Bandit on the Railroad

Chapter 3

Stolen!

After they had freshened up and gotten on different clothes they made there way to the dining car. When they got there they saw mr. Greenway sitting at one of the tables. "Good evening girls!" he said. "Good evening sir!" " I would like to introduce you to someone" " This is Ms. Margaret Pearlstien." " Margaret this is Ms. Clara Wallace, Ms. Elizabeth Wallace and Ms. Mary Smith." " Pleased to meet you girls." Said the slightly plump chestnut haired woman of Ms. Pearlstien. She was wearing a blue dress with a matching hat and clutch and black gloves but what was most striking was the beautiful necklace that hung around her neck. It had the biggest pearls Clara had ever seen with two beautifully polished jade stones and in between a large ruby incased in gold."Pleased to meat you  Ms. Pearlstien." " oh please call me ms. Margaret. Any friend of James' is a friend of mine!" I like ms. Margaret, She's nice Clara thought. " Would you like to sit with us?" said mr. Greenway. " We would very much like to sir." said Mary. The girls sat in the booth across the table from the couple.
They enjoyed a meal of steak and green beans with a biscuit. And while they were enjoying there dessert of strawberry shortcake they were laughing and taking and enjoying the meal when suddenly the lights went out! Clara heard someone yell HEY! and another person yell WHAT'S GOING ON! Then she heard what sounded like ms Margaret Scream and yell" STOP STOP THIEF!" Then the lights came back on everything looked normal except the frightened faces of the diners. But when she look over at ms. Margaret she saw that there was a thief and whoever  he was he had stolen her necklace! " oh" Clara heard ms. Margaret whaled. " That necklace was worth a fortune! My...my husband gave it to me before he le..left for the war! It...it's all I have left of him." Then she burst into tears. She was crying so hard her handkerchief didn't help. Mr. Greenway was trying to comfort her but it wasn't helping much.
 Clara felt like she had to do something. She got up out of her chair and started looking around. She found some plates of shortcake that had been knocked on the floor but other than that not much. She was thinking in her head what would Sherlock Holmes do? She search and searched but found nothing. Nothing except broken plates and a crooked table." Wait a crooked table!" Clara rushed over to it thinking. Someone must have gotten out of this seat in a hurry! And this seat is right next to the light switch and its still warm! If I can find who sat at this table then I can find out who did it! She asked all around the car but nobody new. Well, that's a dead end. She thought.  

Bandit on the Railroad

Chapter 2

All Aboard!

It felt like hours before the train finally came. Clara could see it's huge black shape coming swiftly towards them. Clara had two cover her ears it was so loud! The whistle blue louder then the chugging and when it screeched to a stop Clara thought her ears would burst! Clara, Lizzy and Mary were hurrying to pack up and get there tickets. They couldn't believe they were packed up in time when the conductor shouted ALL ABOARD! the trio scrambled to there feet and gave the conductor there tickets. The conductor helped them step on board. When they got on the first person they saw was a tall thin man with bushy blond whiskers in a fine suit with a gold watch dangling from a chain in his pocket. He walked over and with a smiling face said " Why hello. You girls look a little bit young to be traveling alone." " Hello to you sir. Our mother sent us away to live with my aunt and uncle because of the air raids." said Clara. " Ah, I see. It must be hard for you to leave home.'' said the man. Mary then said " If you don't mind me asking sir what is your name? " " Ah." said the man " An important question. I'm J. W. Greenway. And may I ask the names of such lovely young ladies?" " I'm Clara Wallace this is my younger sister Elizabeth Wallace and my cousin Mary Smith." said Clara. " Well." said Mr. Greenway. " I have had such a pleasure being acquainted with such fine young ladies would you like me to show you to the sleeper car? I'm sure that when we get there someone will tell you which room you're staying in." " Yes please thank you sir!" Mary said. Then mr. Greenway said " Well then take my arm and we'll be on our way." Clara and Mary walked on either side of mr. Greenway and Lizzy took Clara's arm.

The four of them walked down the hall together when they finally came to the sleeping car. It was long and very narrow because there were rooms on the other side" Well this is it!" said mr. Greenway. " Look. there's the conductor he will tell you which room you are sleeping. Well I wish I could stay and talk longer but I need to be doing some things and you need to get unpacked and settled. Farewell. I'll see you at supper time." " Thank you again for your help!" said Mary. " Yes thank you!" said Clara. Then Lizzy said softly " Thank you. "

Mr. Greenway tipped his hat and walked away. The conductor was there so Clara asked him which room they were in " excuse me sir but will you show us which room we are in?" the short plump man who was the conductor turned around to face them. He had grey hair that stuck out from under his hat he had a mustache that covered his top lip and kind looking eyes peeked out from behind a pair of spectacles that were sliding down his nose. " well hello young ladies" the conductor said," your room is number forty five." "thank you sir." Clara responded. The conductor handed them the keys to the room. The trio went in there room and started unpacking. "Mr. Greenway is very nice." Mary said. " And the conductor seems nice too." Clara answered back. After they unpacked Mary said " well we better freshen up for dinner. We don't want to go into the dining car looking like ragamuffins."Clara said " Oh Mary you sound just like your mother!" At this Mary's smiling playful face turned sad she walked over to the sink without speaking to anyone. " I'm sorry Mary I didn't mean to make you feel bad!" "It's all right Clara I know you didn't its just that I miss them so much!" " I know Mary I would feel awful to if I knew my parents were never coming ba.." Clara cut herself off. She knew it would only make Mary feel worse if she said that. Instead she said " well lets wash up for dinner."

Bandit on the Railroad

Chapter 1

Saying Goodbye

It was a windy autumn morning when ten year old Clara Wallace sat in the automobile on her way to the train station with her five year old sister Elizabeth and her cousin Marry who was the same age.
Clara's red springy hair bounced on her back. The sun was out and it was a beautiful day but Clara didn't care or notice. The thought of leaving her mother in London and going to live in the country was sitting in her mind like a grey raincloud on a stormy day.
It was the hight of World War II and the German Nazis were bombing London and other big cities in England. Clara's older brother James and her father were fighting in the war in the Royal Navy. Clara's parents were sending them to live in the countryside with her aunt Lydia and uncle Charles. She loved visiting her aunt and uncle but her parents always went with them. Clara felt her world was falling apart. She already had to say goodbye to her brother  and father not knowing if she would see them again and now she would have to say goodbye to her mother to! She was thinking about how her cousin Mary must feel. Mary had come to live with them last year when her parents were killed in an air raid.
Before Clara knew it she could see the dark gloomy shape of the train station in front her. She could see her little sister Lizzy fighting back tears. Clara was trying not to cry herself! Mother parked the automobile and got the luggage out of the back then helped the girls out of the automobile. Mother hugged Lizzy who was now crying  then mother walked over to Mary and hugged her and said something to her then walked over to Clara. Clara was crying now. Mother said " don't cry dear. Before you know it the war will be over and you'll come home to London." " But thats what I'm worried about!' said Clara. " What if I don't come home! What if you are kill.." " Clara don't say such things!'' said mother. " Why can't you come with me!'' Clara said. " Now Clara." said mother in a stern voice. " you know why we can't Clarie. We're needed here."said mother " But I need you!" " Clara here are your train tickets.'' said mother " and here are the lunches I packed you. Take care of Elizabeth and listen to Mary's advice. Make sure you bundle up so you don't catch cold." Then mother hugged her one last time and got in the automobile and drove away. Everyone was shouting farewells and goodbyes while everyone was waving. At last when the automobile was out of sight they went inside.
 The trio sat on a bench next to the train tracks. Clara felt empty and cold inside. She was saying in her mind " I miss them I miss them " over and over again in her mind. No one said anything as they ate there lunches.