from the diary of Hazel Mae Cuthbert — Pinckney, Iowa
loose pages tucked between Aug 1962 and Sept 1962 in a green clothbound diary, marbled endpapers, brown ink throughout
Wednesday August 17. Fair day one!!! Daddy on duty so he can't go but he says he will look in. Mrs. Halloran had peach pie — best in the county — I had three slices and Ruby Lemke counted me on her clipboard each time and said "Hazel honey that's it for you." Adolph Brun the man who carved Pearl was at the fair!! He has a great big mustache. He had a slice of his sister's chess pie and said it was not as good as their mother's. I held Pearl's hoof and the paint is still wet-looking even though Mr. Lowry said it has been four years.
Thursday August 18. Saw Mrs. Lowry from the church helping at the pie tent. She won the pecan!! Daddy stopped by at four o'clock and ate a slice of sweet potato and Mrs. Petrie boxed up the rest for him to take to the station. Mr. Brun was not at the fair today. I asked Mrs. Halloran where he had got to and she said he caught the early train home Thursday morning before any of us was up.
Friday August 19. Mr. Lowry was not at the carousel this morning. Bobby Maitland was running it instead and he does not know how to work the wood-block brake so the ride was bumpy. I asked Bobby where Mr. Lowry was and he said "search me, Hazel." I rode the carousel twice anyway, on the white horse with the broken ear because Pearl had a long line.
At lunch Daddy came home and was on the telephone in the front parlor for a long time and asked Mama where his good hat was. Mama said it was where it always was. Mama asked who had been calling and Daddy said "Cedar Rapids." Then he left without his sandwich.
After supper Daddy did not come home. Mama and I went to the fair anyway because she said do not waste the tickets. The carousel was closed. There was a card on the chain that said BACK IN AN HOUR but the hour had already gone past. Mrs. Petrie was sitting on the steps of the Society office crying. I have never seen Mrs. Petrie cry. Mama said do not look honey and walked me to the pie tent.
Saturday August 20. Pearl is gone. They will not say it like that — Daddy says "the situation with the carousel figure" — but Pearl is gone. Mr. Lowry came by the house this morning, hat in his hand, and Daddy took him into the parlor and shut the door. I tried to listen at the door. I heard Daddy say "Henry" twice and "your wife" once and after that I went outside because Mama was watching me listen.
Sunday August 21. At church Mrs. Lowry was not there. Reverend Boyce prayed for the Society's "trouble" without naming it. After service Mrs. Halloran told Mama that somebody had washed the knife before anybody thought to keep it, and she said it like it was the worst part. Mama said "Esther, hush." I do not know whose knife.
[the next page is torn out cleanly along a ruled line. the page after that is blank.]