Finders Keepers Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

her.
    “I will,” she said. “Let’s go!” Jessie sprinted forward. She jumped over a tree branch, and Benny jumped, too. She dodged around a big rock, and Benny dodged, too.
    Weeds slapped their legs. Leaves scurried out from underfoot as if they were alive.

    Benny wanted to close his eyes, but he was afraid he would fall. If he fell, something might come out of the house and get him.
    Benny tried not to look at the house, but he couldn’t help it. He kept glancing back at it as they ran. Was that a broom he saw in the corner of the porch? Did ghosts sweep porches?
    “Jessie,” Benny croaked breathlessly.
    But Jessie didn’t hear him. She’d slowed down to pick her way through a tangle of briars.
    Suddenly, one of the shutters banged open. Light flared in the window.
    “Jessie!” shrieked Benny. “It’s the ghost!”
    He ran past his sister, barely noticing the briars that grabbed at his ankles. Jessie spun around and almost fell. “Benny, wait!”
    Benny kept running. He ran as fast as he’d ever run in his life. He could hear Jessie’s footsteps close behind him as he sprinted for home.
    Benny reached the front path just as Henry and Violet were carrying the groceries into the house. Watch saw Benny first and bounded toward him, barking and wagging his tail.
    Jessie was right behind Benny. “Benny, w-wait,” she gasped.
    “What’s wrong?” asked Henry.
    “Are you all right?” Violet asked.
    Benny stopped running and bent over to catch his breath. He glanced up at the neatly painted shutters on the windows of their house and the warm glow of friendly light from the kitchen.
    “Now I am,” he said. He took a deep breath.
    “You look as if you’d seen a ghost,” Violet joked. She smiled, not so worried now that she saw Benny and Jessie were both unhurt.
    Benny’s answer made her smile disappear. “We did,” he said. “We did see a ghost.”

CHAPTER 2
Treasure in the Attic
    “What?” said Henry. He looked at Jessie. “You saw a ghost?”
    Jessie shook her head. “I don’t know what Benny saw,” she said. “We took the shortcut past the old Bidwell house. I heard a shutter fall or something, and the next thing I knew, Benny was running so fast I could barely keep up.”
    The back door opened. Mrs. McGregor peered out. “Dinner is ready and your Grandfather is waiting,” she said in her sternest voice — which wasn’t very stern at all. In fact, Mrs. McGregor was, as usual, smiling.
    For a moment, Benny forgot ghosts. “Brownies?” he asked.
    “For dessert,” said Mrs. McGregor. “Come in now and give me those groceries and wash your hands.”
    “And then you can tell us all about the ghost,” Henry said.
    By the time they’d gotten to dessert, Benny had told his family all about the broom on the porch, the shutter that had banged open, and the ghostly light at the window.
    “I’ve never heard of ghosts who sweep porches,” Grandfather said, his eyes twinkling. “But you are very smart to notice all those things, Benny.”
    Benny wasn’t afraid now. He was safe at home and eating dessert with his family. He nodded. “I know,” he said. “It’s because I’m a good detective.”
    That made the others laugh.
    “It does sound mysterious,” Violet said thoughtfully. She looked at Jessie. “You didn’t see anything suspicious or scary?”
    Jessie shook her head. “No. I was too busy trying to keep up with Benny.” She made a face at her younger brother. He grinned and made a face back.
    “Let’s go over to the old house tomorrow and take a look,” said Henry.
    “Go back?” said Benny. His smile disappeared.
    “Sure. It’ll be daylight, and we’ll all go together. We’ll take Watch, too,” Henry said.
    “Don’t worry, Benny,” Jessie added. “I’m sure there’s a simple, logical explanation for what you saw.”
    “And no ghost,” Violet said.
    “Okay,” Benny said reluctantly. “We’ll go tomorrow — but I sure hope you’re right.”
    The next