CHAPTER 1
The Haunted Shortcut
“It’s almost time for dinner, Benny. We have to hurry,” Jessie Alden told her six-year-old brother. They were walking home from the post office, where they had bought stamps for their grandfather, James Alden, and mailed a letter for their housekeeper, Mrs. McGregor.
Benny was picking something up off the sidewalk. “Look at this rock. It has sparkles in it,” he said. “Maybe it has a diamond hidden inside.”
“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t,” said Jessie, who was twelve. “Come on.”
“How do you know?” Benny asked.
“Because diamonds come from diamond mines a long, long way from here,” Jessie said, smiling.
“Oh,” said Benny, disappointed. He slipped the rock in his pocket just in case Jessie was wrong. He fell into step beside his sister and walked quickly along with her for almost a block. His steps slowed, though, as she turned at the corner of the next street. “Hey!” he said. “This is the wrong way!”
“Not if we take the shortcut,” Jessie told him.
Stopping, Benny said nervously, “The shortcut?”
“Through the backyard of the old Bidwell house and then along the path,” said Jessie. “You know, it comes out right on our street.”
“No!” cried Benny. “That old house is haunted!”
“It’s not haunted, Benny. It’s just an old house that no one lives in,” Jessie said. “Hurry up.”
Benny stayed where he was. “That house is haunted,” he repeated stubbornly.
“There’s no such thing as a haunted house, Benny. You know that. Besides, we’re not going in the house, we’re going around it,” Jessie argued.
Benny didn’t move.
“Henry and Violet and Watch are probably already home,” Jessie said. “Maybe they’re eating dinner. Or maybe they’ve finished and they’re eating all the dessert.”
“They’re not home yet,” Benny said. But he began to walk slowly after Jessie. “They went to the grocery store, and it takes lots longer to go to the grocery store than the post office. And Henry and Violet wouldn’t eat all the dessert.”
“Watch would,” Jessie teased.
Henry was the oldest of the four Alden children. He was fourteen. Violet was ten. No one knew how old Watch was. He was a smart, brave little dog that the children had found when they lived alone in an old boxcar in the woods. The Aldens were orphans, and they didn’t know that they had such a kind grandfather who was looking for them.
But Grandfather found them, and now they all lived together in his big white house in Greenfield. Grandfather had the old boxcar brought to the backyard so the four children and Watch could play in it whenever they wanted.
Benny smiled a little, picturing Watch eating everyone’s dessert.
Jessie added, “Mrs. McGregor said something about brownies, I think. Maybe she put vanilla ice cream on her grocery list.”
Benny walked a little faster. He liked dessert, especially Mrs. McGregor’s special brownies. “Okay,” he said. “We can take the shortcut. But we have to run fast.”
“We will,” Jessie promised.
The old Bidwell house was the last one on a dead-end street. Shutters with missing and broken slats were closed over all the downstairs windows. Vines and climbing roses grew everywhere. The house was surrounded by trees with low-hanging branches that made the old place look even gloomier.
Jessie stopped in front of the rusty fence. She took a deep breath, then stepped between two bent iron railings, into the yard. She reached back to help Benny through.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” said Benny.
“Come on, Benny,” Jessie said. “It’s just an empty old house, that’s all.”
“It’s getting dark,” said Benny.
“The longer we stand here, the darker it will get,” Jessie said.
“I know,” said Benny unhappily. He squeezed through the two iron railings. He stood up and moved very close to Jessie.
“I’ll lead the way,” Jessie said.
“Go fast,” Benny told
The Haunted Shortcut
“It’s almost time for dinner, Benny. We have to hurry,” Jessie Alden told her six-year-old brother. They were walking home from the post office, where they had bought stamps for their grandfather, James Alden, and mailed a letter for their housekeeper, Mrs. McGregor.
Benny was picking something up off the sidewalk. “Look at this rock. It has sparkles in it,” he said. “Maybe it has a diamond hidden inside.”
“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t,” said Jessie, who was twelve. “Come on.”
“How do you know?” Benny asked.
“Because diamonds come from diamond mines a long, long way from here,” Jessie said, smiling.
“Oh,” said Benny, disappointed. He slipped the rock in his pocket just in case Jessie was wrong. He fell into step beside his sister and walked quickly along with her for almost a block. His steps slowed, though, as she turned at the corner of the next street. “Hey!” he said. “This is the wrong way!”
“Not if we take the shortcut,” Jessie told him.
Stopping, Benny said nervously, “The shortcut?”
“Through the backyard of the old Bidwell house and then along the path,” said Jessie. “You know, it comes out right on our street.”
“No!” cried Benny. “That old house is haunted!”
“It’s not haunted, Benny. It’s just an old house that no one lives in,” Jessie said. “Hurry up.”
Benny stayed where he was. “That house is haunted,” he repeated stubbornly.
“There’s no such thing as a haunted house, Benny. You know that. Besides, we’re not going in the house, we’re going around it,” Jessie argued.
Benny didn’t move.
“Henry and Violet and Watch are probably already home,” Jessie said. “Maybe they’re eating dinner. Or maybe they’ve finished and they’re eating all the dessert.”
“They’re not home yet,” Benny said. But he began to walk slowly after Jessie. “They went to the grocery store, and it takes lots longer to go to the grocery store than the post office. And Henry and Violet wouldn’t eat all the dessert.”
“Watch would,” Jessie teased.
Henry was the oldest of the four Alden children. He was fourteen. Violet was ten. No one knew how old Watch was. He was a smart, brave little dog that the children had found when they lived alone in an old boxcar in the woods. The Aldens were orphans, and they didn’t know that they had such a kind grandfather who was looking for them.
But Grandfather found them, and now they all lived together in his big white house in Greenfield. Grandfather had the old boxcar brought to the backyard so the four children and Watch could play in it whenever they wanted.
Benny smiled a little, picturing Watch eating everyone’s dessert.
Jessie added, “Mrs. McGregor said something about brownies, I think. Maybe she put vanilla ice cream on her grocery list.”
Benny walked a little faster. He liked dessert, especially Mrs. McGregor’s special brownies. “Okay,” he said. “We can take the shortcut. But we have to run fast.”
“We will,” Jessie promised.
The old Bidwell house was the last one on a dead-end street. Shutters with missing and broken slats were closed over all the downstairs windows. Vines and climbing roses grew everywhere. The house was surrounded by trees with low-hanging branches that made the old place look even gloomier.
Jessie stopped in front of the rusty fence. She took a deep breath, then stepped between two bent iron railings, into the yard. She reached back to help Benny through.
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” said Benny.
“Come on, Benny,” Jessie said. “It’s just an empty old house, that’s all.”
“It’s getting dark,” said Benny.
“The longer we stand here, the darker it will get,” Jessie said.
“I know,” said Benny unhappily. He squeezed through the two iron railings. He stood up and moved very close to Jessie.
“I’ll lead the way,” Jessie said.
“Go fast,” Benny told
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