Read Online The Dark Secret of Weatherend by John Bellairs - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John Bellairs
Tags: montag f451 needs edit
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Waterbury clock ticking on the mantel. Suddenly he was filled with righteous anger. They couldn't do this to Miss Eells—they just couldn't! Quickly his anger turned to fear. If Miss Eells was fired, how would she manage to live?
Miss Eells looked at Anthony and smiled wanly.
"Don't worry, kid," she said, chuckling. "I have some money put away, and what with Social Security checks and sponging off my rich brother, I'll survive. But—"
Suddenly there was a loud, reverberating peal of thunder and an instant later a blue flash of lightning leaped through the living room windows. The antique plates on the mantel rattled, and the lights dimmed. Miss Eells looked stunned for a second; then she leaped out of her seat. Motioning for Anthony to follow her, she rushed out into the hall and headed for the front door.
They paused on the front stoop and looked up. The air was bitterly cold; the sky was clear. Overhead the stars were clustered thickly, and the faint whitish track of the Milky Way visible. In the distance the dark, irregular shadow of the Mississippi bluffs rose against the sky. But all that they could hear was a faint rumble, like the sound of a distant train. Miss Eells and Anthony looked at each other fearfully. Then Miss Eells turned and gazed off toward the faraway line of bluffs. The anxious look on her face had changed to one of grim determination.
"I think we had better get busy," she said quietly. "And I hope to God we are not too late."
CHAPTER SIX
The dreary days of November dragged past. After a brief spell of clear weather the sky became overcast and stayed that way. Cold, drizzling rain fell, and raw, gusty winds blew from every corner of the compass. Anthony didn't enjoy working at the library as much anymore. Miss Pratt, the assistant librarian, was in charge now, and she and Anthony had never gotten along very well. But very often on his way home from the library Anthony stopped to see Miss Eells.
On the first of these visits Anthony brought his copy of old Borkman's journal with him and left it with Miss Eells so she could study it. In turn Miss Eells reported to Anthony that she had talked on the phone with her brother, Emerson. She had finally managed to persuade him that there was a dangerous situation developing in Hoosac. But Emerson needed some time to formulate a plan, and he said he would call her when he was ready.
Two days before Thanksgiving, Anthony got a phone call from Miss Eells. She said that Emerson was at her house. Could Anthony come over for a short while that evening? Breathlessly he answered that yes, of course he'd be over, as soon as he could get away after dinner. Then he hung up and went in to eat with his family. He tried hard to act normal, but his dad and Keith both noticed that he seemed edgy. When Keith asked him what was bothering him, Anthony replied that he was cramming for an algebra test that he had to take early in December. That seemed to settle the matter—at least Anthony hoped that it did.
Later, when Anthony entered Miss Eells's living room, there was Emerson, sitting at the parlor organ. He was wearing an expensive-looking dark wool sweater and blue pin-striped pants, and he was puffing on one of his many antique meerschaum pipes. This one was shaped like a sea nymph who had her arms wrapped around a cornucopia. As soon as he saw Anthony, Emerson grinned. He stopped playing, put his pipe in an ashtray, and bounced to his feet.
"It's good to see you again, Anthony!" he said as he vigorously pumped the boy's hand. "I haven't laid eyes on you since the affair of the Winterborn treasure, and I've been wondering how you were doing. Myra says that you want to become a doctor someday. Is that right?"
Anthony nodded, and he had just opened his mouth to say something, when Emerson cut in.
"Well, I think that's fine. But whatever you do, for heaven's sake don't change your mind and decide to become a lawyer! When I was a kid I read bloodcurdling novels about
Miss Eells looked at Anthony and smiled wanly.
"Don't worry, kid," she said, chuckling. "I have some money put away, and what with Social Security checks and sponging off my rich brother, I'll survive. But—"
Suddenly there was a loud, reverberating peal of thunder and an instant later a blue flash of lightning leaped through the living room windows. The antique plates on the mantel rattled, and the lights dimmed. Miss Eells looked stunned for a second; then she leaped out of her seat. Motioning for Anthony to follow her, she rushed out into the hall and headed for the front door.
They paused on the front stoop and looked up. The air was bitterly cold; the sky was clear. Overhead the stars were clustered thickly, and the faint whitish track of the Milky Way visible. In the distance the dark, irregular shadow of the Mississippi bluffs rose against the sky. But all that they could hear was a faint rumble, like the sound of a distant train. Miss Eells and Anthony looked at each other fearfully. Then Miss Eells turned and gazed off toward the faraway line of bluffs. The anxious look on her face had changed to one of grim determination.
"I think we had better get busy," she said quietly. "And I hope to God we are not too late."
CHAPTER SIX
The dreary days of November dragged past. After a brief spell of clear weather the sky became overcast and stayed that way. Cold, drizzling rain fell, and raw, gusty winds blew from every corner of the compass. Anthony didn't enjoy working at the library as much anymore. Miss Pratt, the assistant librarian, was in charge now, and she and Anthony had never gotten along very well. But very often on his way home from the library Anthony stopped to see Miss Eells.
On the first of these visits Anthony brought his copy of old Borkman's journal with him and left it with Miss Eells so she could study it. In turn Miss Eells reported to Anthony that she had talked on the phone with her brother, Emerson. She had finally managed to persuade him that there was a dangerous situation developing in Hoosac. But Emerson needed some time to formulate a plan, and he said he would call her when he was ready.
Two days before Thanksgiving, Anthony got a phone call from Miss Eells. She said that Emerson was at her house. Could Anthony come over for a short while that evening? Breathlessly he answered that yes, of course he'd be over, as soon as he could get away after dinner. Then he hung up and went in to eat with his family. He tried hard to act normal, but his dad and Keith both noticed that he seemed edgy. When Keith asked him what was bothering him, Anthony replied that he was cramming for an algebra test that he had to take early in December. That seemed to settle the matter—at least Anthony hoped that it did.
Later, when Anthony entered Miss Eells's living room, there was Emerson, sitting at the parlor organ. He was wearing an expensive-looking dark wool sweater and blue pin-striped pants, and he was puffing on one of his many antique meerschaum pipes. This one was shaped like a sea nymph who had her arms wrapped around a cornucopia. As soon as he saw Anthony, Emerson grinned. He stopped playing, put his pipe in an ashtray, and bounced to his feet.
"It's good to see you again, Anthony!" he said as he vigorously pumped the boy's hand. "I haven't laid eyes on you since the affair of the Winterborn treasure, and I've been wondering how you were doing. Myra says that you want to become a doctor someday. Is that right?"
Anthony nodded, and he had just opened his mouth to say something, when Emerson cut in.
"Well, I think that's fine. But whatever you do, for heaven's sake don't change your mind and decide to become a lawyer! When I was a kid I read bloodcurdling novels about
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