Why I wrote "Perley" continued

It took me about 6 months to sort and catalogue everything but in doing this a story of Perley's life started to unfold that I had no idea existed. So often over the years people have asked me, "Why did Perley live the way he did, as a hermit?" As he himself said, "How easy to become a famous hermit just by not moving or dying."

As I was growing up, I had heard bits and pieces of Perley's story, mostly just rumors. Once, as a child, I remember finding in our attic a scrapbook with old, faded newspaper clippings telling of the time Perley spent in the County Farm. I was shocked and could not imagine what had caused him to be there but I also never dared to ask my parents "why" either.

Once I was able to read through all of this newly acquired information, the questions I had wondered about for so many years started to fall into place and I could understand the reasons behind some of Perley's rather odd behavior, maybe even better than he ever understood them himself. (to be continued)