Read Online The Woodshed Mystery by Gertrude Warner - Free Book Online
Authors: Gertrude Warner
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bus?”
“Well, we know he has a crooked smile,” said Henry. “We can tell him he is wrong about Aunt Jane. Let Violet tell him. He’ll believe her.” He smiled at Violet.
“But how do we stop the bus driver? That’s the question,” said Jessie.
Benny said, “That’s easy. If we see the bus, you honk your horn, Sam, and we can shout to the driver.”
“This old car is surprised it can go so fast,” said Sam. “And I am, too.”
The old car rattled and squeaked. But it flew along.
At last Benny cried, “There’s the blue bus! Oh, Sam, honk your horn!”
Sam kept the horn going. The bus driver honked back. He looked in his mirror at the children. Then he pointed at the railroad station ahead. There stood the train, ready to go.
When the bus stopped, the driver put his head out of the window and said, “What’s the matter with you? Want to get on?”
“No,” said Henry. “We’ll tell you in a minute.” They all piled out of the car and ran around to the door of the bus.
Benny cried, “Have you got a big man on board? He has a crooked smile!”
“Well, I don’t know about the smile,” said the driver laughing. “But I have a man on board on the back seat. Just coming out.”
They looked back in the bus and saw a tall man coming out. His hair was brown, not white.
“Oh, excuse me!” cried Benny. “Are you Andy Bean?”
“Yes, that’s my name,” said the stranger. “Why?” He stared at Violet. Then he smiled. His smile was crooked. He came a few steps toward the Aldens.
“Oh, please,” said Violet. “Aunt Jane sent us to find you! Don’t run away again until we tell you all about it.”
“Aunt Jane,” exclaimed the man. He shook his head and turned toward the train. “No, Jane doesn’t want to see me,” he said. “And that’s that.”
“Please come and sit in our car,” begged Violet. “Aunt Jane wants very much to see you.”
“She said she hated me and maybe she has a reason to. She talked about shooting,” Andy Bean said in a low voice.
“Oh, you don’t understand,” said Henry. “That was what Willie said, wasn’t it? Aunt Jane didn’t mean it. She just got too tired and spoke that way. She must have been like that even when she was a girl.”
“I wish I could believe you,” said Andy.
Now Sam spoke. “You can. You can believe anything these kids say. They know what they’re doing every time.”
Andy looked at Sam. Then he looked at the children. “All right,” he said. “I’ll give it one more try. I’ll go back with you if that’s what you want.”
“Yes, indeed!” said Jessie. “That’s exactly what we want.”
Andy had a small bag, and Henry said, “I’ll put your bag in the trunk.”
“No, thank you,” said Andy Bean with his crooked smile, “I always keep this bag with me wherever I go.”
It was not a large bag. Benny at once began to guess what might be in it. A change of clothes? A treasure map? Pistols? His guessing turned into a game, but he had to wait for the answer.
CHAPTER 14
A Treasure Bag
S am drove home slowly. Violet and Benny sat on the front seat. This made room for Andy on the back seat with Henry and Jessie.
“Now the next thing is to tell Aunt Jane,” said Jessie. “I am worried about that.”
“Oh, that will be easy,” said Andy Bean. “I’ll tell her myself.”
“What will you tell her?” Violet asked softly.
“Well, I came home to Boston on a ship. I saw in the paper that the Aldens had bought the old house. So I thought I’d come up and see if I was welcome. I knew Willie would keep my secret. He knew me right away.”
“You were the one stealing all those eggs!” said Benny.
Andy laughed. “Well, they were really my own eggs, you see. Half that Bean farm belongs to me.”
“What will your brother say?” asked Henry. “You have been away so long.”
“I don’t want the farm,” Andy said. “Don’t you worry about me. The only thing is Jane. If she wants me to stay,
“Well, we know he has a crooked smile,” said Henry. “We can tell him he is wrong about Aunt Jane. Let Violet tell him. He’ll believe her.” He smiled at Violet.
“But how do we stop the bus driver? That’s the question,” said Jessie.
Benny said, “That’s easy. If we see the bus, you honk your horn, Sam, and we can shout to the driver.”
“This old car is surprised it can go so fast,” said Sam. “And I am, too.”
The old car rattled and squeaked. But it flew along.
At last Benny cried, “There’s the blue bus! Oh, Sam, honk your horn!”
Sam kept the horn going. The bus driver honked back. He looked in his mirror at the children. Then he pointed at the railroad station ahead. There stood the train, ready to go.
When the bus stopped, the driver put his head out of the window and said, “What’s the matter with you? Want to get on?”
“No,” said Henry. “We’ll tell you in a minute.” They all piled out of the car and ran around to the door of the bus.
Benny cried, “Have you got a big man on board? He has a crooked smile!”
“Well, I don’t know about the smile,” said the driver laughing. “But I have a man on board on the back seat. Just coming out.”
They looked back in the bus and saw a tall man coming out. His hair was brown, not white.
“Oh, excuse me!” cried Benny. “Are you Andy Bean?”
“Yes, that’s my name,” said the stranger. “Why?” He stared at Violet. Then he smiled. His smile was crooked. He came a few steps toward the Aldens.
“Oh, please,” said Violet. “Aunt Jane sent us to find you! Don’t run away again until we tell you all about it.”
“Aunt Jane,” exclaimed the man. He shook his head and turned toward the train. “No, Jane doesn’t want to see me,” he said. “And that’s that.”
“Please come and sit in our car,” begged Violet. “Aunt Jane wants very much to see you.”
“She said she hated me and maybe she has a reason to. She talked about shooting,” Andy Bean said in a low voice.
“Oh, you don’t understand,” said Henry. “That was what Willie said, wasn’t it? Aunt Jane didn’t mean it. She just got too tired and spoke that way. She must have been like that even when she was a girl.”
“I wish I could believe you,” said Andy.
Now Sam spoke. “You can. You can believe anything these kids say. They know what they’re doing every time.”
Andy looked at Sam. Then he looked at the children. “All right,” he said. “I’ll give it one more try. I’ll go back with you if that’s what you want.”
“Yes, indeed!” said Jessie. “That’s exactly what we want.”
Andy had a small bag, and Henry said, “I’ll put your bag in the trunk.”
“No, thank you,” said Andy Bean with his crooked smile, “I always keep this bag with me wherever I go.”
It was not a large bag. Benny at once began to guess what might be in it. A change of clothes? A treasure map? Pistols? His guessing turned into a game, but he had to wait for the answer.
CHAPTER 14
A Treasure Bag
S am drove home slowly. Violet and Benny sat on the front seat. This made room for Andy on the back seat with Henry and Jessie.
“Now the next thing is to tell Aunt Jane,” said Jessie. “I am worried about that.”
“Oh, that will be easy,” said Andy Bean. “I’ll tell her myself.”
“What will you tell her?” Violet asked softly.
“Well, I came home to Boston on a ship. I saw in the paper that the Aldens had bought the old house. So I thought I’d come up and see if I was welcome. I knew Willie would keep my secret. He knew me right away.”
“You were the one stealing all those eggs!” said Benny.
Andy laughed. “Well, they were really my own eggs, you see. Half that Bean farm belongs to me.”
“What will your brother say?” asked Henry. “You have been away so long.”
“I don’t want the farm,” Andy said. “Don’t you worry about me. The only thing is Jane. If she wants me to stay,
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