Violet spoke up. “I’m sure we’ll find the necklace if everybody looks around for it tomorrow.”
Henry nodded. “The secret is teamwork.”
Josh perched on the arm of the chair beside his wife. “Henry’s right,” he told her. “Maybe it’s time you and I started acting like a team, Vanessa.”
“I’d like that, Josh.” Vanessa looked up and smiled a little for the first time.
Kate turned her attention to the Aldens. “And what on earth were the four of you doing down here?”
“Tracking clues,” Benny told her proudly.
Henry nodded. “We’re getting closer to figuring out Ethan’s rhyme, Kate.”
Kate looked puzzled, but only for an instant. “Oh, you must be talking about the rhyme you found in the old desk.” She sat down on the sofa beside Lindsay. “That was Thane’s rhyme, Henry,” she corrected. “Remember?”
This made Henry laugh. “Two make one.”
Kate looked even more confused.
“They were the same person, Kate,” Jessie explained. “Thane changed his name to Ethan Cape.”
“At least, that’s what we think,” added Violet.
“What …?” Kate stared at the children in disbelief.
“Just what kind of game are you kids playing?” The professor, who had been standing in the doorway, suddenly stepped into the room. He didn’t look happy.
“It’s not a game,” Violet said quietly. “We’re pretty sure Margaret O’Malley’s painting holds a secret.” She pointed to the watercolor of the Emerald Isle.
“A secret?” Lindsay’s eyes were big. “What kind of secret?”
Henry answered, “Maybe the truth about the past.”
Kate smoothed her robe over her knees. “Well, now, this is getting exciting!” she said. “Let’s find out what’s there,” she added. “Would you like to do the honors, Henry?”
Nodding, Henry lifted the painting down from the wall. Everyone gathered round while he gently removed the backing. Sure enough, a folded letter, yellowed with age, had been hidden underneath.
Kate unfolded the letter Henry handed her and read it aloud.
Dear Sally,
I don’t know if you’ll ever find this letter, but I can’t go without leaving the truth behind. As you know, I came out west with my sister on the Orphan Train. I was adopted by one family, and my sister by another. But I never forgot about her. Not for a moment. And so, a few weeks ago, I set out to find her. Imagine my surprise when the young girl I pulled from the icy water turned out to be my long lost sister!
Yes, it’s true, Sally. I held you in my arms when we came out together on the Orphan Train. Wrapped up in one of your baby blankets was the bluebird necklace that had belonged to our mother. When I saw it around your neck, I knew the truth. I went to your adopted parents and told them of my discovery. But they refuse to tell you the truth. I think they're afraid of losing you. So they’ve accused me of theft, and threatened to have me arrested. I have no choice but to leave. (I’ll change my name in case they send the law after me. How does Ethan Cape sound?)
But I go with an easy mind, knowing you are in safe hands. In spite of their unfairness to me, I am grateful they’ve taken such good care of you. I’ve left you one last riddle to solve—a riddle that will lead to this note. I can only hope your father will give my riddle to you.
I aim to become a great photographer, Sally. Keep the photograph I took of you in your family album. After I make my mark in the world, I’ll come back to see you. If you haven’t discovered the truth by then, I will tell you everything. Until that time, I shall keep our past a secret.
Your brother,
Thane Pace
For a moment, everyone was too surprised to speak. Finally, Kate broke the silence.
“Amazing,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “Ethan Cape rode the Orphan Train with my grandmother!”
“He was your great-uncle, Kate,” Josh was quick to point out.
“Why, yes. I … I suppose so.” Kate stared wide-eyed as the truth began to sink in.
The professor dropped into a chair. “That fills in the missing gap in those early years of Ethan’s life.”
This made Kate turn in surprise. “What’s your interest in this, professor?”
The professor hesitated, then he said, “I’m not the person you think I am, Kate.”
Kate blinked in disbelief. “You tricked me?”
“I did.”
“But … why?” said Kate. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“I should never have deceived you, Kate,” the professor said. “But I was afraid you wouldn’t let me stay if you knew the truth.” He looked over at the picture above the fireplace. “You see, I’m a collector of Ethan Cape’s works.”
Kate’s mouth had dropped open. “Of course!” she cried. “I thought your voice sounded familiar—you’re the man I spoke with on the phone a few months ago. You wanted to buy the photograph of my grandmother.”
“That’s right.”
“You wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Kate went on. “As I recall, I was forced to hang up on you.”
The professor managed a weak smile. “I know I was a bit too pushy,” he admitted. “That’s why I thought it best to pretend to be someone else—a professor just here on vacation.”
Kate frowned. “You figured you could convince me to sell my grandmother’s photograph,” she concluded. “That explains why you kept talking about putting money away for my old age. How could you do something like that?”
The professor looked down at his hands. “Because family history means a great deal to me, too, Kate.”
Jessie’s jaw suddenly dropped. “Oh, my goodness!”
The others turned to look at her. “What’s the matter, Jessie?”
“That book on the patio!” Jessie put her hands to her mouth. “You said it was your grandfather’s book, Professor. But it wasn’t a gift from your grandfather, was it?” She looked right at him. “It was a book about your grandfather!”
“I guess you’ve found me out,” he said, looking around at all the faces staring at him. “My real name’s Matthew Cape. I’m Ethan Cape’s grandson.”
Kate was so startled, she needed a few moments to collect her thoughts. “That would mean …”
Matthew nodded. “You and I are second cousins, Kate.” The corners of his mouth began to twitch and then he started to laugh. “I came here to add to my collection of photographs, but I’ve added to my family instead. Thanks to the Aldens,” he quickly added.
Benny grinned. “And that’s way better than a photograph!”
“You’ve got that right, Benny,” agreed Matthew, who was a changed person now that the truth was out in the open. “I can’t thank you kids enough for uncovering the truth about my grandfather. And I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit…” His voice trailed away.
“Unfriendly?” asked Benny.
“Yes, Benny,” said Matthew. “I figured if I kept my distance, no one would ask me any personal questions.”
“Oh,” said Violet, beginning to understand.
“Well, Matthew,” Kate said with a twinkle in her eye, “I’m afraid my grandmother’s photograph is still off limits. Even to a cousin.”
Matthew held up his hands. “That photograph is right where it belongs, Kate.”
Lindsay suddenly jumped up. “This calls for a celebration!” She hurried from the room, returning a few moments later with peanut-butter cookies and milk for everyone.
“Ethan was true to his word,” Jessie said, as she reached for a cookie. “He really did come back to see his long-lost sister.”
Kate nodded. “I imagine he told my grandmother the truth about their past.” She took a long sip of cold milk. “That must have been the secret she wanted to share with the family.”
“I guess your great-grandfather had a hunch about that rhyme,” said Violet.
“Yes, that would explain why he kept it hidden away
,” said Kate. “He didn’t want to risk losing Sally if it held the truth about the past.”
“I knew Thane Pace wasn’t a thief,” put in Benny. The youngest Alden was all smiles as he took a bite of his cookie. Then his eyes suddenly widened.
“What’s wrong?” Jessie asked her little brother in alarm.
Benny answered by reaching into his mouth and pulling out something yellow and blue—it was the bluebird necklace!
“Oh!” cried Lindsay. “How in the world did … ?”
Vanessa was clapping her hands. “I bet I know what happened,” she said, laughing with relief. “You were making cookies, Lindsay, when you called me to the phone the other day. I remember reaching into the cupboard for a coffee mug. The necklace must’ve slipped off and landed right in the—”
“Cookie dough!” finished Benny, handing the necklace to Kate.
Kate’s smile was dazzling. “What a perfect ending to the evening!” she said, brushing the crumbs from the bluebird charm. “Your grandfather was right—you children really are first-class detectives!”
“Well, one thing’s for sure,” Henry said with a grin. “Benny really knows how to sink his teeth into a mystery!”
“Especially if it tastes like peanut butter!” said Benny, as he reached for another cookie.
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<
br />
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
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
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 © 2005 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2895-1
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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www.openroadmedia.com
EBOOKS BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA
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The Mystery of the Orphan Train Page 6