Hunt
The rest of the way back to the motel, the children figured out a plan. They would go alone into Tincup, just before sunset, and track down the Lady in Gray. This time she wouldn’t get away.
“I’m nervous,” Violet admitted. She couldn’t forget the sight of the yellowed, wrinkled face she had seen leering through the slatted door.
“Me, too,” Henry said. “The ghost is very lifelike. But we know it isn’t real.”
Jessie nodded in agreement. “We have to catch her — or him. It’s the only way to find out what’s going on here. If Grandfather decides to sell the land to Victor Lacey he could be making a big mistake. We have to do this for Grandfather.”
“What will we do with the ghost when we catch it?” Benny asked, his eyes round. A ghost hunt sounded neat, but he was also frightened.
“It’ll be okay,” Violet reassured her little brother.
“We’re the Aldens and we make a great team!” said Jessie, sounding like a cheerleader. “Let some old ghost try to get away from us!”
Benny giggled, feeling better.
At Eagles Nest, they found Grandfather and Mr. Lacey in deep conversation in the sitting area of the dining hall. Lunch was about to be served.
Grandfather waved them over. “Mr. Lacey and I have been talking about the land. I’m wondering if anyone will ever visit there. Or if we’ll really use it. I’m thinking of selling it to Mr. Lacey.”
Benny stared at Grandfather, his hunger forgotten. “You’re going to sell the town? How can I be mayor and fire chief and police chief?”
“Oh, Benny,” Mr. Lacey said enticingly. “You don’t want to be in charge of a rundown old town.”
“Lunch!” Mrs. Harrington called to the guests.
Jessie was amazed to see Corey Browne carry a huge bowl of soup from the kitchen. Marianne followed him with a large basket of bread. He looked at her as he set down the bowl, spilling the soup a little. Jessie could tell Corey was head over heels for Marianne Harrington. And for once, she wasn’t acting like she couldn’t stand him. Did Corey finally win her over?
Jessie dipped her spoon into her soup. Yuck. It was like dishwater with a few soggy carrots floating around. She broke off a hunk of stale bread to dunk in the thin soup. Like Benny, she was tired of the awful food.
“Excellent soup!” Victor praised Mrs. Harrington, scraping his bowl. “I’ll have seconds, if you have enough.”
“Oh, there’s plenty,” said Mrs. Harrington. “By the way, dinner will be late tonight. The power is off again.”
Violet noticed a mysterious glance pass between Victor Lacey and the owner as she ladled more watery soup into his bowl. Something strange was going on, but she didn’t have time to think about it now.
“Grandfather,” she announced. “Is it okay if we go down to Tincup? We know the way. And it’s not that far to walk. We’ve gotten pretty used to hiking.”
“We’ll be careful,” added Henry. “We won’t go into any of the buildings. We just want to walk through the town.”
He crossed his fingers under the table. This was an important part of their plan. Everyone in Eagles Nest had to know they were going to Tincup. And Grandfather had to give his permission.
“Well ... ” James Alden hesitated. “You are responsible children. I trust you. If you leave early and promise to be back well before dark, it’ll be fine.”
“We will,” said Benny. The first part of their plan had worked!
The children prepared for the hike immediately after lunch. Jessie packed snacks and bottles of water that Grandfather had brought back from his second trip to Beaverton.
“We can eat on the way,” she told the others. “That soup wouldn’t give a chipmunk strength.”
As they walked behind the dining hall, they noticed the gray metal panel was hanging open.
“The fuse box!” exclaimed Henry. He looked inside. Sure enough, one of the fuses was missing. “I bet that goes to the electricity.”
“Now we know Mrs.
The rest of the way back to the motel, the children figured out a plan. They would go alone into Tincup, just before sunset, and track down the Lady in Gray. This time she wouldn’t get away.
“I’m nervous,” Violet admitted. She couldn’t forget the sight of the yellowed, wrinkled face she had seen leering through the slatted door.
“Me, too,” Henry said. “The ghost is very lifelike. But we know it isn’t real.”
Jessie nodded in agreement. “We have to catch her — or him. It’s the only way to find out what’s going on here. If Grandfather decides to sell the land to Victor Lacey he could be making a big mistake. We have to do this for Grandfather.”
“What will we do with the ghost when we catch it?” Benny asked, his eyes round. A ghost hunt sounded neat, but he was also frightened.
“It’ll be okay,” Violet reassured her little brother.
“We’re the Aldens and we make a great team!” said Jessie, sounding like a cheerleader. “Let some old ghost try to get away from us!”
Benny giggled, feeling better.
At Eagles Nest, they found Grandfather and Mr. Lacey in deep conversation in the sitting area of the dining hall. Lunch was about to be served.
Grandfather waved them over. “Mr. Lacey and I have been talking about the land. I’m wondering if anyone will ever visit there. Or if we’ll really use it. I’m thinking of selling it to Mr. Lacey.”
Benny stared at Grandfather, his hunger forgotten. “You’re going to sell the town? How can I be mayor and fire chief and police chief?”
“Oh, Benny,” Mr. Lacey said enticingly. “You don’t want to be in charge of a rundown old town.”
“Lunch!” Mrs. Harrington called to the guests.
Jessie was amazed to see Corey Browne carry a huge bowl of soup from the kitchen. Marianne followed him with a large basket of bread. He looked at her as he set down the bowl, spilling the soup a little. Jessie could tell Corey was head over heels for Marianne Harrington. And for once, she wasn’t acting like she couldn’t stand him. Did Corey finally win her over?
Jessie dipped her spoon into her soup. Yuck. It was like dishwater with a few soggy carrots floating around. She broke off a hunk of stale bread to dunk in the thin soup. Like Benny, she was tired of the awful food.
“Excellent soup!” Victor praised Mrs. Harrington, scraping his bowl. “I’ll have seconds, if you have enough.”
“Oh, there’s plenty,” said Mrs. Harrington. “By the way, dinner will be late tonight. The power is off again.”
Violet noticed a mysterious glance pass between Victor Lacey and the owner as she ladled more watery soup into his bowl. Something strange was going on, but she didn’t have time to think about it now.
“Grandfather,” she announced. “Is it okay if we go down to Tincup? We know the way. And it’s not that far to walk. We’ve gotten pretty used to hiking.”
“We’ll be careful,” added Henry. “We won’t go into any of the buildings. We just want to walk through the town.”
He crossed his fingers under the table. This was an important part of their plan. Everyone in Eagles Nest had to know they were going to Tincup. And Grandfather had to give his permission.
“Well ... ” James Alden hesitated. “You are responsible children. I trust you. If you leave early and promise to be back well before dark, it’ll be fine.”
“We will,” said Benny. The first part of their plan had worked!
The children prepared for the hike immediately after lunch. Jessie packed snacks and bottles of water that Grandfather had brought back from his second trip to Beaverton.
“We can eat on the way,” she told the others. “That soup wouldn’t give a chipmunk strength.”
As they walked behind the dining hall, they noticed the gray metal panel was hanging open.
“The fuse box!” exclaimed Henry. He looked inside. Sure enough, one of the fuses was missing. “I bet that goes to the electricity.”
“Now we know Mrs.
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