The Mystery of the Man in the Tall Black Hat by Margaret M. Sandberg

Author:Margaret M. Sandberg [Sandberg, Margaret M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8024-9164-0
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Published: 1972-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

Barney groaned again.

“I just have to do something,” Tod said aloud.

He stood up and looked around. He glanced up the road while listening intently, hoping to hear the sound of an approaching car. A jay flew overhead and screeched loudly. The wind moaned through the branches of the trees, and there was a rustling in the brush.

All at once Tod noticed the house set back among the trees. It had been vacant for at least two years—ever since the Henrys had moved, he remembered. The dark windows stared at him blankly. Weeds and vines had grown up around it, but there was something different about it today. For just an instant he couldn’t figure out what it was. Then he detected a thin wisp of smoke spiraling upward from the brick chimney.

Glancing quickly at Barney, Tod dashed through the undergrowth toward the house, unmindful of the low bushes scratching his legs.

When he reached the door he pounded on it wildly with his fists. Everything was strangely silent when he finally stopped to listen. Maybe he’d made a mistake. Maybe he had imagined seeing smoke.

He knocked again and called, “Please help me!” When there was no answer he tried the doorknob and found that the door was unlatched. He pushed it open and looked in upon a small room. A fire was burning low in the fireplace. Tod moved cautiously into the room.

“Is anybody home?” he called. When there was still no answer, he looked around for a telephone.

“What do you want, young feller?”

Tod started, his heart pounding against his chest. He turned to face an elderly man who sat before the fire in a large chair. His dark eyes flashed angrily beneath a shock of snow white hair.

“Can I use your phone?” Tod finally found his voice. “My friend fell off his bicycle. He’s hurt.”

“Can’t hear you!” shouted the man.

Oh, no, thought Tod. He must be deaf!

“Can I use your phone?” he yelled, glancing quickly about.

Maybe the man would be angry, but he just had to get help for Barney. The man continued to glare but didn’t move to get out of his chair. Tod went through a doorway and found himself in a small kitchen. There was no phone.

He noticed a pitcher on the sink, turned on the cold water and filled it from a faucet, from which the water seemed to run ever so slowly. Passing through the room where the old man sat, he held up the pitcher and yelled, “I’ll bring back the pitcher!”

“Young feller! Where are you taking that pitcher?” bellowed the old man.

Tod didn’t try to explain.

Barney was trying to sit up when Tod reached him. “Barney! Are you OK?” He was down beside him with the water and began sponging the blood from Barney’s face with his handkerchief. Barney seemed dazed.

“What happened?” Barney lay back down. “Oh, now I remember. I was riding no hands. I think I hit some loose gravel.”

“You sure hit something. Are you OK?”

Barney stretched his legs. “Ow! That hurts!”

“You ripped a hole in your pant leg.

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