Danny Dunn and the Weather Machine Read Free Page A

Danny suggested. “He’s big enough. It’d be easier than walking all that way.”
    â€œShame on you, Danny Dunn,” said Irene. “He’s more tired than you. Can’t you hear him pant? You ought to carry him.”
    â€œOh, no!” Joe burst out. “I quit! Why can’t you like canaries, or goldfish, Irene? Why does it have to be dogs?”
    â€œHe’ll go where Irene goes,” Danny said. “Come on. You hold his collar, and we’ll take him home.”
    They marched back to the weather station, and knocked at the door. It opened. Danny, with a smile, began to speak. Then his smile froze.
    Mr. Elswing was scowling horribly. With his mouth turned down, his large round face seemed to sag into his neck, and under his beetled brows his small blue eyes were dull and cold.
    â€œWhat are you doing with that dog?” he snarled, before Danny could say a word. “Let go of him. And get out of here. No visitors!” He grabbed Vanderbilt by the collar. The dog tucked his tail between his legs and hung his head, and a low, sad whine issued from him. Mr. Elswing dragged him into the weather station and slammed the door.
    â€œG-g-gosh!” Joe stammered. “What happened to him?”
    The three, stunned and silent, turned away and walked back to Washington Avenue. Then Joe said, “I know what it was—split personality —when a man is two people at once.”
    â€œHuh?” Danny grunted.
    â€œSure. I saw it on another TV horror show,” said Joe. “There was this good guy, and when the moon was full he turned into a monster—”
    â€œDon’t be silly,” Danny said. “The moon isn’t even out now.”
    â€œIs that all you watch on TV, Joe?” Irene asked, pursing up her lips. “Horror movies?”
    â€œNope.” Joe shook his head. “I only watch those before going to bed.”
    â€œHmf,” Irene sniffed. “Your parents shouldn’t allow you to watch such things.”
    â€œThey don’t,” Joe grinned.
    â€œStill,” said Danny, “something is certainly wrong with Mr. Elswing. Maybe it is split personality.”
    â€œWe’d better not go back there, ever,” Irene said firmly. “How do we know what he’ll be like next time? He might try to stab us with a weather vane, or something.”
    They walked on for a moment or two in silence. Then Danny said thoughtfully, “There’s no need to go back.”
    Irene took him by the arm, and turned him to face her.
    â€œYou’ve got something up your sleeve, Dan,” she said.
    â€œUp his sleeve? He’s not even wearing a shirt,” said Joe.
    â€œCome on, out with it,” said Irene.
    â€œOkay. Very simple,” Danny said at last. “We don’t need to go back to his weather station. We can build our own!”

CHAPTER FOUR
    The Homemade Weather Station
    Professor Bullfinch’s inventions brought in enough money in royalties so that he could maintain his own laboratory in which to carry on research in many different branches of science. This laboratory was built onto the back of his house, and consisted of a large room in which experiments were conducted, and two smaller alcoves, one containing filing cabinets and reference books, the other crowded with shelves full of supplies.
    In this latter alcove, the three friends gathered next morning. They were bent over a number of intricate, small parts which Danny had spread out in front of him on a table.
    Joe said with a worried look, “But Danny, are you positive you know how to put it together again? Because my father doesn’t know we borrowed his barometer.”
    Danny picked up a small piece and studied it. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m pretty sure.”
    â€œOh, no!” Joe howled, holding his head. “ Pretty sure!”
    The noise brought Professor Bullfinch into the alcove.