cried Benny.
“Yes, today!” said Joe and Alice together.
Mr. Alden laughed. “Let’s have lunch first,” he said.
“You’re right, Grandfather,” said Violet. “Alice ought to see the presents in her house. Beautiful dishes and things. They came after the wedding, Alice.”
“Lots of food, too,” said Benny. “All in tin cans. A whole ham. And whole chickens and things. But won’t you eat lunch with us just today?”
“Of course we will,” said Joe. “You can show us the tin cans when we come back from the island. How will that be?”
“Fine,” said Benny. “We can go to the dock in the new station wagon. I guess Captain Daniel will be surprised to see us.”
“I guess so, too,” laughed Joe. “We just said good-by to him.”
Soon it was time for lunch. Henry was thinking what to take to the yellow house. “I shall take my tools,” he said to Jessie, as he sat beside her at the table. “Maybe we’ll need them. I don’t think of anything else, do you?”
“A flashlight,” said Joe, who had heard them. “There aren’t any lights there.”
“Oh, thank you, Joe,” cried Jessie. “I’m glad you don’t think we are silly to go.”
“Indeed I don’t. It sounds very interesting. Alice thinks so, too.”
“You did pick out a very nice girl,” said Benny.
“Thank you, Benny,” said Alice laughing.
“Is there room for me?” asked Mr. Alden, to everyone’s surprise.
“Room for you!” said Violet going over to her grandfather. “There’s always room for you!”
Just the same, they were all surprised and delighted that Mr. Alden wanted to go.
“There are chairs for you to sit in,” said Benny. “I saw them through the window. Oh, I wish we were there this minute.”
In about an hour, Benny had his wish. The whole family left the boat at the dock on Surprise Island, and now stood at the front steps of the little yellow house. They went up the four wooden steps. Mr. Alden himself opened the door. They went in the front room and looked around.
There was a table in the middle of the room. Old papers were on it. There was a fireplace with a brick chimney painted white on one side of the room. There was a desk on the other side. Everything was covered with dust.
“This is the very room where Bill sat reading the paper, Joe,” said Henry.
“The queer grating noise came from this room,” said Jessie.
“Now,” began Henry, “let’s look around and see what could make a grating noise.”
“The drawer in the table,” said Alice.
“The drawers in the desk,” said Mr. Alden.
“The boards in the floor,” said Jessie.
“The chimney,” said Benny.
Everyone looked at the strong brick chimney and smiled at the little boy. But Henry said kindly, “That’s right, Benny.”
“We’ll look at every brick,” said Benny.
“Yes, you look at every brick,” said Jessie. “You remember the police looked down the chimney with a light, Benny?”
“Yes, I remember, but they looked at the floor boards too, and all the other things you said.”
“That’s right, too,” said Joe. “Now, what’s first?”
“The table drawer,” said Henry, pulling it out. “Not much here.”
“It grates when you pull it,” said Alice.
There were two pens in the drawer, two fish hooks, and an old paintbrush.
“The paint!” shouted Henry.
“I don’t think this is paint, though,” said Joe. He smelled the paintbrush. “I think this is whitewash.”
Everyone was excited. “Maybe we’ll find something new, after all, Grandfather,” said Jessie. “Did the police know this was whitewash?”
“No, I don’t think so,” replied Mr. Alden. “They would have taken the paintbrush with them if they had thought it was a clue. The police did not work as well in those days as they do now. You can take the drawer to pieces if you want. Something may be hidden in the cracks.”
Henry tapped the drawer with his hammer, and soon took off the sides. But there was nothing
“Yes, today!” said Joe and Alice together.
Mr. Alden laughed. “Let’s have lunch first,” he said.
“You’re right, Grandfather,” said Violet. “Alice ought to see the presents in her house. Beautiful dishes and things. They came after the wedding, Alice.”
“Lots of food, too,” said Benny. “All in tin cans. A whole ham. And whole chickens and things. But won’t you eat lunch with us just today?”
“Of course we will,” said Joe. “You can show us the tin cans when we come back from the island. How will that be?”
“Fine,” said Benny. “We can go to the dock in the new station wagon. I guess Captain Daniel will be surprised to see us.”
“I guess so, too,” laughed Joe. “We just said good-by to him.”
Soon it was time for lunch. Henry was thinking what to take to the yellow house. “I shall take my tools,” he said to Jessie, as he sat beside her at the table. “Maybe we’ll need them. I don’t think of anything else, do you?”
“A flashlight,” said Joe, who had heard them. “There aren’t any lights there.”
“Oh, thank you, Joe,” cried Jessie. “I’m glad you don’t think we are silly to go.”
“Indeed I don’t. It sounds very interesting. Alice thinks so, too.”
“You did pick out a very nice girl,” said Benny.
“Thank you, Benny,” said Alice laughing.
“Is there room for me?” asked Mr. Alden, to everyone’s surprise.
“Room for you!” said Violet going over to her grandfather. “There’s always room for you!”
Just the same, they were all surprised and delighted that Mr. Alden wanted to go.
“There are chairs for you to sit in,” said Benny. “I saw them through the window. Oh, I wish we were there this minute.”
In about an hour, Benny had his wish. The whole family left the boat at the dock on Surprise Island, and now stood at the front steps of the little yellow house. They went up the four wooden steps. Mr. Alden himself opened the door. They went in the front room and looked around.
There was a table in the middle of the room. Old papers were on it. There was a fireplace with a brick chimney painted white on one side of the room. There was a desk on the other side. Everything was covered with dust.
“This is the very room where Bill sat reading the paper, Joe,” said Henry.
“The queer grating noise came from this room,” said Jessie.
“Now,” began Henry, “let’s look around and see what could make a grating noise.”
“The drawer in the table,” said Alice.
“The drawers in the desk,” said Mr. Alden.
“The boards in the floor,” said Jessie.
“The chimney,” said Benny.
Everyone looked at the strong brick chimney and smiled at the little boy. But Henry said kindly, “That’s right, Benny.”
“We’ll look at every brick,” said Benny.
“Yes, you look at every brick,” said Jessie. “You remember the police looked down the chimney with a light, Benny?”
“Yes, I remember, but they looked at the floor boards too, and all the other things you said.”
“That’s right, too,” said Joe. “Now, what’s first?”
“The table drawer,” said Henry, pulling it out. “Not much here.”
“It grates when you pull it,” said Alice.
There were two pens in the drawer, two fish hooks, and an old paintbrush.
“The paint!” shouted Henry.
“I don’t think this is paint, though,” said Joe. He smelled the paintbrush. “I think this is whitewash.”
Everyone was excited. “Maybe we’ll find something new, after all, Grandfather,” said Jessie. “Did the police know this was whitewash?”
“No, I don’t think so,” replied Mr. Alden. “They would have taken the paintbrush with them if they had thought it was a clue. The police did not work as well in those days as they do now. You can take the drawer to pieces if you want. Something may be hidden in the cracks.”
Henry tapped the drawer with his hammer, and soon took off the sides. But there was nothing
Similar Books
