Part 10 (1/2)
Seating herself on the large smooth rock, she gingerly examined a bruised place on her elbow. Louise stood beside her, plucking burs from her chum's sweater.
”I'm all right now,” Penny said a moment later, getting up. ”Why, Lou! Do you see what I've been sitting on?”
”A rock, my pet.”
”A stone that looks exactly like the one at the museum!” Penny cried excitedly.
”All rocks are pretty much alike, aren't they?”
”Certainly not,” Penny corrected. ”There are any number of varieties.
This one is quartz unless I'm mistaken and it _does_ resemble the one at the museum.”
”Maybe you can find some writing on it,” Louise teased. ”The rock only weighs two or three hundred pounds. Shall I lift it for you so you can see the under side?”
”Don't bother,” Penny retorted, eagerly examining the stone. ”I've already found it.”
”Found what?”
”The writing! I _knew_ this stone looked like the one at the museum!”
Louise was certain that her chum merely pretended to have made such an important discovery. However, as Penny continued to examine the rock in an intent, absorbed way, she decided to see for herself.
”Why, it's true!” she exclaimed incredulously. ”There _is_ writing on the stone!”
Carved letters, so dimmed by age and weathering processes that they scarcely remained legible, had been cut unevenly in the hard surface.
”'Went hence vnto heaven 1599,'” Louise deciphered slowly. ”Why, 1599 would date this stone almost before there were known settlers in the country!”
”Almost--but not quite,” replied Penny. ”Historians believe there were other settlements before that date. Obviously, this is a burial stone similar to the one found on the Gleason farm.”
”If it's such an old rock why was it never discovered before?”
”The stone may be a fake, but that's not for us to try to figure out.
We've made an important discovery and the museum is sure to be interested!”
”Don't forget that this is on Mrs. Marborough's property,” Louise reminded her chum. ”We'll have to tell her about it.”
Retracing their way to Rose Acres, the girls knocked on the door. Mrs.
Marborough soon appeared, looking none too pleased by their unexpected return.
”What is it?” she asked, blocking the doorway so that the girls could not see beyond her into the living room.
Breathlessly, Penny told of finding the dated stone on the hillside.
”Did you know such a rock was there?” she asked eagerly.
”I've never seen any stone with writing on it,” Mrs. Marborough replied.