Harmony High School - The Ferguson Yearbook (Harmony, ME)

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Brooks finished, and Wilkins began to wonder. Could it ,be that he was unable to make this deal? Would he have to resort to different means to make old Brooks sell? Well, he could, but he hated to. Brooks had used him pretty well until now. They went into the house and soon din- ner was ready. Sylvia was there looking as sweet as ever in a pretty little pink house- dress. Sylvia was twenty years old, and Brooks' only daughter. Then there was George, her brother, Brooks' only son. He was there too, old Hannah, the maid and Mrs. Brooks. They were eating their dinner when Wil- kins had an idea. Supposing Brooks found out why Wilkins wanted that farm. Then he'd never get it. He'd have to buy it within a day or two or Brooks would find out why he wanted it. He kept on eating but he was thinking hard. Being offered a price like this, Brooks would know that something was wrong. This was Friday noon. Well, he'd wait until Sunday, but if Brooks hadn't giv- en in by then-well, he'd try something else. So Saturday came. Wilkins had been to the village and was returning when Brooks and Sumner Williams, another landlbuyer, came out of the woods from the direction of the stream. What did this mean? Brooks ap- proached Wilkins. I guess I know why you Wanted the farm, Brooks stated. There's gold on it. Wilkins wanted to jump onto Williams and giwe him the beating of his life. Why had he told Brooks, anyway? I know that, the rest of the old farm isn't worth anything, Wilkins replied, seething w.th rage. Now everything was lost. He stamped into the house. He called to McCor- m.ck and they went to Wilkins' room to talk the matter over and decide what to do. 41 if HF PF if lk lk It was finally deci-ded what they would do. So Sunday night just before dark, Wilkins and McCormick headed 'for town. They nev- er ate supper until late at the Brooks' so McCormick andl Wilkins decided that they'd be eating in about half an hour. When they got a little way from the house, they turned and started back in the direction that they had come. They waited in a little clump of bushes before the house until they saw the family sit down to supper. They were all there. So creeping noiselessly along the 1 11 s.de of the house, they entered the hall. Then, taking a revolver from his pock-et, Wilkins walked into the dining room. Everyone of you reach for the ceiling and stand up, he spoke with his revolver trained on the tive of them. They did as he told them. Now march over there and line up against the wall , he said. Come on in, McCorm- ick, he nn.shed, never moving the revolver. So in walked McCormick, carrying in his hand a. dagger. Old brooks first, he said as. the women screamed. But remember, if one of you make a move I'll fill you full of lead. lVIcCormick walked over to Brooks, and plunged the dagger deep into his heart. Brooks fell to the floor. The blood came slowly soaking through his shirt and Wil- liams sa-d, Next, McCormick, and he drove the dag- ger into the heart of Brooks' son, George. He, too, fell to the floor. And McCormick then murdered all three women. Now you can imagine what a ghastly sight it must have been. The dead lying there in the dim lamplight, and everything covered with blood. Then McCormick and Wilkins load-ed the five bodres into an old wheelbarrow and carried them way down by the stream and buried. them. They didn't dig the hole very deep because they were too afraid by this time. What if som-ebody should catch them? What if somebody were watch- ing them now? It seemed as if there were a face behind every tree around them. Finally this was done and they started back toward the house. When they got there, they took a can of gasoline and poured it on- to everything in the kitchen. The fire in the stove had gone out and they poured it on the stove, also. Then they placed the wheelbar- row in the kitchen, so no one would find it, for it was all covered with bloodstains. At last, they set the place on fire. When people began to arrive, it looked as if McCormick and Wilkins were fighting like mad to put the fire out. Nobody thought anything about the fact that those two were the first ones there, because most people knew that they were staying with those people. Where's Brooks? somebody asked. Wher1e's Sylvia? somebody else ques- tioned. Nobody answered. Nothing could be found of the family and the people searched

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inclosure overgrown with weeds. The house was burned years ago, and an unsolved mystery surrounds the utter disappearance of the occupants. Why was the house burn- ed? What became of the inmates? Why was another house not erected on the spot? Can you solve the mystery? Each student in the class wrote a story using the plot in his ovsnn way. This story was judged by the class members to be the best in the group. No changes of any kind have been made in it by the instructor. MEXICAN MYSTERY fSee Editor's Note abovej Everybody that remembers the time of the Brooks mystery down in Mexico will be in- terested to know that that mystery has been solved. No doubt, you remember that every member of the Brooks family disappeared the night the house burned and never re- turned. Well, that is all solved, too. So all you women who are interested, just take your knitting work and you men take your pipes and -sit down while I relate the startling truth of that sad mystery. Of course, the place looks just the same as it has for ten long years. Nothing but that old chimney standing there surrounded by weeds. But after that fire nobody dared to investigate the case enough to find out where the inhabitants disappeared to. Strange, isn't it? To think that a whole family of people could vanish and nobody db anything about it. But, to tell the truth, old Sheriff Donald- son had gone down the next day to look around. Alone, of course. And just as he walked past the end of the remains of the old shed a dart went whizzing by his head and struck the ground just ahead of him. He picked it up, which was probably the same thing that you or I would have done, and read a note which was attached to it. Here's what it said: Head back for town. Don't look behind you! Well, now I suppose you are telling your- self that you would have turned immediately and begun a thorough search for the source of that dart. Still, I'll bet you would have headed right back for town, and that's just what Sheriff Donaldson did. When he reached the village, he told the story of what he had encountered and after that, no one dared ev- en so much as pass that place without at least two companions. Something which nobody at the time linked with this fire was recently discover- ed, that has had an important bearing upon that mystery. Now, this lot extended for two miles back into the woods behind the house where a .stream ran through the woods. That sum- mer Harold Wilkins and Victor McCormick, two landbuyers had been staying at the home of old John Brooks and they had gone fish- ing on that stream. Mr. Wilkins had gone to dig bait near that stream and had dis- covered some shiny substance mixed with the soil. Wilkins bent over and picked up a hand- ful of that soil. Could this be gold? Why! That's just what it was. There was a fortune here. And Brooks had lived here for years and didn't know it. Say, he'd buy this place and make a million. So after finding enough worms, Wilkins returned to Brooks and McCormick and they started fishing. Immediately Wilkins started in on his new- est idea. What do you think Brooks, would you like to get rid of this place? Sell it and go to the city? he questioned carefully. Not me, old boy, I like the country. Why, I plan to live here the rest of my life, Brooks replied and snapped his line as he got a bite. But wouldn't twenty-five thousand dollars interest you any? Wilkins asked, taking a fish off his hook. McCormick dropped his line, pole and all and jumped up. Great heavens, Wilkins, it's not worth it! he shouted. Oh, yes, it is, Wilkins contradicted, what do you think, Brooks? You going to sell? No, not me. I like my farm too well, Brooks continued fishing as unconcerned as ever. Well, suit yourself then, said Wilkins. After they had caught a fine line of fish the trio started for home. But, really, you don't think this place is worth twenty-five thousand dollars, do you, Wilkins? Brooks questioned. Every cent of that, Wilkins assured him. W'ouldn't you sell for that? Of course, if I were going to sell to any- one, it would be you, but I plan to keep it,

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everywhere about the burning buildings. The fire could not be put out and everything wars McCormick went down burned. Wilkins and to the inn and spent the night. :lf Pk Pl: ek Pk N,ne years passed and nothing unusual happened. Wilkins and McCormick had start- ed liv.ng in an old hut back in the woods be- hind where the Brooks mansion had burned, but nobody knew what they were do-ing. Old Sheriff Donaldson was getting pretty old and when election time came, young Hen- ry W.nters was elected in his place. One day Winters decided to go fishing and he started for the stream on the Ol-d Brookis place as it had grown to be called. He was down near that stream digging bait when he dug up something that caused him to freeze in his tracks. There, where he had turned up the earth, lay the skeleton of a woman's hand and arm! Winters couldn't believe his eyes. For a moment he just stood and stared. Great beads of sweat stood on his forehead. Then, because he was curious, he dug on. covered the skeletons of one, two, three, four, five bodies! What could this Surely th's couldn't be bodies of the family. But there were five of them. Winters dropped his spade, turned and started along the stream back toward town. He must tell somebody about this-but who? Oh, anybody, just to let somebody know. But as he rounded a bend in the stream he had another surprise in store for him. In a great hole in the side of a hill near the side of the stream, two men were busy with shoveling up the soil. In a minute one of these men took up a pan of this soil and started toward the stream. That meant gold! Why, it was Har- old Wilkins. A closer inspection showed that the other man was Victor McCormick. What did it all mean? He headed for the village on the run. As he saw a group of men before the post- oiiice he ran up to them. Men, men! Did you know that Victor Mc- Cormick and Harold Wilkins are mining gold up on the Old Brooks place? Andi I think I've found out where the whole Brooks family disappeared to, he added, all out of breath. Then he related what he had discovered and all the men stood about in suspense as he finished with, Could those two things have any connection? He un- mean 'I Brooks Say, Sumner Williams, the land-buyer interrupted, Did you folks know they fought about Brooks selling' the place? Wilkins found that there was gold on it, and when Brooks found it out he refused to sell. Now, we're getting somewhere. Look. Here comes McCormick now. Shouldn't I ar- rest him'? asked Winters. Sure! echoed everyone present. As McCormick drew up before the post of- fice and climbed out of his car, Winters ap- proached' him. You're under arrest, he said. They took McCormick down to the prison and locked him up. Then they went after Wilkins. When they got to his cabin, they found him preparing dinner. Well, you might as well come across and own up to your share of this, Winters warn- ed. McCormick has already confessed. Winters wasn't sure it would work but us- ually it d'oesn't take much to get a coward started, especially after ten years of worry about being 'found out. I didn't kill 'em. I swear I didn't, Wil- kins whined, McCormick knifed everyone of them. But, he said you helped, lied Winters. Yes, I lined them up against the wall with a revolver. Then he knifed them and we bur- ied them up by the stream. I did it so I could have the gold, he knew it was all up. They went into the other room they found bags and bags of the low substance. For ten long ye-ars been hoarding it up there. and there rich, yel- they had sealer Last week, one morning when the jailer took their breakfast to them he found Wil- kins and McCormick both dead in their cells. They had each made a noose of the coats they were wearing and hanged themselves with them, to escape 'what they knew would come after their trial. -Freida M. Fowlie, '38 THE SCHOOL BOY John and Martha Robinson had come with their father from New York to explore the Indiana wilderness, which in the year 1810 was mostly forest. Mr. Robinson had bought some timberland in Indiana and was on his way to look at it. John and Martha had rid-