Read Online Emmy and the Home For Troubled Girls by Lynne Jonell - Free Book Online

water on the windowsill, and thought about her message. In the meantime, Sissy, after one cautious bite, settled down to an ecstatic munching.
    â€œOkay,” Emmy said as Cecilia licked up the last crumbs. “This message goes to Mrs. Bunjee, of Rodent City. Tell her, ‘Do not—repeat, do not —trust Miss Barmy or Cheswick Vole. More information later.’”
    Sissy clapped her somewhat chocolaty paws. “Oh, good, it goes to Rodent City! I’m not sure of all the field addresses yet,” she added confidentially. “There are so many tunnels outside.” She dipped her paws in the cup of water and rubbed hard. “My, what a wonderful treat. All right, now I’ll repeat back to you.”
    Emmy had a sudden thought. “Wait—can you carry a peanut-butter cup to Raston? And why don’t I just write a note for you to deliver?”
    Sissy shook her head. “I’ll carry the candy, but I’m not allowed to carry dispatches.”
    â€œReally? It seems like it would be easier—”
    â€œâ€˜A messenger must be able to transmit the message,’” Sissy quoted stiffly. “‘If the recipient is unable to read for any reason, the messenger must be able, upon request, to open and read aloud the message. Rodent messengers who have not passed their reading test will not be certified to carry dispatches.’”
    Emmy shrugged, tucked a peanut-butter cup into Sissy’s satchel, and went over the message with Cecilia until the rat had it word-perfect. With a quick salute, the small gray body slipped over the windowsill and down the latticed vines.
    Emmy’s smile faded. She yanked the window down tight and pulled the shade. Sissy was a nice little rat, but Emmy had had enough of rodents. Besides, she had to go warn the professor. He could help her figure out how to stop Miss Barmy and Cheswick—whatever they might be planning.

E MMY WAS CUTTING ACROSS the schoolyard when she heard the jackhammer, a spurting percussion that rose above the cheers from the soccer field. She glanced across the playground to the shops that lined Main Street on the other side, and saw yellow tape and orange cones amid a cloud of dust in front of the art gallery.
    She paused for a single heartbeat and then began to run.
    â€œEmmy! Wait up!”
    A small stocky boy was jogging toward her. Emmy slowed to a walk, but she couldn’t bear to stop entirely—she had to find out what was happening to Rodent City. She thought anxiously of Mrs. Bunjee’s cozy loft being broken up by the deafening violence of a jackhammer, and her pace quickened.
    â€œCaptain, sir!” Puffing, Thomas tugged at her elbow. “Permission to report?”
    â€œPermission granted,” said Emmy, her eyes on theart-gallery steps. The workman wasn’t as close to the steps as she had thought—but he was near enough. The noise and vibration must be scaring all the residents of Rodent City to death.
    â€œI couldn’t get the pirate into the city,” said Thomas, panting at her side. “The crack in the steps was all blocked off.”
    â€œThe—pirate?”
    â€œRatty.”
    â€œOh, right.” Emmy stopped at the street and looked across. The yellow tape went to the art-gallery steps, but the workman was breaking up the sidewalk in front of the jewelry shop next door. She relaxed. “So where did you take him, then?”
    â€œMy house.” Thomas spoke directly into her ear, cupping his hands around his mouth. “My parents are at Joe’s game, so it’s safe.”
    â€œLet’s get away from here.” Emmy grabbed his hand, and they ran across the street and through the alley, past jackhammer dust and garbage cans smelling of sour milk and rotting fruit, until they emerged into light again. They were in the quiet backstreets, with a grassy triangle in the center and interesting shops on all three sides.
    â€œHey,