Magic Tree House #50: Hurry Up, Houdini! (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Read Free Page B

our tickets! Finally!”
    Jack and Annie stepped down from the terrace and walked up the broad avenue toward the arches. At the arches, they passed ticket sellers sitting in red chariots. “Hurry back to Luna Park!” one shouted.
    “We will, don’t worry!” said Annie.
    Jack and Annie left Luna Park and stepped onto Surf Avenue. “Bess said to go right,” said Jack.
    As Jack and Annie started up the crowdedsidewalk, they passed horses and buggies and old-timey cars. The warm summer night was filled with the sounds of hooves clomping and horns honking:
Ah-OO-ga! Ah-OO-ga!

    “There it is!” said Jack. He pointed to a large red building with green trim. A big sign over the awning read HENDERSON’S .
    A huge crowd of people had lined up on the sidewalk in front of the theater. “Oh, man, look at that line!” said Jack. “This is why I wanted to be here
early
!”
    Jack and Annie ran to the end of the line, where some teenagers were joking and pushing each other around.
    “Is this the line to buy tickets?” asked Annie.
    “Nah, this is for folks who got theirs already. Like us!” said a tough-looking kid. “So scram!”
    “Forget it,” said Jack. He pulled Annie along. “We have to find the box office.”
    At the front of the theater was a chalkboard that read:

    Jack hurried to a window beside the chalkboard. He was surprised there was no line. “Excuse me!” he said, trying to get the attention of the ticket seller. She was talking to a man inside the office.
    “You’re not listening to me, Mrs. Crenshaw!” the man shouted. “It
is
the end of the world! I tell you, they’ll destroy the theater!”
    “Excuse me!” Jack said again, in a louder voice. “We’d like to buy two—”
    “They’ll start a riot! They’ll tear the seats apart!” the man shouted. “Mercy! Mercy, my heart!” He clutched his chest and nearly collapsed.
    “Should we get help?” Annie asked.
    Mrs. Crenshaw looked down at Annie and shook her head. “No, dear. Mr. Dewey will be fine,” she said. She rolled her eyes.
    “Yes! Get help! Get help, please!” Mr. Dewey croaked, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. “Find me a new opening act!”
    “A what?” said Annie.
    “The Bambini Brothers ran off!” said Mr. Dewey. “I caught them red-handed! Stealing from the box office!”
    “That sounds terrible,” said Annie.
    “You have no idea, missy!” cried Mr. Dewey. “They were the opening act for the Great Houdini!”He wiped his sweaty face again. “The hooligans in the crowd will go crazy if the curtain’s late! I should have gone into the
shoe
business instead of show business!”
    Jack felt sorry for the man, but he really didn’t care about the Bambini Brothers. He just wanted tickets for the Great Houdini. “Uh … excuse me,” he said to Mrs. Crenshaw. “We’d like to buy two tickets for the big show—the one with the Great Houdini.”
    “Sorry, kids, didn’t you read that?” Mrs. Crenshaw said. She pointed to a sign in the window. The sign read: SOLD OUT .
    “Oh, no, we didn’t see that,” said Annie.
    “You’re … sold out?” said Jack.
    “Yes!” yelled Mr. Dewey. “We sold out an hour ago! S-O-L-D O-U-T! So it’s a full house with no opening act! Go away now, please! We got problems! Big problems!” And with that, Mr. Dewey slammed the box office window shut.

“S old out,” Jack said to Annie, “an hour ago.”
    “I know. You were right. I was wrong,” Annie said quickly. “We
should
have come earlier.”
    Jack just stared at her.
    “I’m sorry,” said Annie, making a face. “Really.” She looked around. “So, do you think anyone in line would sell us
their
tickets?”
    “Not in a million years,” said Jack. “I can’t believe this. How can we meet Houdini now? And learn his secret of greatness?”
    “We’ll figure something out,” said Annie. “Wealways do. Don’t worry. Let’s think.…” She pulled on her braids and bit her lip as she stared at the