Mystery at Skeleton Point by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page B
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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was.
“The house will be so pretty after it’s fixed up,” Violet said as they walked along the stone porch.
Henry saw something dark hanging off the stone railing. He held up a long black T-shirt painted with a skull on the front and skeleton bones on the back. “What’s this doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” a strange voice said from somewhere nearby.
The children heard thrashing again, then a splash in the distance. But no one appeared, and the voice did not speak again.
Henry hung the T-shirt on the railing. “We’ll have to tell Charlotte there’s a trespasser on her property. And that one didn’t sound like a dog.”
Jessie jiggled the doorknobs of several doors, but none of them opened. “I wonder if anyone is inside.” She stopped in front of one of the tall windows. When she tried to speak, no words came out.
“What’s the matter?” Henry took a few more steps and looked inside. There, peering out of the window, was a skeleton! It stood on bony legs and grinned out at the children. “The Walking Skeleton?” Henry said, in a dry whisper. It took him and Jessie a moment to realize that the old skeleton was harmless. “Hmm. Well, it’s certainly not walking anywhere,” Henry said, noticing the wire that held it up.
Finally, Jessie found her voice again. “It must be one of those medical skeletons Grandfather told us about,” she whispered, so the younger children wouldn’t hear. “Let’s show it to Benny and Violet right away so they don’t get a sudden surprise.”
“Good idea,” Henry agreed. “Hey, guys, come over here if you want to see what a complete skeleton looks like. It’s one of the ones Dr. Tibbs must have used to teach students at the medical school.”
Benny and Violet walked over to the window.
“Oooh.” They stared at the skeleton staring back at them.
“Oooh,” an owl — or something that sounded like an owl — echoed in the distance.
Jessie went down the back steps. “Let’s see if this path leads to the lake.”
The children walked along until the path ended on a point overlooking the lake. From there, a set of wooden steps led to a small, sandy beach below. A yellow rowboat bobbed on a dock.
A loud splash broke through the silence.
“Aaah!” the Aldens cried.
Something much larger than any duck — and much hairier — broke the surface of the still, foggy lake.
Benny took Jessie’s hand. “What was that?”
The hairy creature disappeared under the water again just as more fog rolled in.
“Maybe the Walking Skeleton turned into a swimming skeleton,” Benny said.
Jessie squeezed Benny’s hand. “Don’t worry, it’s just a swimmer.” But she wasn’t so sure.
The children took one last look at the mist-covered lake, then hurried back to Grandfather and his warm, cozy car.
CHAPTER 2
The Walking Skeleton
“Goodness,” Grandfather said when his grandchildren returned from Skeleton Point. You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not a ghost, Grandfather — a monster in Shady Lake!”
“Goodness, that must have been quite a fright,” Grandfather said. “What about the Walking Skeleton?”
“We found a skull T-shirt hanging off the porch,” Henry answered. “And one of Dr. Tibbs’s skeletons was hanging in a window, too.”
“You’ll have to tell Charlotte all about your sightings.” Grandfather turned onto the main road and headed to the town of Shady Lake. “She’ll want to hear everything. Here we are.”
Grandfather pulled into the driveway of a snug blue house set behind a garden full of flowers. Cousin Charlotte, who was tall and white-haired like Grandfather, stood in the garden talking with an older man.
When she saw the Aldens’ car pull in, Charlotte quickly came over to the car.
“Oh, James — and your wonderful grandchildren! I’m so happy you’re here at last,” Cousin Charlotte cried. “I’ve been gardening out front so that I would spot you right away. Come meet my visitor.”
“The house will be so pretty after it’s fixed up,” Violet said as they walked along the stone porch.
Henry saw something dark hanging off the stone railing. He held up a long black T-shirt painted with a skull on the front and skeleton bones on the back. “What’s this doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” a strange voice said from somewhere nearby.
The children heard thrashing again, then a splash in the distance. But no one appeared, and the voice did not speak again.
Henry hung the T-shirt on the railing. “We’ll have to tell Charlotte there’s a trespasser on her property. And that one didn’t sound like a dog.”
Jessie jiggled the doorknobs of several doors, but none of them opened. “I wonder if anyone is inside.” She stopped in front of one of the tall windows. When she tried to speak, no words came out.
“What’s the matter?” Henry took a few more steps and looked inside. There, peering out of the window, was a skeleton! It stood on bony legs and grinned out at the children. “The Walking Skeleton?” Henry said, in a dry whisper. It took him and Jessie a moment to realize that the old skeleton was harmless. “Hmm. Well, it’s certainly not walking anywhere,” Henry said, noticing the wire that held it up.
Finally, Jessie found her voice again. “It must be one of those medical skeletons Grandfather told us about,” she whispered, so the younger children wouldn’t hear. “Let’s show it to Benny and Violet right away so they don’t get a sudden surprise.”
“Good idea,” Henry agreed. “Hey, guys, come over here if you want to see what a complete skeleton looks like. It’s one of the ones Dr. Tibbs must have used to teach students at the medical school.”
Benny and Violet walked over to the window.
“Oooh.” They stared at the skeleton staring back at them.
“Oooh,” an owl — or something that sounded like an owl — echoed in the distance.
Jessie went down the back steps. “Let’s see if this path leads to the lake.”
The children walked along until the path ended on a point overlooking the lake. From there, a set of wooden steps led to a small, sandy beach below. A yellow rowboat bobbed on a dock.
A loud splash broke through the silence.
“Aaah!” the Aldens cried.
Something much larger than any duck — and much hairier — broke the surface of the still, foggy lake.
Benny took Jessie’s hand. “What was that?”
The hairy creature disappeared under the water again just as more fog rolled in.
“Maybe the Walking Skeleton turned into a swimming skeleton,” Benny said.
Jessie squeezed Benny’s hand. “Don’t worry, it’s just a swimmer.” But she wasn’t so sure.
The children took one last look at the mist-covered lake, then hurried back to Grandfather and his warm, cozy car.
CHAPTER 2
The Walking Skeleton
“Goodness,” Grandfather said when his grandchildren returned from Skeleton Point. You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not a ghost, Grandfather — a monster in Shady Lake!”
“Goodness, that must have been quite a fright,” Grandfather said. “What about the Walking Skeleton?”
“We found a skull T-shirt hanging off the porch,” Henry answered. “And one of Dr. Tibbs’s skeletons was hanging in a window, too.”
“You’ll have to tell Charlotte all about your sightings.” Grandfather turned onto the main road and headed to the town of Shady Lake. “She’ll want to hear everything. Here we are.”
Grandfather pulled into the driveway of a snug blue house set behind a garden full of flowers. Cousin Charlotte, who was tall and white-haired like Grandfather, stood in the garden talking with an older man.
When she saw the Aldens’ car pull in, Charlotte quickly came over to the car.
“Oh, James — and your wonderful grandchildren! I’m so happy you’re here at last,” Cousin Charlotte cried. “I’ve been gardening out front so that I would spot you right away. Come meet my visitor.”
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