Ghost Town Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Read Free Book Online

said Mr. Williams with disgust. “I think I’ll pack it in.”
    “You’re leaving?” asked Mrs. Harrington. “In this storm?”
    “It’s not that far to Beaverton,” said Mr. Williams. “At least I can get a decent meal! You can send me a refund in the mail.” Then he stalked out of the hall, knocking over the stack of fishing magazines.
    Henry and Benny bent to straighten the pile. In the flickering lamplight, a picture caught Henry’s eye. His suspicions about the two fishermen grew stronger.
    “You guys get dry,” Jessie told her brothers and sister. “I had the blanket over my head, so I’m not as wet as you are. I’ll go to our cabins and bring dry socks and shirts.”
    “Take the umbrella.” Grandfather handed her a black umbrella.
    But when Jessie opened it outside, the umbrella was full of holes! Nothing worked at Eagles Nest!
    “I’m better off without it,” she muttered to herself.
    As she skirted puddles, she saw Corey leaving his cabin. He wore a yellow plastic rain poncho and was heading for the dining hall.
    Something peculiar was sticking out from under his poncho. It looked like the gray crocheted shawl worn by the ghost of Rose Payne!
    Was Corey Browne pretending to be the ghost of Tincup?

CHAPTER 8
The Discovery
    “This mystery keeps getting weirder and weirder,” said Benny as he followed his brother up the steep path. “I wonder if that face you saw yesterday was Rose Payne.” Violet had decided to share her sighting with her sister and brothers after all.
    “I know,” agreed Violet. She walked right behind Benny. “First there was that awful face, then Jessie saw the ghost’s shawl under Corey’s poncho. It really is weird.”
    It was a perfect day. Grandfather had driven into Beaverton to meet with a real estate lawyer.
    “I can’t imagine why Mr. Lacey is offering me so much money” Grandfather had told the children after breakfast. “He keeps hounding me about selling the land. Maybe a real estate lawyer familiar with property around here can help me make a decision.”
    The children had looked at one another. They didn’t want Grandfather to sell the land or the town. So after Grandfather drove away in the rental car, they decided to explore his property.
    “Now, don’t wander off,” Mrs. Harrington warned them.
    “We won’t go far,” Violet promised. “We want to hike and take some pictures.”
    Mrs. Harrington had frowned suspiciously, as if she didn’t trust them.
    Jessie carried the survey map. Benny and Henry toted small packs with their lunches, made from the groceries Grandfather had brought back from Beaverton the other day.
    At the big rock, Jessie unfolded the map and studied it. “We know where Tincup is.
    And we know which way Old Gert’s cabin is. Let’s go that way.” She pointed east. “We haven’t been in that direction yet.”
    Henry quickly located a trail and they began climbing. As they hiked, they went over the mystery.
    “Mr. Williams is gone for good,” said Henry. “We can scratch him off our suspect list.”
    “It looks like Corey is the ghost,” said Jessie. “I mean, why else would he have that shawl?”
    “But who did Violet see in the dance hall?” asked Henry. “It couldn’t have been Corey. He was with us.”
    Violet shivered in the hot sun. “Oh! That was so scary! Her face was yellowed and wrinkled and her hands were like claws.”
    “She must be an old, old lady,” Benny ventured. “Even older than Old Gert.”
    “But how could she live in that town?” Jessie asked. “Without food or running water or heat — . Hey, see what I found!” she exclaimed. She pointed to a pair of rusted metal rails. “Tiny train tracks.”
    “It’s a tramway,” said Henry, parting the weeds to examine the rails. “We must be near the silver mine.”
    “Oh, boy!” Benny cried. “Let’s find the mine!”
    “We have to watch out,” Henry warned. “Old mine shafts are dangerous. You could walk right over it and