Mystery of the Orphan Train by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

“They say this whole state was once covered by an inland sea. Folks are always finding the imprint of sea creatures on rocks,” he said. “Sea creatures from long ago.”
    Benny put in, “I know something else about Kansas.”
    “What’s that, Benny?” asked Henry.
    Benny broke into a big grin. “This is where Dorothy lived!”
    “Dorothy?” Grandfather looked puzzled.
    Benny nodded. “Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. ”
    “Oh, that’s right!” said Jessie. “In the story, Dorothy’s a little girl from Kansas and one day she—”
    “Gets swept away to the land of Oz in a tornado,” continued Violet.
    “With her little dog, Toto,” Henry added.
    “And they follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City,” Benny finished, with a smile on his face.
    “Right you are!” said Grandfather. “As a matter of fact, the playhouse in Chillwire puts on a performance of The Wizard of Oz every summer. It draws a lot of tourists into town.”
    “That must be good for local business,” guessed Henry.
    Grandfather nodded. “Kate’s bed and breakfast is usually booked solid right through the summer. But then,” he added, turning off the highway, “Wiggin Place has always been popular with tourists. You see, it has its own claim to fame.”
    They all looked at their grandfather in surprise.
    “Claim to fame?” echoed Henry.
    “What do you mean?” Jessie asked.
    “Ethan Cape once stayed there.”
    “Oh!” Violet put one hand over her mouth in surprise. “Are you serious, Grandfather? Did the great Ethan Cape really stay at Wiggin Place?” Grandfather nodded.
    Benny wrinkled his forehead. “Who’s Ethan Cape?”
    “He was a famous photographer, Benny,” explained Henry.
    “Didn’t he take pictures of movie stars?” Jessie asked.
    Violet nodded, her eyes shining. “And kings and queens!”
    As they entered the little town of Chillwire, Grandfather slowed to a stop to wait for a light to change. “Ethan Cape pretty much photographed all the prominent people of his day,” he told them. “He left behind a wonderful record of the past.”
    “They say he was the best photographer who ever lived—a genius!” Violet knew a lot about photography. She always took her camera along when they went on vacations. “I was just reading about Ethan Cape. He was born in 1870. Nobody knows much about his childhood. His early life is a real mystery. But they do know he started taking pictures when he was a teenager. In fact, he wasn’t much older than Henry at the time.”
    “Ethan Cape’s photographs are worth a fortune these days,” said Grandfather, pulling away as the light turned green. “I know Kate’s turned down many offers for the photograph of her grandmother.”
    Violet blinked in disbelief. “You mean—”
    “Yes, Kate has an original photograph taken by Ethan Cape.” Grandfather grinned.
    “Wow!” Violet’s eyes were huge.
    “I don’t get it,” said Benny. “Was Kate’s grandmother famous?”
    “I was just wondering about that, too,” added Henry.
    “That’s the strange thing. Kate’s grandmother, Sally Crawford, lived her whole life in Kansas. From what I’ve been told, she was loved by family and friends, but she certainly wasn’t famous.” Grandfather shook his head in bewilderment. “And yet …”
    “And yet what, Grandfather?” asked Violet.
    “And yet Ethan Cape traveled all the way from New York just to photograph her.”
    “That’s kind of strange, don’t you think?” said Jessie.
    “It sure is,” agreed Grandfather. “And you know what else?”
    They all looked at their grandfather expectantly. “What?”
    “They say Ethan Cape had never even met Sally Crawford.”
    “But … why would a famous photographer travel all the way to Kansas to take a picture of an ordinary person he’d never even met?” Jessie wanted to know.
    “That’s a good question, Jessie,” said Grandfather. “And it’s a mystery to this very day.”
    Benny sat up straight and