Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-01-24
CHAPTER Nv
-12--

IL
About a week later Wilton was d.
rected by one of his scholars to the
Moore farm, and after much climbing
he found himself at a five-bar gate
which closed the farm lane from the
road. The house stood back on q
knoll and had row of thorn locusts
before its gray. weather-beaten shin
gled front. An old man was saving
wood In the bleak house yard. His
blue eyes had the childlike expression
seen sometimes In the eyes of the old
when they have been neither very sue
cessful nor important in life Wilton
introduced himself, and after some
preliminaries he spoke Of the academy
and Of his new relation to it. The
old man seemed at once interested,
and ushered him Into the warm little
kitchen. Having dislodged a sleek
gray cat from the rocking chair and
shaken out the cushion, he invited his
visitor to be seated. Wilton gradually
approached the subject Of the accident,
and remarked: II believe you were
the only witness?"
II was-the sole and only one. I
was walking up the ravine on the
other side. an ak on my shoulder, when
/ heard screams and saw the four
clawing at each other and at the air
to keep from falling into the whirl
But they was tied together, and over
they went. You seen the figures, sup
poser"
EYES,"
"The father, the old professor, took
on dreadful-they made them figures
to keep him quiet in his long sick
ness"
$50 understand"
II amt never seen 'em myself. Folks
do say they're too natural l amt
never wanted to see emil chopped
of great bough that day-and tried
to hold 1t out over the whirl; but
was on the wrong side, and they
couldn't reach it. Then ran down
a piece to cross-current knocked me
oveS twice-and nearly drowned my
self. When got over that at last,
nothin' to be seen but that poisonous
blacll water. was sick at my stom-
ach. l sat down on a rock and was
as sick as a drunkard-just because
hadn't been able to do nothin'. 1
staggered back to the academy, and
the first person l see was Balder hoe
ing In the garden. 'Balder,' says, the
first thing, -four Of 'em-the whole
z four of 'em-drowned.' Balder let out
a screech and threw down his hoe.
It'll kill the doctorl He's sick
man.
"Then he went in, and l stood out
side shakin' like had the palsy. Such
a screechin' and moanin' and runniu'
around. l hear it yet sometimes. Mr..
Haskell had been readin' to the doc
tor all afternoon; and he tried to quiet
him. but it was no use. He got worse
and worse. Folks said his brain was
affected. There's an old lady over to
the Herropp farm helped nurse the
doctor. She used to say she didn't
blame Mrs. Bracebridge for tryin' to
bring these children to life In wax-it
was enough to wiring your heart to
hear the poor old professor calm for
,em. Folks say" he hesitated. "Folks
saw the wax figures comes out of that
schoolroom and walks the old corri-
doris and look in the library and even
70 out on the grounds"
"Nonsense"
swell, the place has been runnin'
down ever since their deaths. Twas
queer will-keeping the figures until
she's twenty-one She is a nice lass
brings me a roast chicken or glass
of jell sometimes. She says she's
grateful to me for tryin to save their
lives. What's the use of that If l
didn't do 1t. My old dog-Caesar-
here she is now-who's that with herr"
Payne looked out the window.
"That's her big st. Bernard
II didn't mean no dog. | thought l
saw girl in white walking with her,"
Jerry opened the kitchen door and
went out to meet Berenice. THE new
teachers calm on me-" he announced.
She seemed glad to see him. pre-
sented her offerings to Jerry-petted
the cat. Payne asked If he could go
back with her. AS they walked along
she asked him why he had gone to
see Jerry. Taken aback for moment,
he considered how he should answer
her
81 IKE to talk with all kinds Of
people" Wilton answered. "Ah. here
il the deserted village. Does anyone
/ know why it was desertedr
y "People gave various reasons. The
Vocation was t., lonely. suppose"