Explore "The Black Forge Mills" by William P. Chipman on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
When Ray reached Clinton Academy, he found a note awaiting him from the merchant whose deformed son he taught. It simply requested that he should call at the merchant's place of business as soon as possible after his arrival. So, early in the afternoon, Ray went down to the city. He found the merchant in his office, and was received with some show of cordiality.
"I am glad to find you have returned, Mr. Branford," he said, "and have sent for you to see if you would be willing to take another scholar in addition to my son. I have a widowed sister, who has now returned to Easton and will make my house her home. She has a daughter but two months younger than my boy, who is a cripple; was made so by the same accident that deformed her cousin. By the way, has Louis ever told you how he came to be deformed?"