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Mystery in the Snow

Page 6

by Gertrude Chandler Warner


  “They’re not mind readers,” Henry said.

  “Even if I did tell them, they wouldn’t care,” Jimmy argued.

  Benny sat down beside Jimmy. “That’s what we thought about our grandfather,” he said.

  Jimmy looked surprised. “Mr. Alden is a terrific man.”

  “But we didn’t know that at first,” Violet said.

  Henry told Jimmy about their days in the boxcar and their fear of a grandfather they didn’t even know.

  “We learned our lesson,” Jessie said. “Now, we say what’s on our minds.”

  Jimmy smiled. “Benny didn’t need that lesson,” he teased. “I bet he was born saying what was on his mind.”

  Everybody laughed.

  Then, Jimmy grew serious again. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s not all their fault. Maybe it’s mine, too.” He looked at the Aldens. “But what can I do about it?”

  They all thought about that.

  Finally, Jessie said, “Why don’t you call them?”

  “That’s a good idea,” Henry agreed.

  “You mean now?” Jimmy sounded uncertain.

  “The sooner the better,” Jessie said.

  Jimmy got to his feet. “All right,” he said. “I’ll do it. But first, will you come with me to talk to Mr. Mercer?”

  The Aldens understood. It would be difficult to tell Mr. Mercer what he had done; he needed support.

  CHAPTER 17

  The Winners

  Mr. Mercer took them into his small office. There, Jimmy gave Mr. Mercer the equipment shop keys. Then, he told his story. The man sat silently, listening.

  “It was a dumb thing to do,” Jimmy concluded. “And I’m really sorry. I’ll do anything I can to make up for it.”

  Mr. Mercer nodded. For a long time, he didn’t say a word. He just kept nodding. The room was so quiet Jimmy and the Aldens could hear themselves breathing.

  Finally, Mr. Mercer said, “Telling me this has not been easy.” He paused. “I think we’ll just keep it to ourselves.” He glanced at Jimmy. “Is that all right with you?”

  “Oh, yes, sir,” Jimmy replied. The color came back to his cheeks.

  “Fine. Now go on out of here, all of you.” Mr. Mercer turned his chair toward his desk. “I have work to do.”

  They started out.

  “Oh, Jimmy, there is one thing you can do,” Mr. Mercer said.

  “Anything, sir,” Jimmy responded.

  “For the remainder of the games, I expect you to do your best — like the champion you are.”

  Jimmy smiled broadly. “You can count on it,” he said.

  He went back to his room to phone his parents. The Aldens waited for him in the lounge.

  “Maybe Jimmy’s parents will change their minds and come for the awards dinner,” Jessie said.

  “I hope so,” Violet said.

  Jimmy came toward them. His eyes were sad.

  Benny was surprised to see him back so soon. “You didn’t talk very long,” he said.

  “I didn’t talk at all,” Jimmy replied. “They weren’t there.”

  “Maybe they’re out to breakfast,” Violet said.

  Jimmy shook his head. “They’ve checked out of the hotel. No one knows where they went.”

  At last it was time for the judging of the ice carvings. Watch sat very still beside his ice self.

  “He wants everyone to know he posed for it,” Benny said.

  Nan’s group had turned their ice castle into a dog house. Watch’s name was carved on the door.

  The judges called it a tie.

  The next two days were busy.

  As he had promised, Jimmy did his best in the remaining events. Everyone else did well, too.

  Everything was more fun. The lounge was always full of people playing word games and talking. The teams mixed more freely. Benny did very well in his sledding race, and afterwards, everyone — even the adults — had a gigantic snowball fight. No one won. But it didn’t seem to matter.

  Skating was the last event. It was held on the afternoon of the awards dinner. Once more, the ice was smooth as glass. Beth and Jessie did figure skating dances. Jimmy and Matt raced against Freddy and another member of her team. All the skaters took part in the last race, a relay.

  The crowd roared as the baton was passed from one person to the next. It was the closest, most exciting race of the week. Only Pete and his stopwatch seemed to know who had won. And he wasn’t telling.

  Back at the lodge, people talked about the games.

  Jimmy stood by the fire, talking with the Aldens. “This was probably the best — ” He broke off. The smile froze on his face.

  “What’s the matter?” Henry asked.

  Jimmy didn’t say a word. He just kept staring.

  The Aldens followed his gaze. Standing inside the door were Mr. and Mrs. Phelps!

  Jimmy sprang into action. “Mom! Dad!” he called and sprinted across the room to meet them.

  Mrs. Phelps hugged her son. Mr. Phelps hugged him, too.

  “I called you,” Jimmy told them. “You’d checked out.”

  “We decided to surprise you,” Mr. Phelps said.

  Jimmy took them over by the fire. “These are my friends,” he said and introduced the Aldens.

  “No wonder you like it here, Jimmy,” Mr. Phelps said. “There are so many interesting people.”

  “The whole time we were away, we kept wishing we were here with you,” Mrs. Phelps said.

  Jimmy couldn’t hide his surprise. “And I was wishing I was there with you,” he told them. After that, all his feelings came tumbling out.

  The Phelps were stunned. They had always thought he wanted to come here for the winter games. And they thought he liked being on his own.

  “What a terrible misunderstanding!” Mrs. Phelps said.

  “From now on, we’ll discuss these things,” Mr. Phelps said. “And the next time we take a vacation, it will be together.”

  Mrs. Phelps glanced around the room. She seemed to like what she saw. “And maybe we’ll spend it at Snow Haven,” she said.

  “That’d be great,” Benny put in. “We might be here, too.”

  The parade into the dining room began. Mr. Alden stood at the door beside Mr. Mercer.

  “Well, Benny, are you ready to eat?” Mr. Alden asked.

  “I’m too excited to eat,” Benny said. “I can’t wait until we find out who won.”

  Mr. Mercer laughed. “I’ll save you the suspense, Benny,” he said. “In my book, you’re all winners.”

  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 each 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 © 1993 by Albert Whitman & Company

  ISBN: 978-1-4532-1268-4

  This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media

  180 Varick Street

  New York, NY 10014

  www.openroadmedia.com

 

 

 


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