FRIDAY MORNING,
OCTOBER 6, 1871
- Ticktock Is Missing -
Friday morning Justin went out to feed his goat. Ticktock was the only one who still loved him. Father and Mother were disappointed in him. Charlie was mad because everyone put some blame on him for allowing the gold watch chain to be sold as silver. Claire was sad and hardly spoke to anyone except Forrest and little Mew. The whole family was gloomy and grumpy. But Ticktock’s little tail wagged and she bleated happily whenever she saw Justin.
So Justin was surprised that morning when he didn’t hear the merry jingle of Ticktock’s bell and when she didn’t come out to greet him. “Ticktock!” he called. “Come here, little nanny.” There was only silence. A cold dread swept over Justin as he tiptoed into the goat barn. It was empty! “Ticktock!” he yelled. “Where are you?”
Where could she be? Had she escaped from her enclosure somehow?
Justin looked around the barn. The pail was gone, and the grain bag was half empty. Ticktock’s bell collar was hanging on the wall, but the old collar and leash were missing. Had Charlie or Claire taken Ticktock out of the stall? Justin ran back to the house, calling, “Claire! Charlie! Where is Ticktock?”
Charlie, Mother, and Father, who were all eating breakfast at the kitchen table, looked up in alarm. “Isn’t she in her barn?” Charlie asked.
“No, and her leash and pail are gone—and some of her food, too.” Justin ran to Claire’s room. “Claire! Are you in there?”
The door opened and Claire peered out. “What’s going on?” she asked sleepily.
“Ticktock is missing.”
“Oh, no! Did she get out through the fence?”
“No! Someone took her.”
“It was undoubtedly Poppy,” Father called from the kitchen. “She took your goat to get even for your blaming her about the watch chain.”
“Would she be that mean?” Justin asked as he came back to the table. His throat was tight and his eyes were about to overflow. “She knows how I love Ticktock.” He slumped onto a chair, lowered his head onto the table, and buried his face in his arms. “I can’t stand it. My poor little goat.”
Claire came into the kitchen, dressed in a robe. “Poppy would never hurt Ticktock,” she said.
“Why would she steal her?” Charlie asked.
“I told you why. She’s getting even with us.” Father sipped his coffee. “Another lesson in trusting scalawags.”
“Father, someday you will be sorry for saying unkind things like that,” Claire warned. “If we could find Poppy and talk with her, we’d know a lot about what’s happening. I can’t believe she’d do something so spiteful.”
Justin looked up at his parents. “I have to find Ticktock. Please let me stay home from school today. Please!”
“We can’t just take a day off whenever a problem arises,” Father stated. “And you cannot stay home from school to look for a goat.”
Justin looked away. If Father ever knew I played hooky yesterday …
Claire spoke up. “Father, you can see how upset Justin is. He loves that goat. If he goes to school today, I’m sure he won’t be learning much when he’s so worried about Ticktock.”
Justin glanced at Claire gratefully. “You did tell me that Ticktock would be my responsibility, Father.”
Father’s face was stony cold. “No.” He slammed his cup down with a bang, and coffee spilled onto the tablecloth.
“I’d say this is a family emergency,” Mother insisted. “When there’s an emergency, everyone should pitch in and lend a hand.” She touched Father’s shoulder. “You could help, too, dear. You know all the policemen in town. Why don’t you go down to the police station? They might know something.”
“I’ll take care of the store,” Charlie offered. “You’ll have more success with the police, Father. They respect you.”
There was a long silence in the room. Then Father spoke up. “Well, I guess it does make sense for Justin to look for his goat since he can’t concentrate on his schoolwork while Ticktock is missing.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I suppose I can help, too, down at the police station.”
“Thank you, dear,” Mother whispered.
“Charlie, we won’t open the store today. We’ll all look for Ticktock.” Father got up from his chair. “After I go to the police, I’ll check the riverfront down by the wharves. Charlie, you and Justin go down to the lakeside.”
“We already made plans to work at the church all weekend, distributing clothes to the poor. We’ll ask everyone who comes in if they know Poppy and if they have any idea where she might be,” Mother suggested.
Claire nodded eagerly. “Yes, there will be lots of people coming—especially on Saturday. Someone must have seen a girl with a goat.”
“So you suspect Poppy, too,” Father said pointedly.
Claire looked hard at her father. “Perhaps someone broke her heart enough to set her back into a life of crime.”
“Perhaps someone did.” Father looked away, his fingers tracing an embroidered leaf on the tablecloth. Then he sighed. “I know I share in the blame, too. Once we bring Ticktock home, maybe we can make things right with Poppy.”
Claire reached out and took his hand. “And with one another,” she added.