Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Thediscoverydoublyexcitedhimbecausehehadalreadyheardvaguereportsandseenscatteredallusionsrelatingtothisperson;aboutwhomthereremainedsofewpubliclyavailablerecords,asidefromthosebecomingpubliconlyinmoderntimes,thatitalmostseemedasifaconspiracyhadexistedtoblothimfrommemory.Whatdidappear,moreover,wasofsuchasingularandprovocativenaturethatonecouldnotfailtoimaginecuriouslywhatitwasthatthecolonialrecordersweresoanxioustoconcealandforget;ortosuspectthatthedeletionhadreasonsalltoovalid.

           Beforethis,WardhadbeencontenttolethisromancingaboutoldJosephCurwenremainintheidlestage;buthavingdiscoveredhisownrelationshiptothisapparently"hushed-up"character,heproceededtohuntoutassystematicallyaspossiblewhateverhemightfindconcerninghim.Inthisexcitedquestheeventuallysucceededbeyondhishighestexpectations;foroldletters,diaries,andsheavesofunpublishedmemoirsincobwebbedProvidencegarretsandelsewhereyieldedmanyilluminatingpassageswhichtheirwritershadnotthoughtitworththeirwhiletodestroy.OneimportantsidelightcamefromapointasremoteasNewYork,wheresomeRhodeIslandcolonialcorrespondencewasstoredintheMuseumatFraunces’Tavern.Thereallycrucialthing,though,andwhatinDr,Willett’sopinionformedthedefinitesourceofWard’sundoing,wasthematterfoundinAugust1919behindthepanelingofthecrumblinghouseinOlneyCourt