Ashley Enright and the Message in the Tree (3)

Josh jumped down to the ground from the lowest branch of the tree. “Now, what?”

“Well,” said Ashley. “You know me, I wonder who R.L. and P.W. are?”

“How could we possibly find that out?” asked Josh.

Ashley was building quite a reputation in Donnybrook for investigating. She’d helped the Donnybrook Police solve a number of mysteries. Her friend, Burt Summers, made a wooden sign that hung on her porch that said Ashley Enright Investigations. “Where do we always go when we need information?” she asked.

“I know, the library,” said Josh. “But, remember that Kathleen doesn’t work on weekends.”

Kathleen Gorman was the reference librarian who frequently helped Ashley and Josh with their investigations. They thought it was so cool that she let them call her Kathleen instead of Mrs. Gorman.

“Oh, no,” said Ashley. “That’s right and we know that Mrs. Daniels doesn’t like to help us.”

Mrs. Daniels only worked on the weekends and didn’t really like children. She had jet black hair that she wore in a bun on the top of her head and blue-pointed glasses that she wore on a chain around her neck.

“Yeah,” said Josh. “And she scares me, she looks so mean.”

“Well, she is a little mean,” said Ashley. “Maybe we’ll wait until Monday after school to go to the library. Let’s go home and check out our bicycles.”

Ashley Enright and the Message in the Tree (2)

“Geez,” said Ashley shaking her head. “You’ll take any excuse to climb a tree!”

“That’s right,” said Josh. “I love to climb!” He started to climb up the oak  tree steadily moving from branch to branch.

“Be careful,” said Ashley. “I’d hate to see you break a leg on the first warm day.”

Josh looked down and gave her a withering stare. “Ashes,” he said with a sigh. “I’m always careful. Besides, my dad says that human beings are close to monkeys and monkeys are great climbers!”

Josh ‘s father, Mr. Stewart, was an archeology professor at the university. He traveled around the world on archeological digs. Ashley thought it was cool that he was Donnybrook’s own version of Indiana Jones.

“Alright, monkey boy,” said Ashley. “Just be careful!”

“O.k.,” said Josh as he climbed up a little bit farther. “I can read it now.”

Well?” asked Ashley. “What does it say?
“It says ‘R.L. + P.W. forever’,” said Josh.

“Hmm,” said Ashley.  She pulled out her note pad from her jacket pocket and wrote down ‘R.L. + P.W. forever’. “Is that all it says?  she yelled up to Josh.

“No, wait,” Josh answered. “It says ‘Drink Ovaltine’.”

“Josh, it does NOT say that!” Ashley yelled. “You’ve  watched ‘A Christmas Story’ too many times.”

Josh laughed and said, “I guess so. There isn’t much to do in the winter and you know how much I like that movie!”

“Yes,” said Ashley. “I know. I’m surprised that you didn’t name your kitten ‘Ralphie’ instead of Silver.”

They’d each gotten a kitten last summer and so did her grandmother, Gram. Ashley named her kitten Scout, Gram named hers Mehitabel and Josh called his kitten Silver.

Josh stopped climbing down and slapped his head, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Beats me,” said Ashley. “But, it’s probably too late to change his name now.”

“I guess you’re right,” said Josh with a sigh. “But the next pet I get is going to be named Ralphie.”

“If you remember,” said Ashley under her breath.

Ashley Enright and the Message in the Tree

After a long, cold winter, spring had finally arrived in Donnybrook, Maine. Twelve-year-old Ashley Enright and her best friend, Josh Stewart, were taking advantage of the nice May weather. They were playing on the old tire swing in Turnabout Woods at the end of their street, Foggy Bottom road.

“It feels so good to be outside again,” said Ashley as she turned her face up toward the sun.

“Yeah,” Josh agreed. “And not to have to be bundled up to our eyeballs in coats, gloves, hats and scarves!”

“And boots,” said Ashley. “Don’t forget about the boots!”

“Oh, yes,” Josh groaned. “Let’s not forget about the heavy and hard-to-walk-in boots! ‘

“Well,” said Ashley. “It looks like spring is finally here! At least it’s warm enough to go outside with a light jacket on!”

“You’re right,” said Josh. “I like this so much better than having to wear a heavy goose down jacket!”

“What should we do today?”Ashley asked as she swung on the tire swing.

Josh was kicking around some dirt with his sneaker and said, “I don’t know. I guess we could always go for a bike ride.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Ashley. “Our bikes have been cooped up in our garages all winter. I hope they still work!”

Josh said, “I’m sure that they will. We just might have to put some air in the tires.”

“Cool,” said Ashley. “That sounds like a plan to me.” She was leaning back in the tire swing looking up at the trees. “Hey, what’s that?”

“What’s what,” asked Josh as he looked up at the sky.

“There,” Ashley pointed. “On that tree. It looks like someone carved something up there.”

                “I can’t really see it from here,” said Josh. “Maybe if I climb the tree, I can read it.