Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool Read Free Book Online

Lettie groaned.
    “Nice to meet you, Tired. I’m Hungry,” Ruthanne answered, pulling a half-eaten apple from the pack.
    Truth was we all seemed to be getting a little tired of the spy hunt and probably would have dropped the whole thing right then if it hadn’t been for what happened next.
    When we got back to Shady’s property, we saw that there was a note nailed to the trunk of Fort Treeconderoga. At eye level, right on the knobby bark. Someone didn’t want us to miss it.
    “What’s it say?” Lettie asked.
    I tore it off the nail and adjusted the paper to read it in the dimming light. There were only four words written on it, each one capitalized. I read it out loud.
    “Leave Well Enough Alone.”
    It was more jarring than scary. But it was scary too. To think that somebody not only knew we were on the trail of the Rattler but had taken the time to write a note to three girls. What had we stirred up? What was the writer of the note afraid of?
    “That means the Rattler is still here,” Ruthanne said, “alive and kicking.” She took a bite of apple.
    “How can you eat at a time like this?” Lettie said with a shiver. “He knows we’re looking for him.”
    Ruthanne continued munching, pondering the situation. “Maybe we shouldn’t have come right out and asked about the Rattler.”
    It was a little late for that revelation, I thought. “What are we going to do now?”
    “What are we going to do now?” Lettie repeated. “Aren’t we going to leave well enough alone?”
    Ruthanne looked at Lettie like she’d given the wrong answer to two plus two. “Of course we’re not going to leave well enough alone. We’re going to start up our spy hunt again first thing tomorrow.”
    I put the note into my pocket for safekeeping. We made plans for Lettie and Ruthanne to come back the next morning and said our goodbyes.
    The saloon-church looked warm and inviting with its light glowing through the stained-glass windows. But I wished Gideon was there waiting for me. To say good night to me. I reached for the compass to hold, but it was gone. My heart pounded, and even though I hadn’t moved, I felt like I’d lost my bearings. The compass was my most valued possession and I’d lost it twice in two days! I must have snagged it when I’d squeezed through the cemetery fence.
    The cemetery. Now, no human being wants to be in a cemetery at night—no normal one, anyway—but I had to find Gideon’s compass.
    “Ruthanne. Lettie,” I called, hoping they’d go back with me. They were already out of earshot.
    I couldn’t ask Shady. I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about us following Mr. Underhill into the cemetery in the first place. I didn’t plan to show him the note either. That would surely end our spy hunt. So I did the only thing I could. I turned my feet back toward that cemetery and made them walk, one in front of the other.
    The moon was on the rise and shed some light for me to look around by, but also made strange shadows on the tombstones. I searched near the fence but found no compass. I slipped back through it to look. Wandering around the markers, I couldn’t help noticing the dates, wondering if Gideon had known some of these folks while they were still among the living.
    Some stones had sweet little verses. Others said somethingabout the person who was six feet under. Some of them spoke volumes about the deceased’s life and times.
    HERE LIES JOHN FOSTER—EXEMPLARY HUMANITARIAN ,
DISTINGUISHED BUSINESSMAN, CIVIC LEADER ,
GENEROUS PHILANTHROPIST ,
AND DEVOTED FATHER OF TEN .
    And next to John Foster:
    HERE LIES MARY FOSTER—WIFE OF JOHN .
    The wind was picking up, blowing a warm, dry air over me. I was about to give up my hunt until morning when I heard a faint sound, something akin to church bells beckoning in the distance. I squeezed back through the fence and let the breeze take me just a little farther toward the sound.
    I knew I was nearing the gate marked PERDITION , and sure enough, there