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Chocolate Sundae Mystery

Page 6

by Charles Tang


  He turned to the Aldens. “I know what you must be thinking,” he said sheepishly. “I can explain.”

  “Maybe we should leave now,” Eric said quietly. Brian nodded.

  When the boys had left, Brian sat at the kitchen table and told the Aldens everything, everything they hadn’t already guessed.

  The boys lived at the edge of town in a very run-down neighborhood. Brian was very good friends with the oldest one.

  “Is that Eric?” Benny asked.

  “Yes,” Brian nodded. “When he heard I had a job here, he thought I’d be able to help him and his little brothers. You see, Eric’s father lost his job a year ago and his family is very poor. Sometimes, this is the only meal they get all day.”

  At first the Aldens had been angry at the boys for eating the Shoppe’s ice cream without paying. Now they felt so sorry for them they nodded sympathetically.

  “Could Eric get a job at the parlor?” Jessie suggested. “I’m sure Mr. Brown would hire him.”

  Brian shook his head. “No, he has to stay home and baby-sit his little brothers. His mother works, and his father left the family a few months ago.”

  Jessie looked down at her hands. “I see,” she said gently.

  Brian shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “I knew what I was doing was wrong,” he said. “But they’d all come to depend on me.”

  “How did you get in?” Henry wondered.

  Brian’s face turned bright red. “We used a coat hanger to pick the lock,” he admitted. “We never broke it.”

  “I know,” Henry said. “That’s why Mr. Brown never found any sign of a break-in.”

  Brian pulled a notebook out of his apron. He lay it on the table and opened it to a page filled with a neat row of numbers. “I was keeping track of what they ate and how much it cost,” he explained. “I was planning to pay Mr. Brown back out of my salary. But after that window broke, I didn’t know what to do.”

  Henry patted Brian gently on the arm. “Don’t worry, Brian, we believe you,” he said. “But you have to tell Mr. Brown about all this.”

  Brian hung his head. “I know I do,” he said. “I feel awful that I helped ruin the parlor’s good reputation.”

  “It’s not ruined yet,” Jessie assured him. “Once all this is explained, the customers will be back in no time.”

  Brian smiled, giving Violet a shy admiring look.

  The following day, the Aldens and Grandfather came to the Shoppe a little late. They wanted to give Mr. Brown and Brian plenty of time to talk.

  When they arrived, Mr. Brown had his arm around Brian. “I can’t thank you enough for getting to the bottom of this mystery,” Mr. Brown said when he saw the Aldens.

  The Aldens beamed and proudly introduced Mr. Brown to their grandfather.

  “If I’d known your grandchildren were going to stay here after closing, I wouldn’t have allowed it,” Mr. Brown said shaking his head. “But I’m glad they did,” he added, winking.

  “I just told Mr. Brown the whole story,” Brian said. “I have to work at the parlor one month for free.” He looked at Mr. Brown and grinned. “But Eric and his brothers can still come to the Shoppe and get a free treat every week.”

  Grandfather said, “I’ll talk to Eric’s parents. I’m sure the children and I can help in some way.”

  “Yes,” Mr. Brown said nodding. “I’ll also give them our leftover food. We always have lunch fixings left over at the end of the day. That would be better for them than ice cream.”

  “All I have to do now is think of a way to bring customers back to the parlor,” Brian said.

  “You know,” Jessie said grinning, “I think I have an idea.”

  CHAPTER 11

  A Party

  A week later, Grandfather drove his whole family over to the Shoppe in the big station wagon. Soo Lee, Joe, and Alice came too.

  A big sign that said OPEN HOUSE hung over the Shoppe’s front door. Inside, white and red balloons hung from the Shoppe’s ceiling. Streamers draped the counter. A big long table at one end of the parlor held several cartons of fresh, homemade ice cream in silver buckets of ice.

  “Yum, there are fresh berries and cherries cut up into some of the ice cream,” Jessie said happily.

  “Jessie, look at the counter,” Benny beamed. He pointed toward the pots of chocolate, butterscotch, marshmallow, and raspberry sauces that were being heated over small burners. Festive jars of sprinkles, candy, and fresh fruit lined the rest of the counter. Over it was a sign that said: MAKE YOUR OWN BENNY SPECIAL SUNDAE.

  “Oh, it looks beautiful in here,” Violet said admiringly.

  Mr. Brown beamed as he greeted his company. Mr. Richards had come back to see how the Shoppe was faring. Eric and his brothers and Mrs. Saunders were also among the many guests. Simone, Brian, Ruth, and Tom carried trays of fresh lemonade in sparkling glasses.

  “Tom, you came back!” Benny almost shouted when he saw his favorite waiter.

  “Yes. Once we found out what had been happening around here, Ruth and I decided to come back. Mr. Brown needs the help, and we like working here better than anywhere,” Tom said.

  “I’m glad to see so many people from the neighborhood,” Grandfather observed as he helped himself to some strawberry ice cream.

  “Good choice. I just made it this morning,” Mr. Brown said, coming by with Mr. Richards.

  “Hello, James,” Mr. Richards greeted his old friend. “I heard your grandchildren saved the Shoppe.”

  “Well, they helped,” Mr. Alden answered modestly as he put his arm around Violet.

  “Oh, Mr. Brown. Brian has been telling me about all the problems you’ve had in your parlor,” Mrs. Saunders called as she came toward them. She balanced her sundae in one hand and adjusted her long scarf with the other. She towered over Mr. Brown in her high spiked heels.

  “Yes,” Mr. Brown nodded solemnly, “but I hope all that trouble is behind us, since I had someone come in and fix the old clock.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it is,” Mrs. Saunders said. She looked genuinely concerned. “Listen, I hope you didn’t think I was trying to take some business away from you with my truck.”

  “I did think so at one time,” Mr. Brown admitted.

  Mrs. Saunders put her sundae down. “I know I’ve been difficult,” Mrs. Saunders said. “It’s just so hard to start a new business, especially when there’s someone in town who carries better ice cream than I do.”

  Violet, Henry, and Mr. Alden looked at Mrs. Saunders in surprise.

  “Oh, yes,” Mrs. Saunders admitted. “I’ve always been a little jealous of the parlor, but I would never do anything to hurt a fellow ice cream maker. I know how hard we work,” she added looking at Mr. Brown, who nodded.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking,” Mrs. Saunders continued. “Greenfield is so small. I’m going to try the bigger towns like Silver City during the week. I can come to Greenfield on weekends when we both have a lot of business.”

  Mr. Brown chuckled. “You shouldn’t feel you have to do that,” he said. “I’m sure with the summer coming, there will be more than enough business in Greenfield for both of us.”

  Jessie waved to Simone and her red-haired friend. “Oh, Jessie, I’d like to introduce you to Martin,” Simone said proudly. “We’ve just started, uh . . . going up. Is that how you say it here?”

  “Going out,”Jessie said and smiled while Martin blushed. “I’m happy to meet you,” she said. “So that’s what was going on,” she whispered to Simone when Martin went off to get more sprinkles.

  “Jessie, you didn’t think Martin or I were involved in the mystery?” Simone looked surprised.

  “I wasn’t sure, especially after Violet saw you hiding your note,” Jessie was forced to admit.

  “Oh, that!” Simone said smiling. “Martin often wrote sweet little notes to me while I worked.”

  Before everyone sat down to eat, Mr. Brown gave a speech, but just a short one. He didn’t want everyone’s ice cream to mel
t while he spoke.

  “Thank you so much for coming,” he began. “I know we’ve had a little trouble getting started without Mr. Richards, but those problems are behind us. From now on, we’ll all make sure to have enough fresh ice cream, whipped cream, and any sauce you like on hand.”

  Suddenly, everyone heard the old clock chiming. “Ding ding ding ding!”

  “Look!” Benny exclaimed. “The old clock is fixed.”

  Everyone cheered and began eating.

  About the Author

  GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.

  Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.

  When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.

  While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.

  Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.

  The Boxcar Children Mysteries

  THE BOXCAR CHILDREN

  SURPRISE ISLAND

  THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY RANCH

  MIKE’S MYSTERY

  BLUE BAY MYSTERY

  THE WOODSHED MYSTERY

  THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY

  MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY

  SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY

  CABOOSE MYSTERY

  HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY

  SNOWBOUND MYSTERY

  TREE HOUSE MYSTERY

  BICYCLE MYSTERY

  MYSTERY IN THE SAND

  MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL

  BUS STATION MYSTERY

  BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY

  THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY

  THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY

  THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING

  THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO

  THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY GIRL

  THE MYSTERY CRUISE

  THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST

  MYSTERY IN THE SNOW

  THE PIZZA MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY HORSE

  THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW

  THE CASTLE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL

  THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC

  THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT

  THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN

  THE MYSTERY ON STAGE

  THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC

  THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK

  THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON

  THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE

  THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR

  THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE

  THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN

  THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE

  THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY

  THE HURRICANE MYSTERY

  THE PET SHOP MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE

  THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO

  THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO

  THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY

  THE SOCCER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC

  THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER

  THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL

  THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY

  THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY

  THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY

  THE PANTHER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS

  THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY

  THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY

  THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP

  THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN

  THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL

  THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK

  THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY

  THE POISON FROG MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE

  THE HOME RUN MYSTERY

  THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES

  THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME

  THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE

  THE HOCKEY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL

  THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY

  THE COPYCAT MYSTERY

  THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE

  THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN

  THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE

  THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY

  THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP

  THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT

  THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY

  THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY

  THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY

  THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY

  THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE

  THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY

  THE RADIO MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST

  THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR

  THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE

  THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES

  THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT

  THE GAME STORE MYSTERY

  THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN

  THE VANISHING PASSENGER

  THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY

  THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE

  THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY

  THE SECRET OF THE MASK

  THE SEATTLE PUZZLE

  THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW

  THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND

  A HORSE NAMED DRAGON

  THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE

  THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE

  THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES

  THE SPY GAME

  THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY

  THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY

  SUPERSTAR WATCH

  THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express
written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  copyright © 1995 by Albert Whitman & Company

  978-1-4532-1332-2

  This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media

  180 Varick Street

  New York, NY 10014

  www.openroadmedia.com

 

 

 


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