curious,” Mr. Reeves said and then he laughed at his own joke. He looked straight at Henry and asked directly, “Why do you want to know?”
“It’s kind of a mystery,” Henry said. “A friend has some posters and we’re trying to help her.”
“A mystery?” Mr. Reeves said. “Delightful. I love a mystery. Many of my favorite movie posters are about mysteries.”
“So how did you hear about the posters you are going to San Francisco to buy?” Jessie prompted.
“A collector never tells his sources,” Mr. Reeves said. “Especially if you have a friend in the business.”
“She’s not actually in the business,” Henry said. He looked at Jessie and Aunt Jane and they both nodded that he should go on and tell the story. “We met a young woman on this train and she has some valuable posters. Someone tried to rob her.” He cleared his voice and said, “The fact is, the posters sound like the same ones you were describing. She has signed posters of Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin and some other silent screen stars.”
“And she’s here!” Mr. Reeves said with excitement. “I must speak to her immediately.”
“We want to know how you knew those kinds of posters would be for sale in San Francisco,” Henry said.
“Very well, a man named Perkins called me and said he’d have the posters for sale on Friday. I don’t fly so I popped onto this train so I could be there by Friday. You say the girl has the posters with her? I suppose she’s the redhead sitting with your brother and sister.” Mr. Reeves stood up and went toward the table where Annie, Violet, and Benny were sitting. Henry and Jessie followed.
They reached Annie’s table just as Mr. Reeves was introducing himself. He gave Annie his card, bowed to her, and then asked, “I understand you have some posters to sell. I wonder if they really are the ones I’m traveling out to see.”
“I don’t think they could be,” Annie said. “No one knew I was bringing them out to California except my aunt.”
“A man called Perkins called me,” Mr. Reeves said. “I’ve done business with a friend of his before.”
“Bob Perkins?” Annie asked. She seemed very surprised.
“Yes, do you know him?”
“He’s my uncle. I don’t actually know him,” Annie admitted. “But I’ve talked to him on the telephone and he knew I was bringing the posters . . . I forgot that . . . but why?” Annie’s voice trailed off and she said, “I wonder why he called you without telling me about it.”
“I’m a fairly well-known collector,” Mr. Reeves said. “It’s natural that he might call me. May I see the posters now? Perhaps we can strike a bargain before the train gets into San Francisco.”
Annie shook her head. “I’m not selling.”
“But, my dear, I’ve come all the way from Chicago!”
“I’m sorry,” Annie said. “I talked it over with my aunt and we decided I shouldn’t sell.” To the Aldens, she added, “My aunt says she’ll send me an allowance if I really want to live with Uncle Bob.”
“I would make you a very fair offer,” Mr. Reeves said. “A very fine offer if the posters are in the condition your uncle promised.”
“I’m sorry,” Annie said firmly.
“Your uncle did promise to sell them to me, you know.” Mr. Reeves seemed quit disappointed.
“They weren’t his to sell,” Annie said simply. “The posters are an inheritance from my grandparents and they were left to me and my aunt. It is our decision.”
“I see.” Mr. Reeves bowed and said, “Well, children. Let us go back to our table and have lunch before it gets too cold.”
When they rejoined Aunt Jane, Mr. Reeves said, “This is a nuisance but I shall just have to turn around and go back to Chicago. She has no intention of selling the posters. Her uncle was mistaken.”
“So it was her uncle who called you,” Aunt Jane said quietly. “I wonder why.”
“It seems he had no right to offer the posters for sale,” Mr. Reeves
“It’s kind of a mystery,” Henry said. “A friend has some posters and we’re trying to help her.”
“A mystery?” Mr. Reeves said. “Delightful. I love a mystery. Many of my favorite movie posters are about mysteries.”
“So how did you hear about the posters you are going to San Francisco to buy?” Jessie prompted.
“A collector never tells his sources,” Mr. Reeves said. “Especially if you have a friend in the business.”
“She’s not actually in the business,” Henry said. He looked at Jessie and Aunt Jane and they both nodded that he should go on and tell the story. “We met a young woman on this train and she has some valuable posters. Someone tried to rob her.” He cleared his voice and said, “The fact is, the posters sound like the same ones you were describing. She has signed posters of Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin and some other silent screen stars.”
“And she’s here!” Mr. Reeves said with excitement. “I must speak to her immediately.”
“We want to know how you knew those kinds of posters would be for sale in San Francisco,” Henry said.
“Very well, a man named Perkins called me and said he’d have the posters for sale on Friday. I don’t fly so I popped onto this train so I could be there by Friday. You say the girl has the posters with her? I suppose she’s the redhead sitting with your brother and sister.” Mr. Reeves stood up and went toward the table where Annie, Violet, and Benny were sitting. Henry and Jessie followed.
They reached Annie’s table just as Mr. Reeves was introducing himself. He gave Annie his card, bowed to her, and then asked, “I understand you have some posters to sell. I wonder if they really are the ones I’m traveling out to see.”
“I don’t think they could be,” Annie said. “No one knew I was bringing them out to California except my aunt.”
“A man called Perkins called me,” Mr. Reeves said. “I’ve done business with a friend of his before.”
“Bob Perkins?” Annie asked. She seemed very surprised.
“Yes, do you know him?”
“He’s my uncle. I don’t actually know him,” Annie admitted. “But I’ve talked to him on the telephone and he knew I was bringing the posters . . . I forgot that . . . but why?” Annie’s voice trailed off and she said, “I wonder why he called you without telling me about it.”
“I’m a fairly well-known collector,” Mr. Reeves said. “It’s natural that he might call me. May I see the posters now? Perhaps we can strike a bargain before the train gets into San Francisco.”
Annie shook her head. “I’m not selling.”
“But, my dear, I’ve come all the way from Chicago!”
“I’m sorry,” Annie said. “I talked it over with my aunt and we decided I shouldn’t sell.” To the Aldens, she added, “My aunt says she’ll send me an allowance if I really want to live with Uncle Bob.”
“I would make you a very fair offer,” Mr. Reeves said. “A very fine offer if the posters are in the condition your uncle promised.”
“I’m sorry,” Annie said firmly.
“Your uncle did promise to sell them to me, you know.” Mr. Reeves seemed quit disappointed.
“They weren’t his to sell,” Annie said simply. “The posters are an inheritance from my grandparents and they were left to me and my aunt. It is our decision.”
“I see.” Mr. Reeves bowed and said, “Well, children. Let us go back to our table and have lunch before it gets too cold.”
When they rejoined Aunt Jane, Mr. Reeves said, “This is a nuisance but I shall just have to turn around and go back to Chicago. She has no intention of selling the posters. Her uncle was mistaken.”
“So it was her uncle who called you,” Aunt Jane said quietly. “I wonder why.”
“It seems he had no right to offer the posters for sale,” Mr. Reeves
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