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Authors: Gertrude Warner
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so busy talking about what to take we haven’t planned when to go.”
It was Violet who said, “What about tomorrow morning right after breakfast? We can telephone Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy tonight. Will our trip take about a week, Henry?”
“Not any more than that,” Henry said. “Going and coming.”
Packing did not take much time. After all, there was not much the Aldens were taking with them.
Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy were delighted to hear about the plans for the bike trip. Aunt Jane said she would ask Maggie to cook all the things that Benny liked best.
The next morning the Aldens put their knapsacks on their backs. Everything else went on the carriers. They wheeled their bicycles around to the front door.
Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor, the housekeeper, stood on the front porch. Watch sat at their feet. He seemed to know he was going to stay at home. He did not mind. It was not his idea of fun to run after bicycles.
“Good-bye!” they called. “Don’t worry about us.”
The four Aldens wheeled down the driveway and looked back to wave again. Then they headed toward the river road.
When they were out of sight, Mrs. McGregor turned to go in. She said, “You have four grandchildren to be proud of, Mr. Alden. They know how to get themselves out of trouble without any help.”
“Yes,” agreed Mr. Alden. “They have always solved their own problems, just as they do mysteries. I hope Benny will find an adventure on this trip. But maybe he will run into trouble, too.”
And Mr. Alden was right.
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CHAPTER 3
Out of the Rain
I ndeed very suddenly it did look like rain. The clouds began to pile up and turn black. Before the Aldens could go anywhere to spend the night it began to rain. Then it began to pour. The rain came down in sheets. The thunder roared.
“Oh, dear,” called Jessie. “Let’s find some shelter. We can’t get to the motel in this rain. We’ll be soaking wet.”
“I’m soaking wet now,” Benny said. “Raincoats are no good.”
Henry called, “Just watch for any old shed. The water is dripping off my nose and ears.”
“We might find a haystack,” said Benny. “That would be like the days in the boxcar.”
Violet pushed back her wet hair. “A haystack would be soaking wet, too.”
The Aldens watched both sides of the road as they pedaled along. Then they saw the old house.
It was set back from the road, among some trees. Not a soul was around. Every window in the house was broken, and the door was banging in the wind.
“There!” called Benny. “There’s your old house. It’s got a roof, anyway.”
Henry said, “I’m sure the roof leaks, but that won’t make much difference when every window is broken. I’ll go first and you follow me.”
“No,” said Benny firmly. I’ll go with you. We’ll go together and scare out the ghosts.”
They all laughed, for they knew there were no ghosts. The two boys pushed the door back and looked into a big room. There was nothing in the room, not even a carpet.
“Nobody here,” called Henry. “You girls get off your bikes and push them right in.” He and Benny set their own bikes in a corner and looked around.
“Well, the roof doesn’t leak,” said Jessie. “And this side of the room away from the windows isn’t wet at all.”
“Just a little damp,” said Benny. “But no puddles to sit in. Let’s stay here on the dry side and look at our new mansion.”
Violet looked at the bare room and said, “I’m sure the owner of this house won’t mind if we stay here until it stops raining.”
“I don’t think the owner cares about his house,” said Henry. “We can’t hurt it anyway.”
The rain still blew in the windows, and the water began to run into a corner.
Benny said, “I wish that water knew enough to run out the front door.”
Henry replied, “Well, Ben, if the water rises too high, we can go upstairs. In fact, I think I’ll go up and see what it looks like.”
Henry
It was Violet who said, “What about tomorrow morning right after breakfast? We can telephone Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy tonight. Will our trip take about a week, Henry?”
“Not any more than that,” Henry said. “Going and coming.”
Packing did not take much time. After all, there was not much the Aldens were taking with them.
Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy were delighted to hear about the plans for the bike trip. Aunt Jane said she would ask Maggie to cook all the things that Benny liked best.
The next morning the Aldens put their knapsacks on their backs. Everything else went on the carriers. They wheeled their bicycles around to the front door.
Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor, the housekeeper, stood on the front porch. Watch sat at their feet. He seemed to know he was going to stay at home. He did not mind. It was not his idea of fun to run after bicycles.
“Good-bye!” they called. “Don’t worry about us.”
The four Aldens wheeled down the driveway and looked back to wave again. Then they headed toward the river road.
When they were out of sight, Mrs. McGregor turned to go in. She said, “You have four grandchildren to be proud of, Mr. Alden. They know how to get themselves out of trouble without any help.”
“Yes,” agreed Mr. Alden. “They have always solved their own problems, just as they do mysteries. I hope Benny will find an adventure on this trip. But maybe he will run into trouble, too.”
And Mr. Alden was right.
Demo version limitation
CHAPTER 3
Out of the Rain
I ndeed very suddenly it did look like rain. The clouds began to pile up and turn black. Before the Aldens could go anywhere to spend the night it began to rain. Then it began to pour. The rain came down in sheets. The thunder roared.
“Oh, dear,” called Jessie. “Let’s find some shelter. We can’t get to the motel in this rain. We’ll be soaking wet.”
“I’m soaking wet now,” Benny said. “Raincoats are no good.”
Henry called, “Just watch for any old shed. The water is dripping off my nose and ears.”
“We might find a haystack,” said Benny. “That would be like the days in the boxcar.”
Violet pushed back her wet hair. “A haystack would be soaking wet, too.”
The Aldens watched both sides of the road as they pedaled along. Then they saw the old house.
It was set back from the road, among some trees. Not a soul was around. Every window in the house was broken, and the door was banging in the wind.
“There!” called Benny. “There’s your old house. It’s got a roof, anyway.”
Henry said, “I’m sure the roof leaks, but that won’t make much difference when every window is broken. I’ll go first and you follow me.”
“No,” said Benny firmly. I’ll go with you. We’ll go together and scare out the ghosts.”
They all laughed, for they knew there were no ghosts. The two boys pushed the door back and looked into a big room. There was nothing in the room, not even a carpet.
“Nobody here,” called Henry. “You girls get off your bikes and push them right in.” He and Benny set their own bikes in a corner and looked around.
“Well, the roof doesn’t leak,” said Jessie. “And this side of the room away from the windows isn’t wet at all.”
“Just a little damp,” said Benny. “But no puddles to sit in. Let’s stay here on the dry side and look at our new mansion.”
Violet looked at the bare room and said, “I’m sure the owner of this house won’t mind if we stay here until it stops raining.”
“I don’t think the owner cares about his house,” said Henry. “We can’t hurt it anyway.”
The rain still blew in the windows, and the water began to run into a corner.
Benny said, “I wish that water knew enough to run out the front door.”
Henry replied, “Well, Ben, if the water rises too high, we can go upstairs. In fact, I think I’ll go up and see what it looks like.”
Henry
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