Bus Station Mystery Read Online Free Page A

faded weeds, and one glass held clean water and bright green weeds. There were many test tubes in a wire rack, each labeled with the name of a chemical. Beside the glasses were several books and a few notebooks.
    “I can see the name of one of those books from down here,” said Violet. “It is How to Analyze Water.”
    “One of them is a bird book,” said Jessie in astonishment. “Imagine a bird book in a bus station!”
    Violet said, “That bird book is exactly like the one Grandfather has. It has colored pictures of every bird in this part of the country.”
    “Now why didn’t I see all this before?” demanded Benny.
    “Well, Ben,” replied Henry, laughing, “you don’t go looking around near the ceiling when it’s pouring and blowing like a tornado and two boys are hiding and acting mysterious. But we’ve seen all these test tubes and books now, and it means that Frank is all the more of a riddle. He must be a strange man.”
    Benny took a chair and put it under the shelf. He climbed up on it.
    “Don’t touch anything, Benny,” said Jessie.
    “Oh, no,” answered Benny. “In the first place, these things belong to Frank. In the second place, I don’t want to leave any fingerprints.”
    Then Benny exclaimed, “Oh, now I can see what I’m doing! Now guess what! Here is another big book on the other side of the glasses. It’s called Chemistry of Paints and Varnishes. Is Frank a chemist and a bus station man and a lunchroom keeper and a gardener?”
    “Maybe Frank is doing some work for the paint factory,” Jessie suggested.
    “Maybe chemistry is just his hobby,” said Violet. “He hasn’t very much to work with. Only a few bottles and a book.”
    “Frank has so many hobbies,” said Benny. “Remember the bird feeders and the bird houses and the flowers in the windows. I wish he would come back so we could talk with him.”
    “I think those boys, Jud and Troy, were bothering Frank while he was working,” said Jessie. “He certainly wanted to get rid of them.”
    “Maybe he thought they were watching him. Remember the field glasses,” Benny said.
    Henry started to say something. But he heard the noise of a car turning around in front of the bus station.
    “That must be Frank,” Violet said quickly.
    It was Frank. “Everything OK?” he called. “No bus yet?”
    “We’re fine,” said Jessie, “but no bus. Did you know the bridge is closed by a fallen tree? The bus has to go around, and that’s why it’s late.”

    “Yes, I know,” replied Frank. “But how did you know? Did you walk down to the bridge?”
    “No,” Jessie started to say. Then she remembered that Frank wouldn’t like to hear they’d been talking to those two boys.
    But Frank was not paying any attention to Jessie. He was staring at the chair Benny had pulled over to the shelf.
    Frank looked from the chair to the Aldens and then up at the books on the shelf. “Well,” he said, “what in the world were you looking for?”
    He didn’t sound angry. He sounded sad. “Excuse me,” he said. “This has been a bad day. The storm . . . one of my big trees blown down by lightning . . . the kids pestering me . . .”
    Benny said quickly, “We were just curious about all those weeds and things. We didn’t touch a thing.”
    Violet added in a hurry. “We are all interested in flowers and plants. Maybe we can help you.”
    “Nobody can help me,” Frank said. “The thing is too big. I’ve tried, but there is too much against me.”
    He seemed to be speaking to himself, not to the Aldens. He seemed to have forgotten they were there.
    Then there was a loud honk outside.
    “The bus for Oakdale!” Benny cried. “Oh, we mustn’t miss it! We’ve waited so long.”
    Frank shook his head as if to get rid of his troubles. “You won’t miss it,” he told Benny. “The driver will wait.”
    Henry took out the tickets, and the four Aldens filed out of the bus station. Frank followed.
    The bus driver was standing