Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Graveyardsheldforhimnoparticularattractionbeyondtheirquaintnessandhistoricvalue,andofanythinglikeviolenceorsavageinstincthewasutterlydevoid.Then,byinsidiousdegrees,thereappearedtodevelopacurioussequeltooneofhisgenealogicaltriumphsoftheyearbefore;whenhehaddiscoveredamonghismaternalancestorsacertainverylong-livedmannamedJosephCurwen,whohadcomefromSaleminMarchof1692,andaboutwhomawhisperedseriesofhighlypeculiaranddisquietingstoriesclustered.

           Ward’sgreat-great-grandfatherWelcomePotterhadin1785marriedacertain’AnnTillinghast,daughterofMrs.Eliza,daughtertoCapt.JamesTillinghast,’ofwhosepaternitythefamilyhadpreservednotrace.Latein1918,whilstexaminingavolumeoforiginaltownrecordsinmanuscript,theyounggenealogistencounteredanentrydescribingalegalchangeofname,bywhichin1772aMrs.ElizaCurwen,widowofJosephCurwen,resumed,alongwithherseven-year-olddaughterAnn,hermaidennameofTillinghast;ontheground’thatherHusband’snamewasbecomeapublicReproachbyReasonofwhatwasknowneafterhisDecease;thewhichconfirminganantientcommonRumour,tho’nottobecreditedbyaloyallWifetillsoprovenastobewholelypastDoubting.’

           Thisentrycametolightupontheaccidentalseparationoftwoleaveswhichhadbeencarefullypastedtogetherandtreatedasonebyalaboredrevisionofthepagenumbers.

           ItwasatoncecleartoCharlesWardthathehadindeeddiscoveredahithertounknowngreat-great-great-grandfather.