read
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
”
“Shakespeare,” his father said. “That’s interesting. What are words for snake?
Reptile
…
serpent
…”
“Serpent!” Mrs. Thomas smiled. She looked pleased with herself as she said, “Perhaps Elton’s referring to
King Lear.
‘How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.’ I still remember that quote from freshman English in college.”
“What would that have to do with Malcolm John Bonner?” Andy asked.
“I have no idea,” Mr. Thomas said.
“Maybe we should ask Miss Winnie if she knows what the snake head means,” his mother added.
“No!” Andy realized he’d answered too loudly. As his parents looked at him with surprise, he shrugged and hunkered down in his chair. “This is my school project,” he said. “I should be the one to ask Miss Winnie.”
“Of course.” His mother nodded and smiled.
Andy wasn’t about to bring up the subject with Miss Winnie. He realized his mother had already explained the identity of the thankless child. He was shocked to think of how hurt and unforgiving Malcolm John must have been to have ordered a carving of a snake head on his tombstone.
“Elton Gillie took over as caretaker from his grandfather. He probably inherited a passel of stories from the old man, too,” Andy’s father said.
“Do you think he knows why the snake head was carved into Malcolm John Bonner’s tombstone?” Mrs. Thomas asked.
“Perhaps, or he’s built some legend around it. Andy, you might find it interesting to talk to Elton again and discover what he knows.”
“I’d just as soon he didn’t.” Andy’s mother stood and picked up her plate and glass. “I didn’t like the idea of Andy and J.J.’s going to the cemetery in the first place, and I don’t like what Elton told them. Talking with the dead! That’s creepy.”
Andy tried to look upset, but secretly he agreed with his mother. He’d found the answer to his question becausehis mother remembered her freshman English! There’d be no reason to see Elton again.
Mr. Thomas pushed back his chair. “I need to do some work on my computer. You won’t need it for a little while, will you, Andy?”
Andy shook his head. “It’s my night to do the dishes, and after that I’ve got to interview Grandpa and Grandma.”
As Andy put the last plate into the dishwasher, his dad came into the room. Holding out a sheet of paper, he asked, “I take it you’re known in genealogy circles as Hunter?”
Andy’s face grew warm. “You told me to use a screen name.”
“Right,” Mr. Thomas said. “Well, Hunter, you received an e-mail letter from MLB321 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She’s got some love letters for you.”
“Da-aad! Cut it out!”
Mr. Thomas grinned. “I didn’t say they were
to
you. I said they were
for
you. They’re letters that someone named Coley Joe Bonner wrote to his fiancée—Felicity Strickland.”
Andy gasped. He snatched the sheet of paper from his dad. His heart thumped with excitement, and it was hard to keep his fingers from trembling. “She says they’re letters Coley Joe wrote from El Paso! On his way to Hermosa!” Andy looked up at his father. “MLB321 wants to know my name and addressor fax number. She’ll send me copies of the letters. Dad?”
“I think it’s safe enough to give her the fax number, but stick to ‘Hunter’ for now.” Mr. Thomas smiled. “Go ahead and answer her e-mail, before you squirm a hole right through the floor. I’ll wait to use the computer until after you’ve finished.”
His father had left MLB321’s e-mail letter on the screen, so Andy clicked on
reply
and wrote to thank MLB321 for the offer. He gave his dad’s fax number, then clicked on
send.
A picture of a mailbox popped up on the screen. The mailbox sprouted wings and seemed to fly off somewhere deep inside the computer.
Andy collapsed against the back of the chair he was sitting in, finally able to breathe
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
”
“Shakespeare,” his father said. “That’s interesting. What are words for snake?
Reptile
…
serpent
…”
“Serpent!” Mrs. Thomas smiled. She looked pleased with herself as she said, “Perhaps Elton’s referring to
King Lear.
‘How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child.’ I still remember that quote from freshman English in college.”
“What would that have to do with Malcolm John Bonner?” Andy asked.
“I have no idea,” Mr. Thomas said.
“Maybe we should ask Miss Winnie if she knows what the snake head means,” his mother added.
“No!” Andy realized he’d answered too loudly. As his parents looked at him with surprise, he shrugged and hunkered down in his chair. “This is my school project,” he said. “I should be the one to ask Miss Winnie.”
“Of course.” His mother nodded and smiled.
Andy wasn’t about to bring up the subject with Miss Winnie. He realized his mother had already explained the identity of the thankless child. He was shocked to think of how hurt and unforgiving Malcolm John must have been to have ordered a carving of a snake head on his tombstone.
“Elton Gillie took over as caretaker from his grandfather. He probably inherited a passel of stories from the old man, too,” Andy’s father said.
“Do you think he knows why the snake head was carved into Malcolm John Bonner’s tombstone?” Mrs. Thomas asked.
“Perhaps, or he’s built some legend around it. Andy, you might find it interesting to talk to Elton again and discover what he knows.”
“I’d just as soon he didn’t.” Andy’s mother stood and picked up her plate and glass. “I didn’t like the idea of Andy and J.J.’s going to the cemetery in the first place, and I don’t like what Elton told them. Talking with the dead! That’s creepy.”
Andy tried to look upset, but secretly he agreed with his mother. He’d found the answer to his question becausehis mother remembered her freshman English! There’d be no reason to see Elton again.
Mr. Thomas pushed back his chair. “I need to do some work on my computer. You won’t need it for a little while, will you, Andy?”
Andy shook his head. “It’s my night to do the dishes, and after that I’ve got to interview Grandpa and Grandma.”
As Andy put the last plate into the dishwasher, his dad came into the room. Holding out a sheet of paper, he asked, “I take it you’re known in genealogy circles as Hunter?”
Andy’s face grew warm. “You told me to use a screen name.”
“Right,” Mr. Thomas said. “Well, Hunter, you received an e-mail letter from MLB321 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She’s got some love letters for you.”
“Da-aad! Cut it out!”
Mr. Thomas grinned. “I didn’t say they were
to
you. I said they were
for
you. They’re letters that someone named Coley Joe Bonner wrote to his fiancée—Felicity Strickland.”
Andy gasped. He snatched the sheet of paper from his dad. His heart thumped with excitement, and it was hard to keep his fingers from trembling. “She says they’re letters Coley Joe wrote from El Paso! On his way to Hermosa!” Andy looked up at his father. “MLB321 wants to know my name and addressor fax number. She’ll send me copies of the letters. Dad?”
“I think it’s safe enough to give her the fax number, but stick to ‘Hunter’ for now.” Mr. Thomas smiled. “Go ahead and answer her e-mail, before you squirm a hole right through the floor. I’ll wait to use the computer until after you’ve finished.”
His father had left MLB321’s e-mail letter on the screen, so Andy clicked on
reply
and wrote to thank MLB321 for the offer. He gave his dad’s fax number, then clicked on
send.
A picture of a mailbox popped up on the screen. The mailbox sprouted wings and seemed to fly off somewhere deep inside the computer.
Andy collapsed against the back of the chair he was sitting in, finally able to breathe
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