To begin with, there was a man and a woman who went, in their small town,
by the names of Sara and Albert Bentley. There wasn't anything extremely
extraordinary or exciting about their lives, for they lived in a quiet
corner of land they called Starrybrook and spent most of their time
fleeting too much attention. They had good cause to, though, despite their
image of being somewhat anti-social. In their grassy, woodsy town by the
bay any new gossip reported or overheard by their flocks of spies was hung
for all to see in the gossip column of the Enterprise Gazette. These two
quiet, hard-working souls had caused quite a headliner in the Gazette when
they announced that they would be adopting a child at last after so many
years of emptiness. It left them quite perturbed, for neither had told a
soul the news of the decision yet somehow it had hit the town that the
"quiet Bentley folk" were actually up to something now. And Sara, mild-
tempered thing that she was, sent Albert to go get the dear girl so people
wouldn't begin to think she was neglecting her house duties.
It was an expectant day the day Albert set out. A day meant for things to happen. He was wearing his new clothes, the ones his wife had made for him for church, and had his hat tipped low over his eyes so hopefully nobody would notice him leaving. He was not a tall man, but rather average- looking, but with sparkling gray eyes and slightly graying hair. When he walked, it was as silent as a deer, as if he didn't want anybody to notice him going by. A couple of minutes later, Mr. Bentley came to a halt in front of the old train station. It was an old, outgrown place, with wild growths of weeds strangling the cold metal tracks and reaching with gentle movements to grasp at the edges of the platform. He looked around for the girl he had expected to see, and couldn't seem to find her. Sara had asked specifically for a brunette girl, with sweet brown eyes like hers, but, as she said, she wasn't partial to complaining. The people at the orphanage had been very kind about the whole thing, and explained that the girl would be coming in on the afternoon train and would be waiting for them. Yet the only people around Albert now were a scrawny, curly-haired blond girl in a gray dress, and a little tan-brown boy kicking at the dirt on the roadside near her. She was over climbing a tree near the station, a big blossomy one with boisterous purple buds and a handful of bees that she didn't seem to notice. He automatically assumed that they were simple country children, and watched them amusedly for a moment. When she had settled nicely atop a horizontal branch near the bottom, she began to swing her leg gently, and turned her dainty patient face up towards the horizon where a pile of deeply violet clouds were resting uncomfortably. Her blue eyes were fixed on this scene and they alone radiated the beauty before her, as if she possessed twin mirrors that reflected the gazer's feelings back at him. Thomas, upon watching her, suddenly found himself wondering desperately what he should see if he were to gaze into them. Her small face was creamy and slightly tanned, as though she had spent a little longer than is customary out in the sun without a hat. Her smile was warm but oddly mysterious, and seemed slightly crooked. It gave him the feeling that he was being excluded from a very dire secret. The dress she was wearing was too small, and it showed her skinny ankles at the bottom. Suddenly, though, she turned her head full of frizzy curls towards him. She looked at him with a glare and a grin, jumped down and marched over to him, handbag in hand.
It was an expectant day the day Albert set out. A day meant for things to happen. He was wearing his new clothes, the ones his wife had made for him for church, and had his hat tipped low over his eyes so hopefully nobody would notice him leaving. He was not a tall man, but rather average- looking, but with sparkling gray eyes and slightly graying hair. When he walked, it was as silent as a deer, as if he didn't want anybody to notice him going by. A couple of minutes later, Mr. Bentley came to a halt in front of the old train station. It was an old, outgrown place, with wild growths of weeds strangling the cold metal tracks and reaching with gentle movements to grasp at the edges of the platform. He looked around for the girl he had expected to see, and couldn't seem to find her. Sara had asked specifically for a brunette girl, with sweet brown eyes like hers, but, as she said, she wasn't partial to complaining. The people at the orphanage had been very kind about the whole thing, and explained that the girl would be coming in on the afternoon train and would be waiting for them. Yet the only people around Albert now were a scrawny, curly-haired blond girl in a gray dress, and a little tan-brown boy kicking at the dirt on the roadside near her. She was over climbing a tree near the station, a big blossomy one with boisterous purple buds and a handful of bees that she didn't seem to notice. He automatically assumed that they were simple country children, and watched them amusedly for a moment. When she had settled nicely atop a horizontal branch near the bottom, she began to swing her leg gently, and turned her dainty patient face up towards the horizon where a pile of deeply violet clouds were resting uncomfortably. Her blue eyes were fixed on this scene and they alone radiated the beauty before her, as if she possessed twin mirrors that reflected the gazer's feelings back at him. Thomas, upon watching her, suddenly found himself wondering desperately what he should see if he were to gaze into them. Her small face was creamy and slightly tanned, as though she had spent a little longer than is customary out in the sun without a hat. Her smile was warm but oddly mysterious, and seemed slightly crooked. It gave him the feeling that he was being excluded from a very dire secret. The dress she was wearing was too small, and it showed her skinny ankles at the bottom. Suddenly, though, she turned her head full of frizzy curls towards him. She looked at him with a glare and a grin, jumped down and marched over to him, handbag in hand.