look it up for you,â the librarian said, taking the magazine from Bessieâs hand and flipping rapidly through the pages. âHere you are. Right there.â She pointed to a page.
Bessie took the magazine and held it up. She frowned. There was nothing there to help them. âHow do we get there, though?â Bessie asked.
âGet there? Here it is. Look,â the librarian said, pointing to a section of the magazine. âSee, right there. Itâs Countee Cullenâs column, âThe Dark Tower.â You do know what it is, donât you? Itâs a column that Mr. Cullen writes where he discusses the literature of Negroes. I suspect you might not understand all of it because itâs written for adults.â
Bessie felt sick to her stomach. Was the Dark Tower a magazine column, not a place? All this trouble for nothing , Bessie thought. This was a dead end. So what if she had found the picture of the woman? They were no closer to finding her than before.
âThank you, maâam,â Bessie said. Then she turned to Lillian and Eddie. âCome on, letâs go,â she said.
âIâm sorry,â Lillian said, looking as sad as Bessie.
âWe c-c-could look some m-more.â
âI just want to go home,â Bessie said, hanging her head. They walked past a colored man sitting at a desk reading a book. He wore a blue pinstripe suit and a bow tie. His full face sported glasses and a thick mustache. His waved brown hair was parted down the middle.
âExcuse me, children,â he said. âLet me introduce myself. Iâm Arthur Schomburg.â
âArthur A. Schomburg?â Lillian almost shouted. âI saw your name over there on that bookcase. My father has told me about you. You collected a lot of the books in this library, didnât you?â
âYes, I did,â Mr. Schomburg said.
âIâm sorry, sir, but we need to go,â Bessie said, wishing Lillian would come on.
Mr. Schomburg stood up. âDid I hear you asking about the Dark Tower?â
Bessie perked up. âYes, sir, we were,â she said. âBut itâs a thing and not a place like we thought.â
âAs a matter of fact, there is a place called the Dark Tower,â Mr. Schomburg said.
Bessieâs heart began to thump. âDo you know where it is?â she asked.
âYes. Itâs at 108-110 West 136th Street. Here, Iâll write the address down for you.â
Bessieâs entire body shook as she took the piece of paper. This man had given her the key to finding Papa.
On their way out, the librarian came out from behind her desk and stopped them.
âWait just a minute. I had no idea you were looking for that place,â the librarian said. âItâs not for children, you know. Iâve heard some pretty wild stories about that place.â
As soon as they were outside, Bessie said, âLetâs go to the Dark Tower right now.â
Lillian shook her head. âWe have to be home before supper. We donât have time to look for it. Besides,â she said, âdidnât you hear the librarian? She said sheâd heard wild stories. And it is called the Dark Tower.â
âIt c-c-could be scary,â Eddie said.
âOr dangerous,â Lillian added.
âThen tomorrow Iâll go alone,â Bessie said, even though she agreed it sounded like a scary place. But if thatâs where she could find this Miss AâLelia Walker and Papa, nothing would stop her from going to the Dark Tower.
C HAPTER 7
F IXING L EGS
All the way home, Bessie thought about the Dark Tower. Lillian and Eddie must have been thinking about it, too. Nobody was talking.
Bessie wondered what she could say when she saw Miss AâLelia Walker. Would she be able to just walk right into the Dark Tower, or would there be an adult outside to keep children out, like at the rent party? Could she go there and ask for Papa? If she did,