Well, young fellow, I hope you're not trying to see what cards I'm holding," one of the cardplayers said with a twinkle in his eye. "Your eyes are bigger than my ice-cream bowl."
Benny felt his ears get red. "Are you playing Go Fish?" he asked. "That's what we played in the car when we drove from Greenfield. Only now it's time for Go Eat Ice Cream, not Go Fish."
Everyone at the table chuckled.
"I'm getting chocolate ice cream," Benny continued. "And know what? We're going to Skeleton Point. Grandfather's cousin Charlotte bought it--even the skeletons. She asked us to help her fix up the house. We might even get to stay there overnight."
The players looked up from their cards when they heard this.
"Well," one silver-haired lady said, "you must be very brave. A lot of strange things have been going on at Skeleton Point ever since Charlotte bought Dr. Tibbs's old place."
Another man at the table put his finger to his lips. "Now, don't go scaring the boy with all that foolish talk about the Walking Skeleton."
The woman ignored the man. "Well, don't say we didn't warn you. I heard from William Mason, who's working out there, that there's a skeleton in the house trying to turn into a real person again. If you ask me, that's why some of those statues have missing parts."
Now Benny's eyes were bigger than dinner plates. "Everything's been falling down at Skeleton Point for years, especially those statues. I was glad to hear Charlotte's going to fix up the place. That'll stop all this Walking Skeleton nonsense."
"Maybe the Walking Skeleton is a real person already," Benny said. "I'm a walking skeleton, too. Only I have muscles on top of my skeleton."
The cardplayers laughed again and returned to their game.
When the Aldens got their cones, they sat on the front porch of the general store to enjoy their ice cream.
"Where to next?" Grandfather asked when everyone had finished. "As if I didn't know."
"Skeleton Point!" the children cried at the same time.
"Skeleton Point it is," Grandfather said.
The Mystery at Skeleton Point
Benny felt his ears get red. "Are you playing Go Fish?" he asked. "That's what we played in the car when we drove from Greenfield. Only now it's time for Go Eat Ice Cream, not Go Fish."
Everyone at the table chuckled.
"I'm getting chocolate ice cream," Benny continued. "And know what? We're going to Skeleton Point. Grandfather's cousin Charlotte bought it--even the skeletons. She asked us to help her fix up the house. We might even get to stay there overnight."
The players looked up from their cards when they heard this.
"Well," one silver-haired lady said, "you must be very brave. A lot of strange things have been going on at Skeleton Point ever since Charlotte bought Dr. Tibbs's old place."
Another man at the table put his finger to his lips. "Now, don't go scaring the boy with all that foolish talk about the Walking Skeleton."
The woman ignored the man. "Well, don't say we didn't warn you. I heard from William Mason, who's working out there, that there's a skeleton in the house trying to turn into a real person again. If you ask me, that's why some of those statues have missing parts."
Now Benny's eyes were bigger than dinner plates. "Everything's been falling down at Skeleton Point for years, especially those statues. I was glad to hear Charlotte's going to fix up the place. That'll stop all this Walking Skeleton nonsense."
"Maybe the Walking Skeleton is a real person already," Benny said. "I'm a walking skeleton, too. Only I have muscles on top of my skeleton."
The cardplayers laughed again and returned to their game.
When the Aldens got their cones, they sat on the front porch of the general store to enjoy their ice cream.
"Where to next?" Grandfather asked when everyone had finished. "As if I didn't know."
"Skeleton Point!" the children cried at the same time.
"Skeleton Point it is," Grandfather said.
The Mystery at Skeleton Point
( Gertrude Chandler Warner )
[ The Boxcar Children Halloween ]
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