winter on the place without Old
Cream Sarah drew a deep breath,
clenched her small, hard hands and
resolved that, for her cRIldren's sake
she would not succumb to what was
so obviously the inevitable.
Then little Ellen, always frail, fell
III and Snrahs heart was wrung as
the doctor. coming again and again,
failed to put color into the chlld's
cheeks or light into her blue eyes.
"Tm afraid Ms The water Mrs. Fen
ton" he said "and certain unsanilary