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Evie flashed Will a look of surprise Still s

"Oh, it is at that," the innkeeper said proudly "I recommend the First Methodist Church’s peach jaeline does love peach jah of it," Evie answered

Will took the keys and hurried them to their rooms

"Why do we have to stay here?" Evie asked in dismay as she took in the dark, cedar-lined room with its lumpy bed She’d seen a perfectly lovely old inn when they’d driven into town This one didn’t even have a telephone

"We’ll attract less interest," Will said He spread out a crudeto this, the old carave should be in the woods sohouse There’s only one road leading up there--if one can call it a road It’ll probably be rough going, especially if the weather turns nasty And unfortunately, we’ll need to go close to dark…"

"According to the Farmers’ Almanac, the sun sets at six twenty-five," Jericho said

"Then we’ll need to meet back here by quarter to six at the latest"

"Back here? Where are we going?"

"Where are you going," Will corrected "You and Jericho will attend the fair"

"Oh, Unc I thought you were only being polite!"

"It will be good Make us seem like friendly tourists Throw anyone off the scent of our true purpose"

Evie had a particularsick fro too much cotton candy State fairs were a far cry frohtclubs; she and Jericho would probably die of boredoot to the old Brethren site But she could tell from Will’s tone that he was resolute about this

Evie’s sigh was long "Okay, Unc I’ll go eat peach jam with the yokels But you owe me"

Will drove Evie and Jericho to the fair before heading to the town hall to see if he could gather additional supplies for their expedition Evie and Jericho bought their tickets and pushed into the fairgrounds with the rest of the crowd Several long white tents had been set up, giving the whole fair the feel of sohts awaited theetable stands were stacked deep and high with fat puns promised THE BEST APPLE PIE IN THE COUNTY and SCHROBSDORFF’S LYE SOAP--NO FINER CLEANING AGENT! as well as sweet pickles, plum preserves, caramel corn in newspaper cones, and lace doilies stitched so fine you could scarcely tell they’d been stitched at all A jovial din filled the ame of checkers, only one penny!" "Come to the automobile display and see the h the long, wide livestock pavilion, where pens teeroomed to perfection while sober-faced far the verdict of the ed from the pavilion to find that an old-fashioned brass band occupied a center bandstand The band played "Abide with Me" while gray-haired couples sat in slatted chairs, singing along to the old hy and wonder-eyed, their pinwheels spinning s, Evie was enchanted For a brief et that they had come for a terrible purpose They stood in line for the hayrides, laughing as the cart’s wheels buain as they shook the itchy hay fro off water At a small wooden counter, they drizzled honey on slabs of fresh bread drenched indrop of honey slid off the side of Jericho’s bread and he tried to catch it with his tongue

"You , she wiped her thuhtly, as if he meant to take her thu his hand for hers

"Thank you, Evie"

"You’re welco at her in a way she couldn’t naed, walking quickly toward it

They bought their tickets for a penny apiece and settled into the htly as they lifted, and Evie yelped and grabbed Jericho’s ar her hand in his, and as the ride lifted theher into the air, Evie’s stoht and from the nearness of him