The Dunwich Romance by Edward Lee Page B

overheard what them men say implyin it was me. I didnt lie now, I just tell her I didn’t take the Farr girls or Lows boy or that shitty Bishop girl. “Never laid a hand on em,” I tell Sary, and that be true cos it were what I called out the air that took em, not me. Guess it was a little lie but what cud I say? She agree anyway that none of em were any good. The Farr sisters were theeves of the first water, as Grandfather yewst to say, and the Low boy and Kely Bishop talk bad and lie bout folks right through there face, me inclooded. I never call the Old Ones on decent folks but of corse theres not many good folks round here anyway. “Folk like that be best in the bellies of Yog-Sothoths minions,” Grandsire say so many times. “En’t fit to pick the corn out a my shit.”
    Was gettin dark by time we get bak to the toolhouse, then Sary and me eat a bunch of rock candy, and I cuold tell she like it a lot. She thank me again for my mother’s gown and for helpin her gainst them skell at Obsorns and also the Hutchins boy, and for feedin her and what not, but then I got feeling low when she say to me, “Wal, Wilbur, I guess I better be goin now. I takin up enough of yer time and generosity,” so I get all flustered and tell her, “Aint no call to leeve, less acourse ya wanna.” She tell me she didnt wanna but was afraid she be incunviencing me, which I assure her she wasnt. “I’d reely like for you to stay,” I said but felt funny saying it cuz why wud a beautiful girl like Sary want to stay with me? but she come over and take my hand again, which make me all swoony, and she smiled a sec but then looked down, and say like theres something not right in her heart, “Wilbur, I gotta be honest, and I spect you know already but I don’t got no larnin or work skills so...well, I gotta sell myself to men for money. Believe me, I tried but I cant find no other way. Im kind of ashamed but there be nothin else for me.” Of corse I already knew this and don’t keer so I tell her back “Sary, these are bad times, not jess here but everwhere. Barely any money ta be made. Don’t matter what folks do to keep clothes on there back and food in their stomach. Long as it don’t hurt no one else, least don’t hurt decent folk. Now, when a girl gotta sell herself for money, I don’t find nothin wrong with that. My grandfather always tell me it aint good to make judgment about folks, unless we walk in their shoes first.” She seem releeved to hear me say this cos I could see by her face that a big burden had been lifted from her tellin me that. Then I say more, “But you don’t need to leave here now just ta make money,” but I didnt feel I had right to say I didn’t like her making money that way. Werent none of my business. But I tell her to wait right there a minute and I go out of the shed and run strait to the little family burying ground with the old iron fence round it. I go direct to the big old flat grave marker stone of my great great great uncle Silas Whateley. On the ash tree which grow right close, Grandsire had nailed a wood slat cut from the old Hanging Oak used to be in the town square, and on it he carved the words from the Pnakotic which make for what he call a Imperceptibility Conjuration. Now, Silas Whateley’s old stone be almost as big as a coffin lid and be heavier than most men hereabouts could lift, and even if they could Grandsire knew they’d never try on account how superstitious Dunwichers be and wouldnt dare meddle inna unconsecrated cemetery—t’would be the worst of luck—and specially since Great Uncle Silas were condemmed by what be calt a Writ of Assize and hanged for sorcery in 1749, and folks round here beleeved to the core of em that if you mess with the grave of a condemmed warlock, you be cursed feirce and all your family too. That is why Grandsire put all the Whateley gold underneeth that big flat marker stone; but he still know he couldn’t take no chances. That also be why