The Secrets of Tree Taylor by Mackall Dandi Daley

Author:Mackall, Dandi Daley [Mackall, Dandi Daley]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780375899829
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2014-05-13T07:00:00+00:00

24

Unreal

On Friday when the sun finally came out, I couldn’t wait to go back to work. I got ready earlier than I needed to and dressed in my green swimsuit, with white shorts. My quote for the day was one I got out of a school library book of quotations:

Next to doing things that deserve to be written, nothing gets a man more credit, or gives him more pleasure than to write things that deserve to be read.—Lord Chesterfield

I wasn’t so sure the quotation had anything to do with me. I couldn’t claim to be getting pleasure out of writing about the Kinneys. But I’d promised Randy I’d hand over an article at the steam engine show, July Fourth. And pleasure or not, I would. I settled into my writing chair by the picture window. Something crinkled in my pocket—a note. I knew I hadn’t put it there. My “anonymous” note writer could have stuck the note into my pocket when my shorts were in my pool basket. Or Jack could have done it Sunday.

The message was typed.

I may sometimes differ in opinion from some of my friends, from those whose views are as pure and sound as my own. I censure none, but do homage to every one’s right of opinion.

—Thomas Jefferson

I tried to connect Jefferson’s words to my writing. Maybe he—and Jack—meant that if I ended up writing something people disagreed with, it would be okay. I had a right to my own opinion.

I wished Dad would read the quote.

In a stroke of brilliance, I copied Jefferson’s words into my notebook, then left Jack’s note out on the coffee table in hopes that Dad would read it.

Plopping back into my writer’s chair, I heard another crinkle. After checking my remaining pockets, sure enough, I found another note:

Believe nothing against another, but upon good authority; nor report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to others to conceal it.

—William Penn

After rereading the note, I decided it was saying I shouldn’t gossip. But it made me think about the Kinney article I’d promised Randy. William Penn was like Randy’s dad. Neither of them wanted to report anything that might hurt another person, unless they had to. I guess that’s how I was starting to feel about Mrs. Kinney.

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