Read The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck for Free Online

plate.
    â€œLaurie called me at school the other day to tell me she’d solved the first clue.” Jack elbowed Laurie in the arm playfully. She refused to look up. She felt almost limp with relief. He didn’t know anything.
    Mrs. Madison looked serious. “Now, Laurie, you know you’re not supposed to use that cell phone during school hours. It’s for emergencies. I don’t want to have to go down to the school to get it back from Miss Abernathy if you get caught.”
    â€œAw, come on, Mom, lighten up! She’d figured out the whole ‘all you need is Hope’ clue. She’s got to call for that, right, Laurie?”
    â€œSo was it gold bars or a chest full of jewels?” Mr. Madison winked at her across the table. The chest full of jewels/gold bars debate had been raging in the Madison household for years.
    Laurie picked up one of the chunks of dismembered garlic bread and gnawed a huge piece off of the end. Somebody was going to pay for this, and if it had to be a defenseless piece of garlic bread, so be it.
    Mrs. Madison patted Laurie on the arm. “Never mind them, Laurie. Was it the word Hope? You figured that Hope must be a person, right? That one got me too, when I was your age.”
    â€œThat one gets everybody,” Mr. Madison said. “Too bad it’s not right. That seems like a great solution. I still think there must be some Hope lurking somewhere.”
    Laurie shoveled the rest of her garlic bread into her mouth. It would blow their minds if she told them the truth, and putting Jack in his place would feel pretty awesome. It’s not like the agreement with Bud was that big a deal—he’d pretty much forfeited the agreement not to tell with his lousy attitude. But there was no way she was filling them in now. They could just wait and be jealous when she hauled in the loot. Maybe she’d let them visit her at her fabulous vacation house in Hawaii. Maybe. Besides, there was no way she could spill anything with a mouth full of garlic bread. Just call it extra security.
    â€œSo there are no people named Hope anywhere with the school? Nowhere?” Laurie said when her mouth was empty and the temptation to spill her guts had passed. She might not tell them anything, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t pump them for information.
    â€œNot a one,” said Mrs. Madison sadly. “But that’s a good start, hon. I was at school for a month before that one occurred to me.”
    â€œAny cat pictures or statues? Like that ugly Hilda portrait? Except maybe a kitten or something?” Laurie was willing to admit she might have missed something. It’s tough to do a thorough search when you know Coach Burton is watching your every move.
    â€œNooo, I don’t think so.” Mrs. Madison gave Laurie a speculative look. “Not that I recall. Not when I was there anyway, and I don’t think things have really changed. Gary, do you remember anything like that?”
    â€œWhat, you think Hope’s a cat now?”
    She shot Jack a look that would curdle milk, but he just shrugged it off.
    â€œJust trying to keep up with the new theories, that’s all.” He grinned again. Laurie decided maybe she was put off spaghetti after all.
    Jack punched Laurie in the arm lightly. “You know I’m just messing with you. You know what? You find that treasure, and I’ll do your laundry for a month. No, a year . What do you say, Laurie?”
    Laurie smiled. “Deal.”
----
    Cat Poem Meaning: Ideas
by Horace Wallace Jr.
    Thought one: Poem means we should find a particular cat. Probably old and mean.
    Physical details probably not exact match to poem.
    Thought two: Since clue was left over seventy-five years ago, cat in question is probably dead by now. So look for dead cat.
    Thought three: Crud .
----
----
    Laurie Madison, note to self:
    How long do cats live anyway?
----
    â€œWell, obviously , we’re not