Escape to Witch Mountain Read Free Page A

the dancing dolls, and in the thought that somewhere, surely, there was a magical place where they would find other people like themselves.
    Could it really be in the mountains? And why there?…
    Tony stopped playing, and bleak reality returned. Reluctantly, the dolls and the harmonica were put away.
    Tia said, “If you try hard , maybe you can see the man who wrote Sister Amelia. Then, if you could see where he lives …”
    “I've been trying,” he grumbled. “But when you don't know what to look for… Tia, we've got to be practical. The first thing is to locate St. Agnes School.”
    “It must be listed somewhere. If we could get the right directory—”
    “Oh, any priest ought to know where it is. What's the name of that one we met once? He runs that place down where South Water Street nears the bridge.”
    “Father O'Day,” Tia said instantly. “At St. Paul's Mission.”
    “Well, I've heard he's a pretty good Joe. I'm sure he'd help us. I'd like to go and see him—if Mrs. Grindley will let me—and tell him all about things.” Tony paused and searched through his jeans. He scowled at the four pennies he found, and added, “I ought to phone him first, but I'll need six more cents. Have you any money?”
    Tia looked startled. “Why—why yes. I've lots of money. I meant to tell you, but I was so worried about Sister Amelia…” She reached deep into the star box and handed him a folder of paper. “I don't know how much is there,” she added.
    It was just like her, he thought, to ignore any money she'd found. She'd always said that there must be something very bad about money, because those who needed it most never had it, and so many who had it would do such awful things to get more of it.
    The folder, he saw, was part of an old road map, badly worn. He opened it slowly, and stared. Inside were nine twenty-dollar bills, and two fives.
    “Tia!” he whispered, hardly believing his eyes. “Where'd you get all this?”
    “From the bottom of the star box. I mean, from between the bottoms. It's been there all the time.”
    “But, Tia—”
    “The star box has two bottoms, see?” She opened it and showed him the removable piece that fitted tightly inside. It had been loosefor some time, she explained. Last night she took it out to fix it, and found the folder of money.
    “I don't get it,” he muttered. “Why would money be hidden in your box? You ought to be able to remember something about it. Can't you?”
    “Tony, all I know is that I had the box when we came to live with Granny Malone. I've tried and tried, but that's as far back as my memory goes.”
    He shook his head. Tia's memory was the queerest thing he'd ever heard of. It was practically perfect up to a point, then it stopped cold. Of course, they were pretty young when they first came to live with Granny, and it was surprising that Tia could recall anything at all of that time. He himself could remember nothing.
    “I'm going to keep one of the fives,” he said. “Better hide the rest where you found it.”
    He was carefully tucking the bill into a secret compartment of his wallet when something dark appeared on the windowsill and leaped down at Tia's feet. It was a small black cat. Tia seemed to be acquainted with it, for she scooped it up happily and hugged it.
    “It's Winkie,” she said. “He's my cat.”
    “ Your cat?”
    “Of course he's my cat, aren't you, Winkie?” Winkie gave a meow, and she said, “He's very, very special, and we understand each other perfectly. He slips into the girls' dorm every night and sleeps on my cot.”
    “You'd better not let Mrs. Grindley find out about it. She hates cats.”
    The words were hardly spoken when his ears detected, above the countless other sounds in the building and the street outside, the familiar thud of Mrs. Grindley's low-heeled shoes approaching inthe hall. Tia, whose hearing was equally acute, gave a little gasp and said, “Run, Winkie! Run!”
    Winkie, reluctant to leave,