Haunted Cabin Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

CHAPTER 1
    The Telegram
    O utside in the woods, a cool breeze stirred. Inside the boxcar, the four Alden children were hot from their hard work. Finally twelve-year-old Jessie stood up.
    â€œNow that is what I call clean,” she said, smiling at her two brothers and her ten-year-old sister, Violet.
    â€œAnd neat,” her older brother, Henry, said. “I’m glad you thought of this,” he added, turning to Violet as she gave the pillows a final pat.
    â€œIt’ll be fun to come home from an adventure and find our wonderful boxcar so shiny and nice,” Benny said. “Look, even Watch is hot and tired from our work.”
    â€œWatch is a lazybones,” Jessie said fondly. “He didn’t do anything but watch.”
    â€œThat’s his job, but he loved our boxcar from the first,” Violet said, smiling down at him. “Remember how we found him when we came to live here after our mother and father died? Watch is really one of us.”
    â€œThen why can’t we take him on this adventure with us?” Benny asked.
    â€œCome on, Benny,” Henry said, patting his little brother. “Who ever heard of a dog traveling on a paddle-wheel boat up the Mississippi River? Anyway, Watch has stayed home to guard Grandfather’s house before.”
    â€œI know,” Benny said, nodding. “But I’m going to miss him anyway.”
    Outside, the children stretched in the cool New England air. “Now we’d better go back to Grandfather’s house and pack,” Henry said. Then he laughed. “Can you believe that once we ran away and hid from our own grandfather because we thought he was mean? I don’t know how we could have been more wrong.”
    â€œMaybe by taking lessons,” Benny said soberly, who thought a lot about lessons and school now that he was six.
    Violet laughed. “Who ever heard of taking lessons to be wrong? It’s more fun to learn to be right!”
    Jessie said, “Grandfather says his friend Cap Lambert was a riverboat pilot for years. He knows all sorts of wonderful stories about the Mississippi River.”
    â€œAnd his log cabin where we’ll visit is a hundred years old,” Henry added. “Staying there will be a real treat.”
    â€œCap Lambert has to be a wonderful man,” Violet said, “to invite us to visit him when he hasn’t even met us. I like him already.”
    â€œAnd I like the trip up the river to his house, too,” Benny said, breaking into a run. “Let’s go pack!”
    That next morning their grandfather glanced at the four brightly colored suitcases in the back of the car. “I wish I could go along on this trip with you,” he told them. “But business is business, and I know you’ll enjoy my friend Cap.”
    â€œI hope he’ll enjoy us, too,” Jessie said quietly. “Didn’t you say he has a son of his own?”
    Mr. Alden nodded. “A very nice boy named Jason. Of course he’s a grown man by now. But he and his father had a big disagreement when Jason was quite young. They haven’t even seen each other for many years.”
    â€œWhat did they disagree about?” Jessie asked.
    â€œCap wanted Jason to be a doctor or lawyer. Jason only wanted to be a sailor like Cap himself,” Mr. Alden replied. “Jason ran away and did what he wanted and never came back.”
    Benny snuggled against his grandfather. “I’m never going to leave you,” he told him.
    â€œExcept for adventures,” Henry put in, grinning.
    â€œAt least you’ll fly with us as far as St. Louis, Grandfather,” Violet said. “Will you come right back home from there?”
    Mr. Alden shook his head. “I have business in the SOUTH. But I’ll be in touch with you by phone. Of course, Mrs. McGregor will be here taking care of the house and Watch. I’ll call and check on them, too, as I always