Grandfather how Caldwell had driven into the village and how Bill and he had taken the man on a tour of the buildings. “And he gave me and Bill a swell idea, Gramps. We’re going to make money so we can build a dam across that pass where Goose Brook comes through, and then they won’t have to flood the valley and—”

“Say, hold on there a minute, boy! You’re going faster than a runaway locomotive down a steep grade, and I lost you a ways back. Now just how are you going to make this money, and what pass are you going to dam up? This all sounds pretty fantastic to me.”

But by the time Ronnie had finished explaining his plans, Grandfather was nodding his head slowly and puckering his lips the way he did when he was almost convinced. “There’s a chance ... there’s a chance,” he kept repeating. “I know the spot you mean. It would take a lot of fill, but it’s not28 impossible. And with folks in town stirring things up for the Seaway, it might come about. Of course, you realize you couldn’t raise near enough money yourself to do the job, don’t you?”

28

“Maybe not, Grandpa, but somebody’s got to start things going.”

“You never said a truer word, boy! You’ve got my blessings. Go to it, and don’t forget, just because I’ve got a leg here that won’t do its job any longer doesn’t mean I can’t help. There’s one thing I got plenty of—advice!”

Ronnie smiled up at his grandfather. “We’ll lick this yet, won’t we, Gramps? And now will you tell me about the candlesticks?”

The old man nodded, then frowned. “Now where in tarnation do I begin a story like this? Well, let’s begin with your great-great-grandfather, Ezra Rorth. He was the son of the man who founded the Glassworks down in the valley, but it was really Ezra who built it up so that it was known practically around the world for its fine glass. I reckon Ezra was a real craftsman, an artist in his trade. He had a habit, so I hear, of rarely duplicating what he once had made.

“Well, now, this Ezra, for some reason nobody’s ever been able to figure out, took in a partner, a man by the name of Jacob Williams. Seems like both these men fell in love about the same time and got themselves engaged. Then they decided to hold a double wedding ceremony. Old Ezra, about that time, got the idea he and Jacob ought to give their brides-to-be something extra special for a wedding present. So the two went off for three, four days into the 

 Prev. P 19/99 next