The Canoe Trip Mystery
Page 6
Angela sighed and hugged Jessie’s sleeping bag more tightly around her shoulders. “Matt helped me steal the coins,” she began. “I hid them in the woods and wrote a riddle on the big boulder as a signal. Matt and his brother Bill were to find the coins and smuggle them out of the country.”
“Why did you split up like that?” Jessie couldn’t resist asking.
“We didn’t want anybody to know wewere in this robbery together,” Angela said.
Rob scratched his red beard. “What went wrong?” he asked.
Angela frowned. “Matt and I were supposed to get married. A few months after the burglary, we had a big fight and broke off our engagement.” Angela stopped talking and dabbed her eyes with one of Jessie’s tissues.
“So you didn’t want Matt and Bill to find the coins?” the sheriff asked.
“No.” Angela shook her head forcefully. “I did everything I could to scare them away. I made sure Matt and Bill pitched their tent in poison ivy,” she said proudly.
“It worked,” Henry said. “The last time we saw them, they both had pretty bad cases.”
Angela couldn’t help smiling a little.
“Did you try to scare us too?” Benny blurted. He’d been waiting for the right moment to ask Angela about the wolf.
“Yes,” Angela nodded. She looked very tired. “I made a tape of wolf calls to scare campers away. I also made lots of campfiresat odd hours and I even shined a light in your tent one night, Jessie.” Angela sighed heavily before continuing. “I even dug a hole near your tent, Rob.”
Rob looked down at his ankle. “It seems to be getting better,” was all he said. He exchanged glances with the sheriff.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me.” The sheriff led Angela away.
CHAPTER 11
Mr. Withington
The following day, Grandfather drove the family station wagon up a long, winding gravel driveway. Ahead, the Aldens could see a very large brick house with white shutters.
A maid met them at the door. She led them to a comfortable living room with a large bay window overlooking a rose garden. A kind-looking gentleman greeted them.
“I’m so happy you came.” Mr. Withington shook Grandfather’s hand warmly. “Rob told me so much about your family.”
Mr. Withington turned to Henry, Jessie, Violet, Benny, and Aunt Jane. “I can’t thank you enough for finding my coin collection. It really means so much to me.” He beamed at all the Aldens.
Benny was busy looking at a large tray with a chocolate layer cake and strawberries on it. Suddenly, the doorbell rang again. A moment later, the maid came in with Rob.
After greeting everyone, Rob helped himself to some tea from the silver tea set on the piano. Mr. Withington sat in a comfortable armchair by the fireplace. The others settled themselves around him.
Rob reached in his jacket and brought out the leather pouch of coins. “Here they are,” he said, handing them to Mr. Withington.
Mr. Withington accepted the coins gratefully, but he looked a little sad just the same. “I still can’t really believe Eliza and Matt were responsible for all of this.”
“Yes, unfortunately they were.” Rob looked sad, too. “They planned this robbery long before they started working here.They’re both wanted for burglary in other states.”
“I wonder why they left the coins in the woods in the first place,” Jessie said as she helped herself to some lemonade the maid brought.
“They wanted to hide them until all the publicity had died down a bit,” Rob explained.
“If Angela knew where the coins were, why didn’t she just take them out of their hiding place in the woods after Matt and she broke up?” Henry asked.
“It’s almost impossible to travel to Timberwolf Lake in the winter,” Rob explained. Mr. Withington nodded. “They had to wait until the spring before they could go and get the coins.
“Besides, Angela is the type of person who likes to play games. She liked the idea of scaring Matt almost as much as she wanted the coins,” Rob said.
“She sure did a good job scaring us, too,” Benny mentioned. He took the big glass ofmilk the maid handed him. His glass had little red canoes all over it.
Mr. Withington opened the pouch of coins and spread them out on the coffee table in front of him. Violet picked up a pretty silver coin with a willow tree on it and held it up to the light.
“That was one of the first coins to be minted in the colonies,” Mr. Withington explained to her.
Violet smiled at him. “You know,” she said, turning to Rob, “I still don’t understand how Angela had time to steal all our canoe equipment at the bunkhouse.”
“She moved very quickly. She saw you arrive in the canoe and stole everything before she even went to the bunkhouse to meet you.” Rob had picked up a large gold doubloon and was examining it.
“She must have thought her job was over with Matt and Bill off the trail,” Mr. Withington remarked.
“Yes, she never dreamed she’d have so many people to scare off, this early in the canoeing season. That was the trouble. She had no time to take the coins out of their hiding place. She never thought some children would be able to find them.” Rob smiled at the Aldens.
“What about the attempted robbery in the local museum?” Grandfather wondered. He poured more milk into his tea.
“Oh, Angela did that, too,” Rob said. “She thought they might have some rare colonial coins that would add to the value of Mr. Withington’s collection.”
“Goodness, she thought of almost everything,” Mr. Withington said.
“Yes, she even knew where Matt and Bill were. We picked them up this morning. They’re still itching from their poison ivy,” Rob chuckled.
“Will we ever get our camping equipment back?” Benny asked.
“I’m afraid it sank with Angela’s canoe,” Rob said.
Mr. Withington cleared his throat. “I’m planning to replace the equipment you lost,” he said. “It’s the least I could do.”
“Thank you, Mr. Withington.” Violet beamed.
“Ernie will thank you, too,” Henry said, smiling.
“Now, why don’t you all have something to eat, if you’re hungry,” Mr. Withington said.
“Oh, I’m always hungry,” Benny said. He helped himself to some chocolate cake and took a big bite. “You know, the hot dogs on the trail were good,” he said. “But this is much better!”
Everyone laughed.
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
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
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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 © 1994 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN: 978-1-4532-1292-9
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