“Good!” agreed Jessie. “Just the thing. I will mend your mattress right now.”
The minute the train started, Jessie got a big needle and heavy thread from Violet’s workbag. She sat down at the big table.
“This is just what I meant,” she said. “A quiet change for everybody.”
CHAPTER 10
Curing Sneezes
It was quiet in the caboose while Jessie laid out Violet’s scissors and threaded a needle. Grandfather sat by his window as he always did, but the others sat around the table with Jessie.
Benny asked, “Are you going to mend my mattress way up in the lookout?”
Jessie laughed. “No, I couldn’t work up there. I think we shall have to take it down.”
“I’ll do it,” said Henry. “Come on, Ben, give me a hand.”
The boys pulled at the mattress. It was heavy and hard to hold. But at last the long mattress slid down from the lookout. The boys laid it on the table.
Jessie sat down right in front of the hole. She looked at the mattress. It was covered with old black leather.
“I wonder if this is the same mattress the circus people used,” she said. “It looks old enough.”
“Remember I told you,” said Grandfather, “that my friend said we could have new covers if we wanted them.”
“I remember,” said Jessie. “But we’re glad we took the caboose just as it was. No new things.” She took a stick and poked at the stuffing. She said, “A lot of stuffing is coming out. I think I’ll pull out a little more. That will make it more even.”
She did so. Out came a big bunch of stuffing. She picked it to pieces because it was rather hard. Then she pushed it back with the long stick. Then she began to sew. Everybody watched.
“That’s like a baseball,” said Benny.
“Yes, it’s called baseball stitch,” said Jessie. “The needle goes in one side and then in the other.”
When it was done, Benny said, “That’s fine, Jessie. Would you want to mend the other side, too?”
“Of course! I might as well do it all.”
Jessie went around and sat down on the other side of the mattress. She said, “This side isn’t as bad.”
“I’ll help you pull out the stuffing,” said Benny. “I’m used to it. Every night I sneeze and sneeze.”
He pulled out a lot of stuffing with the stick.
“Let’s take it all out, Jessie,” he said. “Then it really will be smooth. It’s so lumpy.” He dug out some more.
Henry laughed. He said, “You have lots of troubles, Ben. Lumps and sneezes. Why didn’t you say so?”
“I did say so. I asked Jessie a long time ago to mend my mattress, didn’t I? What’s all this?”
“Well, what is it?” asked Henry.
Benny began saying “Hey! Hey! Hey!” He pulled at the stuffing, and out dropped a little package done up in paper!
“Oh, Benny!” said Jessie.
Benny’s hands shook as he tried to untie the string.
“Oh, shucks!” he said. “I can’t untie that string. I’ll tear it open.”
He tore the paper and shook it. A long chain fell out that sparkled with every color of the rainbow. Benny picked up the chain and hung it on one finger. The light made it shine with blue and yellow and green and flashing red. Everyone said, “O-ooo!”
“Benny!” called Mr. Alden in a loud voice from his chair. “Let me see that!”
Benny gave the shining string to his grandfather.
“Children!” said Grandfather. “This is that diamond necklace! Real diamonds, I’m sure.”
“That big one in the middle is just the color of my red dish,” said Benny.
“I’m sure that is a ruby. If it is a real ruby, it is worth more than the diamonds.” Grandfather gazed at it.
Henry said, “This is wonderful! Think what it means! This certainly belongs to Cho-Cho. He can sell it for hundreds of dollars.”
“And get back his talking horse,” said Benny.
The Aldens passed the necklace from hand to hand. They all watched it sparkle in the light. Violet said, “I can see a beautiful violet color as I turn it.”
“And I can see red,” said Benny, twisting it.
“I’ll tell you what we can do,” said Grandfather. “Al says the next stop is a big city. It will surely have a good jewelry store. We can take the necklace there and ask them how much it is worth. They will know if the diamonds are real.”
Jessie added, “Then we’ll have something to tell Cho-Cho.”
Violet said slowly, “I was thinking of the Thin Man. He didn’t hide it here, did he, Grandfather?”
“No, certainly not. I’m sure this was Chi-Chi’s own hiding place. Probably nobody slept in this lookout for years. I’m sure the owner’s wife would not take the upper bunk. She’d sleep in the lower one.”
“Just let me see that necklace again,” said Jessie. “Isn’t it beautiful!” They passed the necklace around again.
Henry gave the necklace back to Benny. He said, “How in the world did Chi-Chi expect her husband to find it?”
“Maybe she didn’t want Cho-Cho to find it,” said Jessie. “But I can’t think why.”
Benny was staring at nothing. “Listen!” he shouted. “She did want Cho-Cho to find it! Think of that postcard we found behind the books. It said ‘Be on the lookout’—and the necklace was up in the lookout!”
“Benny, I do believe you are right,” exclaimed Mr. Alden. “Cho-Cho read that verse, but he didn’t understand what his wife meant.”
Henry said, “We didn’t understand, either, at first.” He smiled at Benny.
Jessie settled back. She said, “Now I can hardly wait to get to that big city to see how much the necklace is worth. I was sorry before, because the city means the end of the trip.”
Benny shook his head. He said, “No, Jessie, our trip is just half over. We still have the trip back home. And don’t forget we still have a mystery. Why did the Thin Man run away? And how can we get word to him that we have found the necklace?”
Henry nodded at his brother. “Good for you, Ben. That is a real question. If the police couldn’t find the Thin Man, how can we?”
At last, Jessie picked up her needle. “I’ll have to sew up this mattress or Benny won’t have any bed to sleep in.” She stuffed it carefully and sewed up the corner.
“We’ll put it back, Jessie,” said Henry. Benny took hold of one end. As he climbed up, Benny began to laugh. He called down,
“If you are a Clown,
Be on the lookout
For things in a crown.”
“I’d like to see Cho-Cho’s face when he sees the necklace,” said Jessie.
“And Mr. Shaw’s face, and the Thin Man’s face,” said Benny.
“If we find him,” said Violet.
After the sheets were on the bed again, the family sat down. Henry laughed. He said, “Well, Jessie, I hope this isn’t your idea of a quiet, peaceful change!”
“Well, no,” said Jessie. “But it certainly was a change!”
CHAPTER 11
Is It Real?
Mr. Alden kept the necklace in his pocket. Next morning, after the housework was done, the train began to slow down. It went clacking onto a siding and came to a stop. The Aldens went down the steps, and there was Al.
Al called to them, “You have two hours here, Mr. Alden. We have to turn the train around. This is the end of the run. Be ready to go back in two hours.”
Mr. Alden asked, “Do you know of a good jewelry store?”
“Yes, right over there on Main Street,” said Al. “We pass it when we eat lunch at the Golden Horn. Maybe you’d like to eat lunch there, too.”
Mr. Alden said, “Come nearer, Al. Look at this.” Mr. Alden held up the sparkling necklace.
“Chi-Chi’s diamonds!” said Al. “Where in the world did you find them?”
“In my mattress,” said Benny. “Jessie was mending it, and there they were.”
“I’ll tell
the crew,” said Al. “Oh, will they ever be surprised! I’ll tell them this minute. I have to go now anyway.”
He rushed off. The Aldens went along Main Street. “What an adventure! It seems strange to see sidewalks and stores again,” said Benny.
Jessie said, “Isn’t that the Golden Horn way up the street?”
“Yes,” said Henry. “I can see it. And the jewelry store is on this side.”
Mr. Alden looked at the sign. “Oh, I know all about that store,” he said. “It is famous. We can trust them to tell us the truth.”
In a few minutes the Aldens went into the store. Mr. Alden went over to a gray—haired man behind a counter.
“How do you do. My name is James Alden. My grandchildren have found a lost article. We know who lost it, but we would like to know how much it is worth.”
The gentleman smiled. He expected to see a ring or a pin. He took one glance at the necklace and then looked up. “Well, sir!” he said. “Do you know what you have here?”
“Well, I have some idea,” said Mr. Alden, smiling.
The man called to another man, “Come here a minute.”
When Mr. Alden put the necklace on the black velvet tray, the second man whistled. He sat down and began to look at the diamonds through a magnifying glass. It took a long time.
Jessie thought, “Will he never tell us?”
At last he took the glass from his eye and said, “Mr. Alden, every stone is a real diamond, and every one is perfect. But the ruby is the best of all. It is a very fine one.”
“How much is the necklace worth?” asked Grandfather.
“I wouldn’t want to say,” said the man. “I would need more time.”
Benny spoke up. “Well, could a single man buy a horse and support himself and the horse for a year?”
The man laughed. “Yes, I think so.”
“That’s just what I wanted to know,” said Grandfather. He put the necklace back in his pocket. Then he said, “And now we’d like to buy a knife.”
“A knife!” exclaimed the man. He thought that Mr. Alden must want to buy a knife for himself. He took out some beautiful silver pocketknives.
“Oh, no,” said Mr. Alden. “I should have told you. We want to buy a knife for a nine-year-old boy. But it must be a strong knife that will fit a boy fourteen years old. Right, Benny?”
“Yes,” said Benny. “This boy lives in the woods, and he cuts vines and everything.”
The jeweler smiled. “Right over here,” he said. “These are all boys’ knives. Here is one with all sorts of things in it. Two blades, and a screwdriver—”
“A can opener,” said Benny, “and a leather punch. It couldn’t be better, Grandfather! Charley will certainly like that one. I can hardly wait to see his face when he opens it.”
Mr. Alden paid the man and gave him a card. The man looked at it and said, “Don’t I know you? I know the James Alden Library and the James Alden Museum. Are you that James Alden?”
“Well, I suppose I am. We all thank you very much.”
When the Aldens were outside, Henry said, “He was surprised about the knife. First a diamond necklace and then a boy’s jackknife!”
“Oh, I’m hungry,” said Benny, “and here’s the Golden Horn.”
The other Aldens didn’t laugh this time, for they were hungry, too. They all went into the restaurant.
“I’m going to have a pizza,” said Jessie.
“So am I,” agreed Violet. “We haven’t had a pizza for weeks and weeks.”
Everyone wanted a pizza. Soon the pies came, hot and bubbling. The tomato sauce was thick with cheese. When lunch was over, Henry said, “We’d better go back to the caboose now.”
When they reached the caboose, the whole train had been turned around. They climbed the steps of Number 777.
This time Al walked down on the top of the cars to see if Benny was aboard.
“It’s all right, Al,” called Benny. “I’m here this time. I try not to make the same mistake twice.”
“That’s a fine idea,” said Al. “It won’t take as long to get home as the trip out. It never does. We have more empty boxcars and not so much freight. But we do have to stop at Glass Factory Junction and Pinedale. You can see your friends then. Are you all ready, Mr. Alden?”
Mr. Alden laughed. “Yes, we are ready. We have many things to do before we stop anywhere.”
“I can believe that. You folks would always think up something to do. That’s sure. So here we go!”
In a minute the train began to move slowly toward home.
CHAPTER 12
Mysterious Message
The train was creeping along. It had hardly left the freight yard in the city.
“I wonder why we don’t go faster,” said Henry. He looked out of the window.
Jessie said, “Maybe they have to go slowly when they have just turned the train around.”
But then the train stopped.
“Now what’s the matter?” asked Benny. “I’m sure Al will tell us if there is anything wrong.”
“Mr. Carr will tell us,” said Grandfather.
As he spoke, Mr. Carr came down the ladder and tapped on the door. Henry opened it.
“Don’t be worried,” said Mr. Carr. “We are having a little trouble with the engine. The men are starting to fix it already. You’ll just have to sit here for a bit.”
“What is wrong?” asked Grandfather.
“The waterline broke, but Mr. Davis says we’ll be off in an hour.”
“An hour!” said Benny. “I thought nothing could happen to a Diesel.”
“Well, young man, plenty can happen. We never know. I’m sure you folks can think of things to do.” He laughed. “You can’t help us this time, so just amuse yourselves.” He walked quickly away.
The Aldens sat down in Number 777 and looked at each other.
“I don’t mind waiting an hour,” said Jessie.
Henry said, “If we really can’t help the men, we can think about the Thin Man. We ought to let him know we found the diamonds.”
“How can we let him know if we can’t find him?” asked Violet.
“There must be some way,” said Benny. “That poor man wasn’t to blame at all. Just think how he must feel.”
Jessie said, “I’ve always been sorry for him. Of course he made a mistake to run away. That’s the worst thing he could have done.”
Benny nodded. “He made a mistake all right. But the police were so sure he stole the necklace, I don’t blame him, really.”
“You don’t blame him, Ben?” asked Grandfather, looking right at his grandson.
“No, I don’t. We wouldn’t want to be arrested, would we? Even if we hadn’t done anything wrong?”
Violet said, “I wouldn’t, I’m sure. I wonder where he went. And how could he earn a living? Somebody would be sure to see him.”
“It’s a mystery still,” said Jessie. “It happened so long ago. The Thin Man could be anywhere.”
“He must be somewhere,” said Benny. “And that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to think of some way to send him a message. He ought to be told.”
Henry winked. “We might get an airplane to do skywriting.”
Benny stood up. “Boy, that gives me an idea!” he said. “What about radio? We could get a radio station to send a message.”
Henry nodded.
Jessie asked, “Henry, what would you say on a radio? We can’t say diamonds or necklace because everyone will answer.”
“I’d say a lost article,” said Henry. “And tell him to come to Pinedale. That will give him time to get there.”
Benny sat down at the desk. “Let’s write this down,” he said. “Then it will be ready when we need it. We’ll begin, ‘Notice to Thin Man.’ OK, Henry?”
“That’s fine,” said Henry. “There aren’t many men who are called thin men.”
In a few minutes Benny had written this piece. He read it aloud to his family.
Notice
to Thin Man:
Chi-Chi’s lost article has been found.
She hid it herself. Please come Thursday
to Pinedale and Number 777.
“Good!” said Henry. “I should think he could understand that, wherever he is. And now where will we find a radio station?”
“I know!” shouted Benny. “Right here in this big city. Will you help us, Grandfather?”
“Certainly,” said Mr. Alden, getting up. “We’ll have time if we get a taxi and hurry.”
“I’m ready,” said Benny.
“You and Ben go, Grandfather,” said Henry. “Two can hurry faster than five. We’ll walk down to the engine and tell Mr. Carr where you are.”
Mr. Alden and Benny got off the caboose and walked quickly back to Main Street.
“A taxi driver will know where the radio station is,” said Mr. Alden. “Let’s ask this one.”
In ten minutes Benny and his grandfather were standing in the radio office. Grandfather quickly told the man what he wanted. When the man read the notice, he smiled.
“You sit down right here,” he said, “and you’ll hear what I say. This station reaches for miles and miles.”
Benny said, “Will you keep on saying it? He may not be near a radio.”
“I will, young man.”
“My grandfather will let you know when we have an answer,” said Benny.
“You seem sure that this man will answer,” said the radio man.
“Oh, yes, I am,” said Benny. “He’ll be so pleased.”
After Mr. Alden had thanked the man, he told Benny to wait. “I have to make a few telephone calls,” he said.
Benny was used to this. Grandfather was always telephoning.
When the taxi returned to the train, the men were still working on the waterline. Mr. Carr called, “Ten minutes more will do it!”
“Good!” Mr. Alden called back.
When the family sat down again in the caboose, Mr. Alden said, “Let me see. We spent five days on the train coming out. We should get to Pinedale the day after tomorrow.”
Benny said, “That will give the Thin Man nearly two days to get to Pinedale. Oh, I hope he listens to the radio!”
The Boxcar Children Mysteries Box Set Page 69
