Mr.Griffin

A gentleman if ever there was one. Getting a peek into the old house.

Brenda got dressed, and headed for the shop. She wanted to dust a bit, and re dress the windows for an Indian Summer Theme. The phone rang before she could get down to business, and it was Mrs. Wilson. She and Mr. Griffin would like to take her to the Blundon house. It was August 11th, the anniversary of Joseph Andrew Blundon's death in 1909. They would leave a bouquet of flowers at the path leading to the railroad tracks where his body was found.

Brenda put on a bit of lipstick, and waited for the arrival of the celebrated Mr. Fairfield Perry Griffin, and "ever so helpful" Mrs. Wilson. When the two entered her shop, Brenda greeted them like old friends. Mr. Griffin was a short stocky gentleman who dressed in a linen suit, and wore a hat. 

He had never had a chance to visit Brenda's shop since he traveled, and lectured about the importance of preservation, and high class tourism. He was wealthy, a bachelor, and owned a Victorian mansion in Hyattsville. He attended church on occasion but wasn't a devout "anything" when it came to religion. Brenda loved that fact. 

After a bit of chit chat, and eyeballing one another, the three headed to the Blundon house. Brenda wanted to cry when they walked across Lafayette Avenue to place the flowers for Mr. Blundon. She had no idea why she felt connected to him, and his family.

Mr. Blundon had been walking along the railroad tracks after having been in Hyattsville to see his friends. It was dark, and somehow he got hit by a train, and mangled in the same area where his son and two other boys were decapitated partially on July 27 1895 by a train they never saw coming. Mr. Griffin said that he would elaborate some other time, but Brenda kept having strong feelings that Mr. Blundon had killed himself.

When Brenda approached the front steps of the house, she felt a sadness. Mrs.Wilson was chatting away, and pointing out the parlor, the two kitchens, fireplace, pantry, additional bathroom, staircases. Mr. Griffin reeled off wood types, paint jobs, laundry facilities, carpet makers, lamp manufacturers, dumb waiters, laundry chutes, and his desire to hunt down the blueprints. 

He mentioned Mr. Claude Warren, the mayor who had found Mr. Blundon's body on the tracks, and had also been married to Mr. Blundon's daughter, Carrie. In another twist of fate, Carrie had died from Pneumonia associated with the Influenza epidemic in 1919.

When Brenda walked upstairs, she felt the slight presence of a female who was "bold, but timid" watching her. Being a Spiritualist enabled her to simply accept the feelings when they showed up. Her mother told her to never be afraid. Brenda didn't mention the sensation to her two companions. All of "that" could come later.

The second floor was mostly bedrooms. Five to be exact. Some still had old furniture in them. Brenda asked Mr. Griffin why the house had never been vandalized, and he said that the house had a stigma attached to it, and that people were superstitious because they thought if a suicide victim had lived there they were afraid of being spooked. 

He added that the Historical Society occasionally held a Halloween Party at the house, and Treats were handed out. It gave the children a different view of things, and the Society members tell them that Mr. Blundon is at peace, and he loved children.

Brenda wanted to see the attic, but a thunderstorm was brewing, and Griffin said it was very hot up there. He promised another tour, but first, the potential homeowner had to be introduced, and invited into the Historical Society after telling them why she wanted the house, and how she would fulfill the stewardship clauses. The bank was all for the sale, but there were formalities ahead. Griffin was in his element when it came to doing things "just so." And he liked Brenda.

C J Marks