CHAPTER 1
The Great Ethan Cape
“It’s stuck!” cried six-year-old Benny. His round face was red from tugging at the zipper on his suitcase. “It won’t budge an inch.”
“Oh, Benny!” said twelve-year-old Jessie, coming into the room. She shook her head and laughed. “You’re taking too much!”
Benny grinned at his older sister. “I think I packed too many socks.”
As Jessie lifted the lid of the suitcase, several shiny red apples tumbled out onto the bed. “What on earth …?”
Benny shrugged. “We might get hungry.”
Jessie couldn’t help smiling at this. Benny was famous for his appetite. The youngest Alden was always hungry.
“Don’t worry Benny” Jessie said as she tossed more apples onto the bed. “There’ll be plenty to eat at Kate’s bed and breakfast.”
“What’s a bed and breakfast?” Benny wanted to know.
“It’s like a hotel,” Jessie explained. “Tourists get a cozy bed, then breakfast in the morning.”
Grandfather was traveling to Kansas on business, and Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny were going along. Grandfather’s good friend, Kate Crawford, had invited the children to stay with her. Kate owned a big Victorian house called Wiggin Place. She rented out rooms during the summer.
“You can’t be sure we’ll find a mystery on this trip, Benny.”
“But, Jessie, mysteries are always coming our way,” Benny reminded her. “Right, Violet?”
“That’s for sure, Benny,” said ten-year-old Violet, who had just come into the room with Watch, the family dog. “We seem to find them wherever we go.”
Nobody could argue with that. The Alden children loved mysteries, and together they’d managed to solve quite a few.
“What are you hiding there, Violet?” Henry asked curiously.
Violet pulled her hand out from behind her back. “Ta-daah!” She held up Benny’s cracked pink cup, the one he’d found when they lived in the boxcar.
“Thanks, Violet,” said Benny. The youngest Alden almost always took his special cup with him on trips. “I thought I packed it already.”
After their parents died, the four Alden children had run away. When they discovered an abandoned boxcar in the woods, they made it their home. Then their grandfather, James Alden, found them and brought them to live with him in his big white house in Greenfield. He even gave the boxcar a special place in the backyard. The Aldens often used the boxcar as a clubhouse.
As Jessie tucked Benny’s cup into a corner of the suitcase, Watch gave a little whimper.
“Uh-oh,” said Benny. “I think Watch wants to come with us.”
“Sorry, Watch.” Henry scratched the dog behind his ears. “Kate doesn’t allow animals at Wiggin Place.”
Violet gave Watch a hug. “Mrs. McGregor will take good care of you while we’re gone.” Mrs. McGregor was their housekeeper.
“We’ll be back before you know it, Watch,” Benny said in the middle of a yawn.
“I think we all need a good night’s sleep,” said Jessie, who often acted like a mother to her younger brother and sister.
“I’ll second that!” Henry said, and the others nodded. They couldn’t wait to set off on their next adventure.
“Wiggin Place is just outside the town of Chillwire,” Grandfather told the children as he drove the rental car along the highway from the airport. “We should have you there in time for dinner, Benny.” He smiled at his youngest grandson through the rear-view mirror.
“I’m all for that!” said Benny.
Violet, who had been gazing quietly out the window, suddenly spoke up. “I think I’m going to like Kansas,” she said. “The countryside is so pretty.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” said Jessie.
“Kansas is a good place to visit,” said Grandfather. “Of course, it’s famous for its tall wheat and sunflowers, but it’s also a great place to hunt for fossils.”
“Fossils?” Henry, who was sitting up front beside Grandfather, raised an eyebrow.
Grandfather nodded.
The Great Ethan Cape
“It’s stuck!” cried six-year-old Benny. His round face was red from tugging at the zipper on his suitcase. “It won’t budge an inch.”
“Oh, Benny!” said twelve-year-old Jessie, coming into the room. She shook her head and laughed. “You’re taking too much!”
Benny grinned at his older sister. “I think I packed too many socks.”
As Jessie lifted the lid of the suitcase, several shiny red apples tumbled out onto the bed. “What on earth …?”
Benny shrugged. “We might get hungry.”
Jessie couldn’t help smiling at this. Benny was famous for his appetite. The youngest Alden was always hungry.
“Don’t worry Benny” Jessie said as she tossed more apples onto the bed. “There’ll be plenty to eat at Kate’s bed and breakfast.”
“What’s a bed and breakfast?” Benny wanted to know.
“It’s like a hotel,” Jessie explained. “Tourists get a cozy bed, then breakfast in the morning.”
Grandfather was traveling to Kansas on business, and Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny were going along. Grandfather’s good friend, Kate Crawford, had invited the children to stay with her. Kate owned a big Victorian house called Wiggin Place. She rented out rooms during the summer.
“You can’t be sure we’ll find a mystery on this trip, Benny.”
“But, Jessie, mysteries are always coming our way,” Benny reminded her. “Right, Violet?”
“That’s for sure, Benny,” said ten-year-old Violet, who had just come into the room with Watch, the family dog. “We seem to find them wherever we go.”
Nobody could argue with that. The Alden children loved mysteries, and together they’d managed to solve quite a few.
“What are you hiding there, Violet?” Henry asked curiously.
Violet pulled her hand out from behind her back. “Ta-daah!” She held up Benny’s cracked pink cup, the one he’d found when they lived in the boxcar.
“Thanks, Violet,” said Benny. The youngest Alden almost always took his special cup with him on trips. “I thought I packed it already.”
After their parents died, the four Alden children had run away. When they discovered an abandoned boxcar in the woods, they made it their home. Then their grandfather, James Alden, found them and brought them to live with him in his big white house in Greenfield. He even gave the boxcar a special place in the backyard. The Aldens often used the boxcar as a clubhouse.
As Jessie tucked Benny’s cup into a corner of the suitcase, Watch gave a little whimper.
“Uh-oh,” said Benny. “I think Watch wants to come with us.”
“Sorry, Watch.” Henry scratched the dog behind his ears. “Kate doesn’t allow animals at Wiggin Place.”
Violet gave Watch a hug. “Mrs. McGregor will take good care of you while we’re gone.” Mrs. McGregor was their housekeeper.
“We’ll be back before you know it, Watch,” Benny said in the middle of a yawn.
“I think we all need a good night’s sleep,” said Jessie, who often acted like a mother to her younger brother and sister.
“I’ll second that!” Henry said, and the others nodded. They couldn’t wait to set off on their next adventure.
“Wiggin Place is just outside the town of Chillwire,” Grandfather told the children as he drove the rental car along the highway from the airport. “We should have you there in time for dinner, Benny.” He smiled at his youngest grandson through the rear-view mirror.
“I’m all for that!” said Benny.
Violet, who had been gazing quietly out the window, suddenly spoke up. “I think I’m going to like Kansas,” she said. “The countryside is so pretty.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” said Jessie.
“Kansas is a good place to visit,” said Grandfather. “Of course, it’s famous for its tall wheat and sunflowers, but it’s also a great place to hunt for fossils.”
“Fossils?” Henry, who was sitting up front beside Grandfather, raised an eyebrow.
Grandfather nodded.
Similar Books
