going to Oakdale, too?”
“No, I’m not going to change at the junction. I’m going right through. I have a long trip before me. I’m going to Ohio.”
“If you come from Ohio,” Benny said, “you don’t know this part of the country very well.”
“Well, yes, I do. I grew up in New England near Plainville Junction. But I moved out to Ohio about ten years ago. I come here once in a while to visit my old friends in Greenfield and in Oakdale.”
Benny said, “You must have had a good time visiting everyone.”
The old gentleman smiled. “Yes, I did. But everything is changing. Some of it’s good and some of it’s bad. Or that’s what people told me.”
Benny and the man talked about the things they passed, and the time went by quickly. In a little while the bus came to flat countryside.
“My grandfather says no one lives around here,” remarked Benny as they rode along. “Everything is deserted.”
The man laughed. “You mean was deserted. You’ll see what I mean when you get out at the bus station. I had to change buses there to get to Greenfield. The man in the station is all stirred up about what’s going on. He says there’s going to be a big fight.”
“A fight?” asked Benny. “About what?”
“Some kind of factory. Some people think it’s good because there is more work. Other people are afraid the river will be spoiled. Polluted, you know.”
“Yes, I know about pollution,” replied Benny. He looked out the bus window. He saw that the road was running along beside a little river. Up ahead he could see a red bridge.
“The station is right around the next bend,” the old man said. “Three highways come together. That’s why it’s called Plainville Junction. The bus for Oakdale will cross the bridge and pick you up. It’s about ten miles to Oakdale.”
Just then the bus came to a stop. They were at Plainville Junction.
Benny picked up his raincoat and said good-bye to the old gentleman.
“The man who runs the station is named Frank,” the old man called after him. “Ask him how he likes his new neighbors.”
The old man laughed, and Benny guessed it was some kind of joke. But maybe not a funny joke.
The Aldens looked around. Mr. Alden was right. The bus station seemed to be all by itself except for some big trees. There was not a house to be seen. There was not even any traffic on any of the three roads that met at the junction.
A sign said “Frank’s Place,” and under it, “Bus Station.”
The four Aldens climbed down from the big air-conditioned bus. It was already a hot day. Benny sniffed. “What an awful smell,” he said.
But Benny did not have more time to think about the air. Suddenly the door of the bus station flew open. Two boys—older than Benny but younger than Henry—came flying down the steps. Right behind the boys came a man with a cook’s apron on.
“Don’t come around here again!” he shouted. “I don’t need help from any of your family. Just mind your own business. If you want to take a bus, you can wait outside.”
The boys jumped down the rest of the steps. The man in the apron slammed the door shut.
“Well, well,” said Henry softly. “Our trip isn’t beginning very well. I wonder what those boys did to make that man so mad.”
Violet added, “I wonder if that cook was Frank.”
The two boys glanced at the Aldens and at the bus. Then they ran over to a big tree and threw themselves on the grass in the shade.
Benny looked up at the friendly old man in the bus window and waved. The man smiled and waved back. There were no more new passengers. The bus driver honked his horn to show that he was leaving. Then the big bus pulled away.
The Aldens stood together, looking from the bus station to the two boys.
“What do we do now?” asked Jessie.
“We go in and buy our tickets,” Henry said calmly. “That quarrel has nothing to do with us.”
“But what about that cross man in the bus station?” asked Violet. “I
“No, I’m not going to change at the junction. I’m going right through. I have a long trip before me. I’m going to Ohio.”
“If you come from Ohio,” Benny said, “you don’t know this part of the country very well.”
“Well, yes, I do. I grew up in New England near Plainville Junction. But I moved out to Ohio about ten years ago. I come here once in a while to visit my old friends in Greenfield and in Oakdale.”
Benny said, “You must have had a good time visiting everyone.”
The old gentleman smiled. “Yes, I did. But everything is changing. Some of it’s good and some of it’s bad. Or that’s what people told me.”
Benny and the man talked about the things they passed, and the time went by quickly. In a little while the bus came to flat countryside.
“My grandfather says no one lives around here,” remarked Benny as they rode along. “Everything is deserted.”
The man laughed. “You mean was deserted. You’ll see what I mean when you get out at the bus station. I had to change buses there to get to Greenfield. The man in the station is all stirred up about what’s going on. He says there’s going to be a big fight.”
“A fight?” asked Benny. “About what?”
“Some kind of factory. Some people think it’s good because there is more work. Other people are afraid the river will be spoiled. Polluted, you know.”
“Yes, I know about pollution,” replied Benny. He looked out the bus window. He saw that the road was running along beside a little river. Up ahead he could see a red bridge.
“The station is right around the next bend,” the old man said. “Three highways come together. That’s why it’s called Plainville Junction. The bus for Oakdale will cross the bridge and pick you up. It’s about ten miles to Oakdale.”
Just then the bus came to a stop. They were at Plainville Junction.
Benny picked up his raincoat and said good-bye to the old gentleman.
“The man who runs the station is named Frank,” the old man called after him. “Ask him how he likes his new neighbors.”
The old man laughed, and Benny guessed it was some kind of joke. But maybe not a funny joke.
The Aldens looked around. Mr. Alden was right. The bus station seemed to be all by itself except for some big trees. There was not a house to be seen. There was not even any traffic on any of the three roads that met at the junction.
A sign said “Frank’s Place,” and under it, “Bus Station.”
The four Aldens climbed down from the big air-conditioned bus. It was already a hot day. Benny sniffed. “What an awful smell,” he said.
But Benny did not have more time to think about the air. Suddenly the door of the bus station flew open. Two boys—older than Benny but younger than Henry—came flying down the steps. Right behind the boys came a man with a cook’s apron on.
“Don’t come around here again!” he shouted. “I don’t need help from any of your family. Just mind your own business. If you want to take a bus, you can wait outside.”
The boys jumped down the rest of the steps. The man in the apron slammed the door shut.
“Well, well,” said Henry softly. “Our trip isn’t beginning very well. I wonder what those boys did to make that man so mad.”
Violet added, “I wonder if that cook was Frank.”
The two boys glanced at the Aldens and at the bus. Then they ran over to a big tree and threw themselves on the grass in the shade.
Benny looked up at the friendly old man in the bus window and waved. The man smiled and waved back. There were no more new passengers. The bus driver honked his horn to show that he was leaving. Then the big bus pulled away.
The Aldens stood together, looking from the bus station to the two boys.
“What do we do now?” asked Jessie.
“We go in and buy our tickets,” Henry said calmly. “That quarrel has nothing to do with us.”
“But what about that cross man in the bus station?” asked Violet. “I
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