Pursuit Of The Cygnus Thief

Chapter 27 - Green Stamps

“Green Stamps”

Chapter 27 by Roseyone

      When the encyclopedias, journals and historical accounts I‘d cited in my history report only elicited further disbelief from John, I opened the morning paper to the World News section. There in black and white, I showed John that The Republic Of San Miguel government had recently formed El Dorado Petroleum. In the Travel Section, three South American Cunard tour advertisements mentioned a port of call in exotic Puerto Liciaga, San Miguel.  

      Faced with irrefutable evidence against his premise, John quieted. It was a moment much stranger than his initial accusations had been. John would not say that I’d been correct nor would he say that he’d been wrong. It was as if he’d taken a subtle stance against something. I had a vague impression that John had erred in the same way before.

      The expression my father wore when he returned to the kitchen said everything. The news about Mary was bad; Assumption was abuzz with it. He would continue his silence regarding Mary because my father thought he could protect me best by maintaining my ignorance. How could he not know that there were people in Assumption who would make it their duty to inform me?

       There were new rules. I was to report to the Tavern directly after school on the days that I worked. I would be safest there my father said. My head swirled, but hearing him say it was my own doing. My omissions had kept my father alive and well. On my off days, I was to go to the Parrishes’ or the Markhams’ until my father could hire a new housekeeper. John was not the problem, yet he was a stranger, a man, and I was to treat him as a traveling salesman. I had to be more careful in the village, and though my father would not tell me his reasons I knew it was because the real criminal still lurked.

       How could anyone other than Mr. Abel be responsible for such brutality? It made sense given what I’d witnessed. For years, unsolved crimes against girls had occurred in the county but never to a career girl like Mary Blodget until that day. I'd shivered at the idea as my father had gone on about my latest restrictions, he patted the top of my head, then assured me. In two more years, we would be clear of Assumption. There would be college for me and a better life for us both.

       Soon after my father had left for work that morning a trio of our neighbors stopped by to assure that I was all right and to see to it that I was fully informed of Mary’s folly. I’d been seen with that handsome stranger, he lived on our premises, he was the most likely suspect, and without Matilda’s immediate presence I could be next to succumb to his wolfish advances.

       John Woodstock wasn’t soft, in fact, he had a hard casing, yet the suggestion that he could have done something like that was revolting. I’d defended John, vouched for his whereabouts, told the neighbors to ask any of the Parrishes for confirmation. Like father, like daughter, they’d muttered as they’d trotted away disappointed in my anger because what they’d actually come for was a taste of fear.

       I’d learned that three stories competed for supremacy; the first redacted the Blodget’s concern over their daughter’s whereabouts and insulted everyone’s intelligence. The second rendition was an over production fabricated of thin air. The third was just a whisper but one that generated the most attention, it began and ended with Mary’s exercise of poor judgment. The unknown gentleman in question could not have helped himself while Mary should have done better.

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       “Hey, about before kid, sometimes I-” John began when he’d met me at the rocky base of Scrub Peak as per my directions. I hadn’t wanted to risk our being seen so, I’d drawn a route for John that would give him plenty of cover even by day, alongside the Serpentine Path.