Animal Shelter Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

far, now would I?”
    â€œNo, you wouldn’t,” Violet said in a quiet but sure voice. “But we do have a deed, Mr. Tully.”
    â€œThat’s quite impossible,” Mr. Tully said. “There was never a deed on that land, so it came to the state when the last owner of record died. Anybody can buy it once fifty years have passed after the owner’s death, and that anniversary is Tuesday, just four days from now. The Wolf Demolition Company has already put in a preliminary bid, and after that they can buy the land fair and square.” Mr. Tully paused and stared at the Aldens. “Unless, of course, someone shows up with a valid deed.”
    Henry stood tall. “You will find that this deed proves Miss Newcombe owns the land.”
    Mr. Tully raised an eyebrow. “Let me see that. Hmm. Hmm,” he kept saying as he read the old document.
    â€œIs this deed still good?” Henry asked.
    â€œGood as the day it was signed,” Mr. Tully said. “Now why this Jacob Kisco didn’t file it, I don’t know. Probably one of these old farmers who kept everything hidden under his mattress, I suppose, and didn’t tell anyone about it.”
    Benny just couldn’t stay still. “I found it, Mr. Tully, but not under a mattress. It was hidden in a book stuck between two boards in a toolshed.”
    Mr. Tully could hardly stand this. “There you go. A toolshed! Fifty years ago this capital was standing here same as now. Not to mention the Greenfield Town Hall. The old woman said there wasn’t a thing filed there, either. Too bad she didn’t check the toolshed! Well, here’s the proof she needed right here.”
    The Aldens jumped up and down. Jessie almost hugged Mr. Tully, but she hugged her grandfather instead.
    â€œThe search paid off,” Mr. Alden said. “You know, Mr. Tully, I’ve never known my grandchildren to give up on finding what they wanted.”
    Mr. Tully coughed a few times to quiet everyone down. “I wouldn’t celebrate just yet,” he said gruffly.
    Jessie’s voice was squeaky. “Why can’t we celebrate?”
    â€œThe name on this deed is Silas Newcombe,” Mr. Tully said. “That’s a man’s name, not the name of that woman. For all we know, Silas Newcombe could still be alive.”
    â€œIt’s Miss Newcombe’s father,” Henry said. “He died a long time ago.”
    Mr. Tully’s face didn’t change. “Well, how does anyone know he left the property to the woman who was here the other day? She would have to produce a will saying that the property was left to her. No will, no land.”
    The Aldens’ hopes fell again. They not only didn’t have a will, they didn’t even have Miss Newcombe.
    â€œWe'll talk to her,” Jessie said. She looked Mr. Tully in the eye. “And after we do, we’ll be back with her father’s will.”
    â€œYou’ve only got until Tuesday, young lady,” Mr. Tully said. “Otherwise, that Wolf Demolition Company can buy the land.”
    Everyone left the Land Records Office quietly before Mr. Tully could give them any more bad news.
    â€œI’m sorry Mr. Tully wasn’t more polite,” Miss Thompson said. She put an arm around Jessie’s shoulder. “But the main thing is that the deed proves the property belongs to Miss Newcombe’s family. All you have to do is get the will from her. She must be back in Greenfield by now.”
    Henry spoke up. “ If she even went back to Greenfield. You see, these men from the demolition company seem to have frightened her away. That’s what we think.”
    Miss Thompson stopped on the step where she was standing. “I see,” she said softly. “That is a problem. As Mr. Tully said, time is running out. On Wednesday, this deed won’t be any good. I’m afraid Mr. Tully is correct. The developers have a perfect right to