Читать книгу The Perfect World. A romance of strange people and strange places онлайн

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“Good God! Whatever is the matter?” he asked.

“John Meal—Matt Harding—” gasped Desmond.

“Have found Dan’s boy?” eagerly.

“No. Their children have disappeared too!”

“What?”

“It’s true! Mr. Winthrop told me. That’s what caused the commotion when we arrived here this morning. This news had only just become known.”

Alan seemed struck dumb. He looked at Desmond with unseeing eyes; his tongue swelled, and his mouth grew parched, but his lips would not form words. Then suddenly sounds came. “I wonder—is it the ‘Curse’ after all?”

“I wondered that too.”

“When were they missed?”

“The children were all in school safe and sound. Lunch time came and they were seen to enter the playground with the other little ones. Ten minutes later the bell was rung for them all to reassemble.

“When the children did so, it was found that there were five children missing. Harding’s three little girls and Meal’s two had disappeared.

“The Head Mistress was furious, thinking they had all gone off together, and were playing truant. She sent a message round to the parents, so John Meal left his work in the fields, and insisted on a search being made. He swore it was the ‘Curse’ and that if he found his children he would find them in company with Harding’s, and Dan’s boy.”