The Gypsy's Curse by Sara Whitford

Author:Sara Whitford [Whitford, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 18th century, Beaufort NC, clean young adult fiction, colonial America, gypsies, action adventure
Publisher: Sara Whitford
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

ADAM RETURNED TO THE WAREHOUSE and told his grandfather and the others all he had found out about Martin being sick, as well as the different folks in town.

“Everett Bell is sick, too?” said Emmanuel. “Lord willing this plague won’t spread through his household. He has a wife, children, and grandchildren all living out at his place, not to mention servants. And you said there were other families?”

“Yes, right many of them,” said Adam. “I wouldn’t have known, except when I went to look for Dr. Taylor, no one was home. I checked around town, but unfortunately no one had seen him or his family since very early today.”

“Does it seem like this illness is fairly new in town? Or has it been going around?”

“I don’t know for sure, but it seems like it’s just cropped up in the last few days. I heard of at least one family where it’s hit all of them. Dr. Taylor visited them early this morning, but that’s the last anybody’s heard from him. Apparently, the wife got sick first, within a short time of finishing supper. Her husband and their children began to show symptoms within an hour or two later. Their Negro woman went to fetch the doctor, and he came straightaway.”

Emmanuel shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. This is not good.”

“Could be that the doc has taken his family out of town so they don’t end up with this plague,” Boaz suggested. “A hazard of the profession I reckon, but he’s still got a family to look out for.”

“And his wife is about half his age and is expecting,” said Emmanuel. “Probably got nervous this morning when he saw how quickly this sickness is spreading.”

“Maybe,” said Adam. “Can’t say I’d blame him. The Negro woman I spoke with at the house of that family I was telling you about said the doctor didn’t have any medicine he could prescribe for this illness. Told the same thing to his neighbor who had the sick son.”

Emmanuel looked worried. “Let’s think. What might be the common factor in all of these different illnesses?”

“Martin was out drinkin with Jones and the others Wednesday night. Might be they were still contagious,” suggested Boaz.

“And Martin was the one who delivered cargo to Everett Bell’s shop,” said Elliot. “What day was that?”

“Thursday,” said Adam. “Same day I took items to Simon Moore’s place.”

“You said Simon Moore’s shop was closed, didn’t you?” asked Emmanuel.

Adam nodded. “Yes, but it’s because he had a broken arm.”

“When did that happen?”

“Apparently, it happened not long after I left. Mr. Moore was putting away merchandise, when he fell. Fractured this bone up here,” said Adam, motioning to his upper arm. “His wife says it’s because of the gypsy woman’s curse. Evidently, she warned Mrs. Moore that danger would come to them from afar.”

“I wonder if he had handled much of the merchandise,” said Emmanuel.

“What does that have to do with it?” Adam asked.

“There might’ve been a virus on it.”

“But then wouldn’t we all have gotten sick?” Adam countered.

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