Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary by Wendelin Van Draanen

Author:Wendelin Van Draanen [Draanen, Wendelin Van]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-54497-1
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2000-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Lights were still on when we rode up to Dot's house. We parked our bikes around by the carriage house and I asked, “Are we in trouble for getting back so late?”

Dot said, “We shouldn't be…,” and I'm just thinking, Wow, that's amazing! because I'd be in a whole lot more than trouble if it were Grams waiting up, when Dot adds, “I called them from Lucinda's house.”

“You did?”

She looks at me like I'm squirrel bait. “Of course.”

“When?”

“While you were getting the diary…?” She shakes her head and says, “They'd have been worried sick if I hadn't. I promised them we'd be home before midnight, so we're okay.”

To tell you the truth, I'd forgotten all about Moustache Mary's diary. But I had the copy right there in Hudson's saddlebag, and with everything that had happened at Taylor's, well, the thought of reading about a gunslinging woman in a moustache seemed like just what I needed. I said, “Wait for me, okay?” then raced inside the carriage house to stash the diary with my stuff.

After that, we tiptoed into the house, but Dot's parents were wide awake, sitting next to each other on the couch. Anneke's head was in one lap and Beppie's head was in the other, and both girls were sound asleep. Mrs. DeVries whispers, “Glad you girls are back.”

Dot says, “Sorry it took so long.”

“That's all right—New Year's only comes once a year.” She scoots forward to the edge of the couch and cradles Anneke in her arms. “Thanks so much for having Stan and Troy call. You'll have to tell us more about the fire in the morning.”

Dot looks at the clock and asks, “Aren't you staying up?”

Mr. DeVries shakes his head. “We watched the ball drop on TV.”

“But that's in a different time zone…!”

He picks up Beppie. “It's all relative, ja?” He smiles and says, “Pleasant dreams.”

Dot's mom gives her a kiss on the forehead. “Your father put a flashlight out there for each of you, but you're still welcome to sleep inside if you'd like. It's getting pretty cold, so maybe long johns are in order?”

The minute they're gone, Dot whispers, “Anyone else want some oliebollen? I'm starved!”

Well, I was, too. We all were. So we sat around the table eating powdered-sugar grenades, talking first about Pioneer Village and Taylor's party, and then about Mary's cabin and what we were going to do the next day about the missing gas can. And when every last crumb was gone and we were all talked out, Dot looks up at the cuckoo clock on the wall and says, “It's almost midnight, should I let him out?”

Holly asks, “Let who out?”

“Cuckoo.”

Now this is no shoebox cuckoo clock. It's as massive as a moose with antlers to match. And it seemed that a clock like that would bark or growl or roar, so I said, “Sure!”

Dot jumps up and pries down a little metal lever, then stands back. “Hope it doesn't wake up Mom and Dad!”

We stood there, watching

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.