The Ghost in the Third Row Quotes

“I knew Pop would get me out of the coffin. But I had feeling when he did I might wish I was back inside it again.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“We stood at the top of the stairs and looked down. Neither of us moved. I had a feeling we were each waiting for the other to go first.
"Dark down there," said Chris after a while.
"Sure is," I said. I was squinting down the steps, trying to make something out.
"Person might get hurt, stumbling around."
"Sure could," I said.
"They ought to keep it better lit."
"Sure should," I said, getting ready to turn around and leave.
"Well, let's get on with it," said Chris. She started walking down the stairs.
I couldn't believe it! I thought she had been trying to talk herself out of going down there. The truth was, she had just been building up her courage.
Now I had to build up mine!”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“They packed him away for a few months last year, you know. Nutty as a fruitcake, though you wouldn't know it to look at him now. Not that he's normal, or anything. But he doesn't give you the idea that there are little bats flying around in his head anymore, if you know what I mean.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“What are you going to do next?"
"Go to bed!" I said, trying to keep down a yawn. "I'm exhausted."
"That's two good moves," he said. "Then what?"
"I'm going to get up."
"And then?" he persisted.
"And then I'm going to find out what's going on in that theater!" I said emphatically.
He nodded. "That's what I figured."
"You don't mind?" I asked cautiously.
"Of course I mind!" he said. "You're probably going to get in as much trouble as people usually do when they stick their noses in other people's business, though I supposed I should be used to that by now.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“Then you're saying this theater isn't haunted?"
"I'm saying so what if it is?" said Edgar. "People have been saying the place is haunted for nearly fifty years now, and in all that time the ghost hasn't done one bit of harm. Why should she start now?"
"Maybe she doesn't like the script," Ken Abbott said.
"Thanks a lot, Ken," said Alan Bland.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“Our leading lady saw the theater's ghost last night."
My dad was really cool. Other than raising an eyebrow, he didn't miss a beat.
"How did she take it?" he asked, his voice as calm as if we were discussing a change in Lydia's costume.
"Not too well," said Chris. "She sort of flipped out." She shot me a sideward glance and said, "To tell you the truth, Mr. Tanleven, I don't think she's very mature. When Nine and I saw the ghost, we handled it a lot more calmly than Lydia did."
I would like to be able to tell you that I stayed calm when Chris dropped that particular bombshell. The truth is I nearly spit a mouthful of mashed potatoes across the table. As for my father, he just raised his eyebrow a little higher.
"Is that so? I don't think Nine bothered to mention it to me."
No one said anything for a moment. The only sounds around the table were the ones that came from me trying to swallow the potatoes while I worked out a way to kill Chris without getting caught.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“We were having so much fun gossiping about the show that it was nearly half an hour before we got back to the subject of the microfilm. Actually, I was the one who got us on track again when I suddenly shouted, "July, 1935!" in a voice far too loud for the library.
Sam looked at me strangely.
"That's the date of the play," I said, blushing. "I just remembered it.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“In the reference room I got the second, but not the last, major shock of my day. I mean, who would have thought it? Librarians are supposed to be little old ladies. OK, I'll admit a lot of them aren't little and a lot more aren't old. But how many of them are guys who look good enough to be models?
The Hunk stood up as we crossed to his desk. "Can I help you young ladies?" he asked.
"Yes," said Chris briskly. "We'd like to look--"
"At your eyes," I finished, without realizing I was speaking out loud.
Chris jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row

“My father told me that when he was a kid, it was the best place in Syracuse to go to the movies.
I told him I didn't think movies had been invented when he was a kid.
He said he loved me, but if I didn't shut up and fill out my audition form, he'd probably kill me.
I told him if he really felt that way he should give me a pen.”
― Bruce Coville, The Ghost in the Third Row