“About how we found him when we were living in the boxcar?”
Jessie smiled. “Mrs. Spencer knows, Benny,” she said. “And she knows how lucky we are to have Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor now, too.” Mrs. McGregor was the Aldens’ housekeeper and a wonderful cook.
“Speaking of Mrs. McGregor,” said Benny, “it’s almost time for — ”
“Lunch,” Violet finished for him.
This made everyone laugh. The youngest Alden was always thinking about food.
“Making paper airplanes gives me an appetite,” Benny said with a grin.
“ Everything gives you an appetite, Benny!” Henry teased.
The children thanked Mrs. Spencer for the lemonade and headed home with their paper airplanes. By the time they reached their own backyard, Violet had been quiet for a long time. She seemed lost in her own thoughts. Jessie could tell something was troubling her.
“Violet?” she asked. “Is anything wrong?”
“I was just thinking about Mrs. Spencer,” Violet answered. “Did you notice anything different about her today?”
Jessie thought for a moment. “Well ... she did seem a bit distracted.”
“I noticed that, too,” said Henry.
Violet sighed. “She just wasn’t her usual cheery self.”
Just then, Watch flattened his ears and let out a whine. Henry looked up. “What is it, Watch?”
Their little dog tilted his head as if he were listening to something that no one else could hear. A moment later, he ran over to the back fence and began to bark.
“I wonder why Watch is acting so weird,” said Benny.
Jessie pulled a dog biscuit from her back pocket. “Come here, Watch!” she shouted, waving the biscuit in the air.
At the sound of Jessie’s voice, Watch came running. It wasn’t long before his tail was wagging happily as he munched on his treat.
“Well, that did the trick,” said Violet.
Benny nodded. “Food always does the trick for me, too.”
“We get the hint, Benny.” Henry laughed. “Let’s have an airplane race, then you can get lunch.”
On the count of three, they threw their paper airplanes into the air. Jessie’s took a nosedive first, followed by Henry’s, and then Violet’s. Benny’s airplane made it all the way to the fence, and the others let out a cheer.
“Looks like we have a champ!” said Henry.
Benny beamed. “I never thought I’d beat you in a race, Henry.”
Henry smiled. “Size doesn’t matter, Benny. Not when it comes to flying paper airplanes.”
“Or finding clues,” Benny reminded his brother. “Right?” The others nodded in agreement. The Aldens loved mysteries, and together they’d managed to solve quite a few.
As their dog came running over, Benny hurried off to get their airplanes. Henry knelt down and wrapped his arms around Watch’s neck. “Better stay here, Watch,” he said. “Airplanes won’t fly if they’re all chewed up.”
A moment later, Benny came running back, shaking his head. He was still shaking his head when they sat cross-legged under the tree. “There’s something I don’t get,” he said.
“What is it, Benny?” Jessie asked.
Benny looked around at them. “I thought there were four airplanes in the race.”
“That’s right,” Henry replied. “Couldn’t you find them all?”
“Oh, I found them all,” Benny was quick to reply. Then he got a funny look on his face. “The problem is, I found too many!”
They all looked over at him in surprise. “What do you mean, Benny?” Violet asked.
Benny set the paper airplanes down, one at a time, on the grass while he counted aloud: “One ... two ... three ... four ... five! ”
“That’s weird,” said Jessie. “How can there be five airplanes?”
“Well ...” Violet thought for a minute. “Benny did make two. Remember?”
“But I’ve still got the chewed-up one in my pocket,” said Benny. And he pulled it out for Violet to see.
“Then one of those airplanes isn’t ours,” concluded Henry.
Jessie blinked. “How can that be?”
“Maybe
Jessie smiled. “Mrs. Spencer knows, Benny,” she said. “And she knows how lucky we are to have Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor now, too.” Mrs. McGregor was the Aldens’ housekeeper and a wonderful cook.
“Speaking of Mrs. McGregor,” said Benny, “it’s almost time for — ”
“Lunch,” Violet finished for him.
This made everyone laugh. The youngest Alden was always thinking about food.
“Making paper airplanes gives me an appetite,” Benny said with a grin.
“ Everything gives you an appetite, Benny!” Henry teased.
The children thanked Mrs. Spencer for the lemonade and headed home with their paper airplanes. By the time they reached their own backyard, Violet had been quiet for a long time. She seemed lost in her own thoughts. Jessie could tell something was troubling her.
“Violet?” she asked. “Is anything wrong?”
“I was just thinking about Mrs. Spencer,” Violet answered. “Did you notice anything different about her today?”
Jessie thought for a moment. “Well ... she did seem a bit distracted.”
“I noticed that, too,” said Henry.
Violet sighed. “She just wasn’t her usual cheery self.”
Just then, Watch flattened his ears and let out a whine. Henry looked up. “What is it, Watch?”
Their little dog tilted his head as if he were listening to something that no one else could hear. A moment later, he ran over to the back fence and began to bark.
“I wonder why Watch is acting so weird,” said Benny.
Jessie pulled a dog biscuit from her back pocket. “Come here, Watch!” she shouted, waving the biscuit in the air.
At the sound of Jessie’s voice, Watch came running. It wasn’t long before his tail was wagging happily as he munched on his treat.
“Well, that did the trick,” said Violet.
Benny nodded. “Food always does the trick for me, too.”
“We get the hint, Benny.” Henry laughed. “Let’s have an airplane race, then you can get lunch.”
On the count of three, they threw their paper airplanes into the air. Jessie’s took a nosedive first, followed by Henry’s, and then Violet’s. Benny’s airplane made it all the way to the fence, and the others let out a cheer.
“Looks like we have a champ!” said Henry.
Benny beamed. “I never thought I’d beat you in a race, Henry.”
Henry smiled. “Size doesn’t matter, Benny. Not when it comes to flying paper airplanes.”
“Or finding clues,” Benny reminded his brother. “Right?” The others nodded in agreement. The Aldens loved mysteries, and together they’d managed to solve quite a few.
As their dog came running over, Benny hurried off to get their airplanes. Henry knelt down and wrapped his arms around Watch’s neck. “Better stay here, Watch,” he said. “Airplanes won’t fly if they’re all chewed up.”
A moment later, Benny came running back, shaking his head. He was still shaking his head when they sat cross-legged under the tree. “There’s something I don’t get,” he said.
“What is it, Benny?” Jessie asked.
Benny looked around at them. “I thought there were four airplanes in the race.”
“That’s right,” Henry replied. “Couldn’t you find them all?”
“Oh, I found them all,” Benny was quick to reply. Then he got a funny look on his face. “The problem is, I found too many!”
They all looked over at him in surprise. “What do you mean, Benny?” Violet asked.
Benny set the paper airplanes down, one at a time, on the grass while he counted aloud: “One ... two ... three ... four ... five! ”
“That’s weird,” said Jessie. “How can there be five airplanes?”
“Well ...” Violet thought for a minute. “Benny did make two. Remember?”
“But I’ve still got the chewed-up one in my pocket,” said Benny. And he pulled it out for Violet to see.
“Then one of those airplanes isn’t ours,” concluded Henry.
Jessie blinked. “How can that be?”
“Maybe
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