Rosalie closed the door.
Gideon knelt beside the floorboards.
She showed him the place described in the letter.
They searched.
Nothing.
Then Gideon tapped each board with his knuckles.
One sounded different.
Hollow.
He worked his knife carefully beneath the edge.
The board lifted.
Inside the narrow space was a tin box wrapped in cloth.
Rosalie’s heart hammered.
She opened it.
Letters.
Medical notes.
And a small leather journal.
On the first page was her mother’s handwriting.
Eleanor Ashford — 1871
Rosalie turned pages quickly.
Names appeared.
Children’s names.
Thomas Caldwell.
Rebecca Moore.
Samuel Finch.
Gideon Rook.
Beside several names were notes.
Pain after treatment.
Hearing worsened.
Bell refuses examination.
Then Rosalie found an entry under Gideon’s name.
She read it twice.
August 17, 1871 — Gideon returned to Bell’s surgery. Mr. Rook would not allow anyone inside. The boy screamed for nearly an hour. Afterward, Bell told everyone the infection had destroyed the child’s hearing. I do not believe him.
