down the beach,” said Henry.
Far in the distance, the Aldens saw an old man and a dog. The man was walking very slowly up the beach, with the dog at his side.
“A trained dog, I guess,” said Jessie. “He stays right beside his master. I think the old man has a cane.” The others thought so, too.
The Aldens might have picked up their trays and gone inside. But they didn’t. They sat quietly, watching the old man and the dog. Once the man stopped in front of a large cottage. He seemed to rest on his cane, then to drag it along. The dog sat down near his master and waited.
“I wonder what in the world that man is doing,” said Benny. “He’s coming along again.”
“Just taking a walk, I guess,” said Jessie. “Everybody stops to pick up shells and pebbles. That’s what the man is probably doing.”
As the stranger came closer, the Aldens could see a ring on the end of the cane he carried. A box was fastened to the cane near the top.
Benny began to wonder if the old man was really just out for an early morning walk. Maybe other people were curious about him, too. That might be why he came out like this, early in the morning. How would the man feel about having the Aldens watch him? Benny thought about that.
At last the old man reached the Aldens. “Good day to you!” he said pleasantly. The minute he spoke, the Aldens knew he was an Englishman.
“Good morning,” the four Aldens replied together.
“Is your dog friendly?” asked Benny.
“Oh, yes, don’t be afraid of him. He’s just big, that’s all,” the man answered.
Henry and Benny both got to their feet.
“Hi, feller!” said Benny, holding out a finger. The dog licked Benny’s finger and then sniffed at his tray.
“Too bad,” Benny said. “The bacon’s all gone, boy.”
Jessie looked at the stranger very carefully. She liked him at once. He had kind eyes. His wrinkles were made by smiling. He was very brown from the sun. Jessie felt as if she had always known him.
The man looked back at Jessie and said, “I came by this trailer yesterday, and I thought a man and woman lived here. Now it seems to be four young people.”
Benny couldn’t help thinking to himself that this man knew everything that happened on the beach.
“You are right,” Jessie told him. “That was Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy Bean. This is their new mobile home. But they have gone on a trip, and we can stay here until they come back. It was a surprise to us, but that’s the way we like it.”
“Well, you will find this to be a beautiful beach,” said the old gentleman. “My name is Daniel Lee. I walk up the beach every morning before anyone is awake. That makes a two-mile hike. It is the best part of the day.”
“That’s exactly what we just said,” Benny exclaimed. “We said people were funny. They sleep through the best part of the day. You see, we are the only people awake on the beach, except for you and your dog.”
Henry said, “I’m Henry Alden. And the one who is talking is Benny. And these are our sisters, Jessie and Violet Alden.”
“Alden? Alden?” murmured their visitor. “Haven’t I heard that name? It sounds familiar. A fine manufacturer of plastics?”
“That’s our grandfather,” Jessie said.
“Good,” nodded Mr. Lee. “I hope that you will have a pleasant time in your trailer. And good day to you!”
He went off at once, with the big dog at his side.
Benny thought, “No one could do that man any harm as long as his dog is with him.”
The Aldens watched Mr. Lee as he seemed to rest on his cane and then drag it over the sand.
“I never saw a cane like that, did you, Henry?” Benny asked.
“Mr. Lee doesn’t really use it to help him as he walks,” Violet said. “What can it be?”
“I don’t know,” replied Henry. “There’s your mystery for our first morning, Ben.”
“All right,” Benny said with a laugh. “I’ll find out what it is. You just wait!”
Jessie asked, “How will you do
Far in the distance, the Aldens saw an old man and a dog. The man was walking very slowly up the beach, with the dog at his side.
“A trained dog, I guess,” said Jessie. “He stays right beside his master. I think the old man has a cane.” The others thought so, too.
The Aldens might have picked up their trays and gone inside. But they didn’t. They sat quietly, watching the old man and the dog. Once the man stopped in front of a large cottage. He seemed to rest on his cane, then to drag it along. The dog sat down near his master and waited.
“I wonder what in the world that man is doing,” said Benny. “He’s coming along again.”
“Just taking a walk, I guess,” said Jessie. “Everybody stops to pick up shells and pebbles. That’s what the man is probably doing.”
As the stranger came closer, the Aldens could see a ring on the end of the cane he carried. A box was fastened to the cane near the top.
Benny began to wonder if the old man was really just out for an early morning walk. Maybe other people were curious about him, too. That might be why he came out like this, early in the morning. How would the man feel about having the Aldens watch him? Benny thought about that.
At last the old man reached the Aldens. “Good day to you!” he said pleasantly. The minute he spoke, the Aldens knew he was an Englishman.
“Good morning,” the four Aldens replied together.
“Is your dog friendly?” asked Benny.
“Oh, yes, don’t be afraid of him. He’s just big, that’s all,” the man answered.
Henry and Benny both got to their feet.
“Hi, feller!” said Benny, holding out a finger. The dog licked Benny’s finger and then sniffed at his tray.
“Too bad,” Benny said. “The bacon’s all gone, boy.”
Jessie looked at the stranger very carefully. She liked him at once. He had kind eyes. His wrinkles were made by smiling. He was very brown from the sun. Jessie felt as if she had always known him.
The man looked back at Jessie and said, “I came by this trailer yesterday, and I thought a man and woman lived here. Now it seems to be four young people.”
Benny couldn’t help thinking to himself that this man knew everything that happened on the beach.
“You are right,” Jessie told him. “That was Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy Bean. This is their new mobile home. But they have gone on a trip, and we can stay here until they come back. It was a surprise to us, but that’s the way we like it.”
“Well, you will find this to be a beautiful beach,” said the old gentleman. “My name is Daniel Lee. I walk up the beach every morning before anyone is awake. That makes a two-mile hike. It is the best part of the day.”
“That’s exactly what we just said,” Benny exclaimed. “We said people were funny. They sleep through the best part of the day. You see, we are the only people awake on the beach, except for you and your dog.”
Henry said, “I’m Henry Alden. And the one who is talking is Benny. And these are our sisters, Jessie and Violet Alden.”
“Alden? Alden?” murmured their visitor. “Haven’t I heard that name? It sounds familiar. A fine manufacturer of plastics?”
“That’s our grandfather,” Jessie said.
“Good,” nodded Mr. Lee. “I hope that you will have a pleasant time in your trailer. And good day to you!”
He went off at once, with the big dog at his side.
Benny thought, “No one could do that man any harm as long as his dog is with him.”
The Aldens watched Mr. Lee as he seemed to rest on his cane and then drag it over the sand.
“I never saw a cane like that, did you, Henry?” Benny asked.
“Mr. Lee doesn’t really use it to help him as he walks,” Violet said. “What can it be?”
“I don’t know,” replied Henry. “There’s your mystery for our first morning, Ben.”
“All right,” Benny said with a laugh. “I’ll find out what it is. You just wait!”
Jessie asked, “How will you do
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