Alexander Graham Bell: Master of Sound #7 by Ann Hood Read Free Book Online Page A

“Easy ones.”
    Professor Bell beamed. “With this system, we can change the lives of the deaf.”
    “And with science,” Aleck added. “Even if I run off to sea someday—”
    His father interrupted. “Hogwash!”
    “I’ll still figure out a way to use sound to help the deaf hear,” he said, ignoring his father.
    Maisie and Felix glanced at each other.
    “I believe you will,” Maisie said quietly.
    “But for now, you are off to London, son,” Professor Bell said.
    He handed the children a sheaf of paper.
    “Practice these elocution lessons. The busy-bee one is there. Start with that. And we’ll continue next week,” he told them.
    “Um…” Maisie stammered. “Um…”
    Professor Bell shook his head. “Please,” he said, as if she’d hurt his ears. “Never utter that again.”
    “It’s just that we can’t come next week because…um…”
    He glared at Maisie and she clapped her hand over her mouth.
    “Because
we’re
going to London, too!” Felix blurted.
    “What a strange coincidence,” Professor Bell said. “Shall we take you in our carriage to the station?”
    “That would be lovely,” Hadley chimed in.
    “And your parents are meeting you there?” Professor Bell asked.
    “That’s another coincidence,” Maisie said. “We were here visiting
our
grandfather, and now we’re going
home
to London.”
    Professor Bell looked skeptical.
    The four children held their breath until he said, “We are departing promptly at noon.”
    Rayne glanced out the large window covered with rain, then back at the Professor.
    “You’re free to wait here,” he said.
    Aleck and his father started to leave the room.
    “Excuse me,” Rayne said. “Is there any more cake?”
    “I’ll see what I can find,” the professor said with a scowl.
    Rayne rewarded him with her brightest smile, which made Professor Bell smile, too.
    Maisie watched this with a combination of annoyance and awe. Rayne Ziff was one of thosegirls who could bat her eyelashes and show off her dimples and get anything she wanted. Including, Maisie thought, her brother, Felix, who was watching her with puppy-dog eyes. But as annoying as that kind of girl could be, when you are homeless and hungry on a rainy day in Scotland, staying warm by a fire and eating cake was not a bad thing.
    Rayne, Maisie decided, was coming in very handy.

CHAPTER 6
NUMBER 18 HARRINGTON SQUARE
    A t the train station, the children busied themselves with staring up at the ornate vaulted ceiling and gaping at the people waiting for trains.
    “Everyone is so fancy,” Rayne said, admiring the hat of a woman standing beside them. It was dark brown velvet with a large peacock feather hanging from it.
    “Every
thing
is so fancy,” Hadley added.
    The Bell family stood just a short distance away from them. Felix and Maisie watched Professor and Mrs. Bell saying good-bye to Aleck, who looked miserable over leaving home.
    “How do you propose we pay for tickets on that train to London?” Felix whispered to his sister.
    “I’m figuring that out right now,” she said.
    “Sure,” Felix said, feeling as miserable as Aleck looked.
    Actually, Maisie did have a plan. She was just waiting for the right time to implement it.
    And the right time presented itself at that very moment.
    The big board with the list of train arrivals and departures that hung from the ceiling of the station went into action. Letters and numbers flipped and rotated upward and there at the top was the train to London. In the distance, Maisie could hear it rumbling down the tracks. It let out a long, low whistle.
    As soon as the whistle died out, Maisie shouted, “Our tickets! Our tickets! Someone has stolen our tickets!”
    She patted her pockets frantically.
    It seemed that every person in the train station turned to look at Maisie.
    “Poor child,” the woman with the fancy hat said.
    “It’s the pickpockets,” added a man who looked very much like a penguin, shaking his head.
    “How will