Mystery in the Old Attic by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

take off and land.
    â€œLook, Benny, we’ll probably be on a big jet like that,” said Henry. He pointed to the Boeing 737 that was speeding down the runway. “But when we change in Detroit, we’ll be on a puddle jumper.”
    â€œA what?” asked Benny.
    â€œHe means a very small plane that only carries about twenty or thirty people,” Jessie explained.
    â€œOh,” said Benny.
    â€œFlight 131 is ready for boarding,” an announcer spoke into a microphone.
    â€œThat’s us. That’s our flight.” Henry sounded very excited.
    * * *
    Benny had a seat next to the window right near Grandfather. Violet, Jessie, and Henry were on the other side of the aisle. When the plane was high in the air, the flight attendant announced it would be all right to move around the cabin.
    â€œThank goodness. I need to stretch my legs,” said Jessie.
    â€œWhen is lunch?” asked Benny as he crossed the aisle to stand by Henry’s seat.
    Grandfather said, “You may have to be patient, Benny. The flight attendants have a lot of people to serve on this flight.”
    â€œHere, Benny, I’ll show you where we’re going,” said Henry as he unfolded one of the many maps he carried in his jacket. “We’re flying over these states,” he continued as he traced a line with his finger over Massachusetts and New York. “Here is Detroit.” Henry pointed to the city in the southern part of Michigan. “From there we’ll catch a small plane and fly over the rest of Michigan and Wisconsin.”
    â€œWe’re going to the part of Michigan that looks like a shoe,” said Benny.
    â€œRight,” said Henry.
    Benny sat down and tried to concentrate on the map Henry had given him. But his stomach was rumbling. “Grandfather,” he said, poking James Alden in the arm. “Can you tell me again about Great-aunt Sophie and her big house in Michigan?”
    â€œOf course, Benny.” Grandfather liked telling the story almost as much as his grandchildren liked hearing it. “When I was a boy about your age, my parents would take me to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan almost every summer. We would always stay with Aunt Sophie in her big house near the lake.”
    â€œYou mean Lake Superior,” said Benny. He noticed that Grandfather had changed part of one of his favorite stories.
    â€œYes. Lake Superior,” said Grandfather. “When my other cousins visited, they would stay in the big house, too. We would try to spend as much time outside as we could: fishing, camping, and visiting the copper mines.”
    â€œCopper mines?” Benny interrupted.
    â€œYes, the Upper Peninsula used to be filled with working copper mines. Most of them have been shut down now.”
    â€œOh.” Benny sounded disappointed.
    â€œAnyway,” Grandfather continued, “when it rained and we had to stay indoors, we would explore the old house. One summer we found a hidden passageway that connected the library to the attic, and another time we found a secret closet off the kitchen.”
    â€œWhat was in the secret closet?” asked Benny, even though he knew the answer.
    â€œOh, old snowshoes — and some very old toys that had belonged to my father. We found an old model sailboat and a beautiful rocking horse that my uncle had carved out of wood for his children.”
    Benny smiled. “I can’t wait to explore the old house. I’m sure we’ll find something exciting there.”
    Grandfather chuckled. “You probably will, Benny.”
    â€œGrandfather?” asked Violet from across the narrow aisle. “How come you never visited Aunt Sophie’s house after you were eighteen?”
    â€œWell,” answered Grandfather, “Aunt Sophie started coming down to visit my family more often. And at eighteen, I started college and worked during the summers, so I did not have as much time to make that