Free The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key Page A

first.”
    â€œAre you expecting Gilby Pitts?”
    â€œYeah. He phoned about that wild boy, said—” Angus stopped, his eyes widening as he saw Little Jon behind Thomas. “Tom, I declare, is that really him?”
    Thomas Bean ignored him. “There’s Gilby coming now,” he growled, as lights swung up the road. “Going to be a nice party!”
    The approaching truck stopped behind the deputy’s car. Gilby and Emma Pitts got out and came up on the porch. Gilby whispered hoarsely, “There’s that boy!” And Emma said, “I want to see ’im — I want to see ’im in the light!”
    They followed Angus into the big ugly living room where a single glaring bulb hung from the ceiling. A pinched woman, with her hands wadded nervously in her apron, stared at them from the back hall. Little Jon guessed she must be Mrs. Macklin. He was wondering about the Macklin boys when Emma Pitts suddenly grabbed his arm and jerked him under the light.
    She was dressed in overalls just as he had seen her in the field that first morning. He forced himself to look steadily into her hard pebble eyes, and was surprised to see the sudden dawn of fear in them.
    All at once she was backing away, exclaiming, “That’s ’im! You cut his hair an’ changed his clothes, Tom Bean, but you ain’t hidin’ what he is! He’s that same wild boy, an’ there’s something mighty queer …”
    â€œHe ain’t natural!” muttered Gilby Pitts.
    â€œHe sure ain’t,” said Angus Macklin, backing away. “I can see it in his face! Anything that runs with wild critters — an’ jumps like ’em …”
    Thomas burst out in angry disgust, “For Pete’s sake, Jon’s not going to bite any of you — but it would serve you right if he did! Mr. Bush, I’ll thank you to settle this business and take us home. We haven’t had our supper yet.”
    â€œHold your horses,” Anderson Bush ordered. “Mr. Macklin, where’re Tip and Lenny?”
    â€œRound the barn somewhere,” Angus replied. “They got chores.”
    Little Jon tugged at Thomas Bean’s sleeve and whispered the thing that Angus was worried about. Thomas straightened. “Angus,” he demanded, “do those chores take your boys as far over as the Johnson place?”
    â€œHow come you say that, Tom?”
    â€œBecause we just came by the Johnson place. It’s not too dark to see a couple boys crossing your pasture, if you happen to be watching. Couldn’t make out what they were carrying — but it’s not hard to guess.”
    The smile had frozen on Angus Macklin’s face. “You don’t sound very neighborly, Tom.”
    â€œI missed too many hams last winter to be in a very neighborly mood,” Thomas snapped back, finally sure of his ground. “You told Bush you’d taken Tip and Lenny to Blue Lake Sunday, but you told me they were out hunting that wild boy.”
    â€œYou heard me wrong! I never said no such —”
    â€œPipe down!” Thomas’ voice had a military ring that made Angus flinch. “I’m settling this right now! Your kids ran off Sunday and swiped that stuff from Holliday’s. Lenny went through the window — he’s small enough. They thought they could blame it on that so-called wild boy. But with the law buzzing around all day, you got to worrying about having stolen property on the place. So tonight you sent Tip and Lenny off to hide the things near the Johnsons’.”
    Thomas swung determinedly toward the door. “Come on, Bush. Get your flashlight. We don’t need a search warrant for this. I’ll bet those things are hidden on the edge of Johnsons’ woods. They won’t be hard to find.”
    â€œYou’re taking a lot on yourself,” Anderson Bush said coldly. “You’d better be sure what