The Mystery of the Haunted Boxcar
Page 6
“None of you took this out of the library?” Jessie asked.
“No,” they all said.
“Then it must belong to the person who was in here,” said Jessie.
“I think you’re right,” Henry agreed.
“I have a feeling it was Claire,” Violet said, taking the book from her sister and turning the pages.
“Really?” asked Jessie. “How do you know?”
“It’s a kids’ book — a chapter book. Claire and I were just talking about books today. She said she’d gotten a bunch of books at the library, and that she thought the boxcar would be a great place to read,” Violet said. “She must have come in while we were gone.”
“If she was here today, she might have come here other times without us knowing,” said Henry. “Maybe she’s the one who’s been ‘haunting’ it.”
“But why?” asked Benny.
“I bet she comes because she wants to play,” Violet said. “She’s probably bored hanging out with her father and her aunt all day.”
“But why not just ask if we want to play with her?” Benny said.
“Because she’s very shy,” Violet said. “I know what that feels like. I think she comes over, hoping to join us, and then maybe gets scared.”
“So she took the cookie,” said Benny.
“No one can resist Mrs. McGregor’s cookies,” Jessie reminded him. “You know that better than anyone.”
“That’s true,” said Benny, smiling.
“And that day I heard the noises in the boxcar, that could have been Claire,” said Violet. “Remember how we had a big pile of sleeping bags in here that day? She must have gotten scared when she heard me coming and hidden down behind them. But she couldn’t keep completely still, so I heard her moving around a bit.”
“But why not just come out and say hello?” asked Benny.
“Not everyone is as outgoing as you are,” Violet said.
“But when we took all the stuff out of the boxcar, we didn’t see her,” Benny pointed out.
“She must have left when I went inside to get you guys,” Violet said.
“Okay, but if she just wants to play in our boxcar, why would she come with a flashlight in the middle of the night?” Jessie said.
“That wasn’t Claire,” Henry said. “The person I saw that second night was much bigger than she is.”
“If that was someone else,” Jessie said, “then we haven’t solved the whole mystery yet.”
“I’ll go return Claire’s book,” Violet said. “Maybe she’ll know something about the rest of the mystery.”
“Should we all go?” asked Jessie.
“No, I think she might be more comfortable with just me,” said Violet.
Picking up the book, Violet headed next door and rang the bell.
Claire answered the door.
“Hi, Claire. Is this your book?” said Violet.
Claire’s face turned pink. “Yes, um, thanks.”
“It was in the boxcar. It’s a great place to read, isn’t it?” Violet said gently.
Claire’s uncomfortable look turned to a shy smile. “Yes, it is. So cozy.”
“We don’t mind that you were there,” Violet said. “You can come over whenever you want.”
Claire’s face turned pink again. “I have come over before, a couple of times …. I wanted to play, but … ”
“But you felt too shy to ask?” said Violet. “I’ve felt that way before.”
“You have?” said Claire, her face brightening. Then she frowned. “I was in there when you were reading. I wanted to sneak away, but I didn’t want you to think I’d been spying on you. I also ate one of your cookies. They looked so good, I just … ”
“Couldn’t resist?” said Violet with a grin. “Mrs. McGregor is a good cook. Why don’t you come over now and have some more?”
Claire smiled broadly. “That would be great.”
Violet had one more question. “This may sound strange, but … did you ever come over to the boxcar in the middle of the night?”
Claire shook her head. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know,” said Violet. “But someone has been out there, and we don’t know who.”
Claire said, “In the middle of the night? That’s weird.”
“It sure is,” said Violet. “Never mind. Let’s go back to my house and play.”
Claire called upstairs, “Aunt Flo? I’m going over to the Aldens’.”
“Okay, but don’t stay too long,” her aunt called back. “Your father has invited Amelia Wile to join us for dinner and she’ll be here soon.”
Claire turned to go, but Violet stood still.
“What’s the matter?” Claire asked.
“Did your aunt say Amelia Wile?” Violet said.
“Yes,” said Claire. “You know, the woman who is interested in boxcars?”
“Oh my goodness!” said Violet. “We have to go tell the others!”
CHAPTER 10
All’s Wile That Ends Wile
Violet ran back to the boxcar as quickly as she could, with Claire at her heels.
“Wait!” Claire called. “What’s going on?”
Violet and Claire arrived breathless in the doorway of the boxcar. Jessie and Benny were sitting on the floor playing cards, and Henry was beside them, flipping through a magazine.
“You guys, you’ll never believe it!” said Violet, gasping for breath.
Jessie, Benny, and Henry looked up at Violet with wonder.
“What is it?” asked Jessie.
Violet took a couple of seconds to catch her breath. “I was just over at Florence Murray’s and she said that Amelia is invited to dinner.”
“Um, that’s nice,” said Jessie, looking confused.
“You came running back to tell us that?” said Benny.
“She said that Amelia Wile is coming for dinner,” Violet said.
“Amelia’s last name is Wile?” said Jessie. “That means — ”
“She must be related to Isabel,” Henry said. “She could be her granddaughter or something.”
Jessie thought a moment. “Actually, if Isabel had gotten married, her name wouldn’t have been Wile anymore. So Amelia must be Louis’s granddaughter — Isabel is her great aunt.”
At last Claire spoke up. “What on earth are you guys talking about?”
Jessie laughed, then told Claire all about the doll and the diary they’d found.
“Amelia’s grandfather must have told stories about living in a boxcar in Silver City,” said Henry. “That’s why she was so interested in old trains.”
“She probably thought this was the boxcar where her grandfather had lived,” said Violet. “That’s why she kept coming back.”
“Louis probably told Amelia about living in the boxcar,” said Henry. “And maybe about the doll and the diary he helped his sister hide.”
“Amelia did ask us if we’d ever found anything unusual here,” Benny recalled.
“She might have been the one who was here at night,” said Violet. “She was probably trying to find that hidden compartment.”
The children heard a car door shut. “I bet that’s Amelia now,” said Claire, running out to see. The Aldens followed her. A small purple car was parked at the curb in front of Florence Murray’s house. Amelia was walking up the front path.
“We should bring Rebecca and the diary over there,” said Violet, going back into the boxcar.
“Yes,” the others agreed.
Claire and the Aldens walked quickly next door. Violet was carrying the doll and the diary.
When Ms. Murray opened the door, she said, “Claire, I’m glad you’re back. Amelia is here and we’re going to be having dinner soon. Would you all like to join us? I can throw some more hamburgers on the grill.”
“Thank you,” said Henry, “but Mrs. McGregor is expecting us at home for dinner. We just wanted to show something to Amelia, if that’s all right.”
“Sure, come on in,” said Ms. Murr
ay.
Amelia and Professor Murray were sitting in the living room chatting. “Hello,” they both said when the children entered.
“Hello,” the children said.
“Amelia, we have something important to show you,” said Jessie. She held out the doll and the diary.
“What’s— ” Amelia began, looking confused. But as soon as she opened the diary she understood. She inhaled deeply and looked as if she was about to cry.
“How did you find them?” she asked the Aldens.
“We found the doll a couple of days ago, in a hidden compartment,” Henry said. “A note in its pocket told us how to find the diary.”
“Isabel was your great aunt, wasn’t she?” Violet asked softly.
Amelia nodded through happy tears. She turned to Professor Murray, who was looking rather puzzled.
“I never told you why I’m so interested in old trains,” Amelia said. “My grandfather, Louis Wile, lived in a boxcar for a few months when his father lost his job. His sister, my Great Aunt Isabel, used to tell me stories about her doll and the diary she’d left there. I started to search for the boxcar they’d lived in. When I found the one in the Aldens’ backyard, I knew it had to be the one. It matched everything my grandfather and great aunt had told me.”
“So you came in the middle of the night to look for the doll and the diary, didn’t you?” said Jessie.
Amelia nodded. “I didn’t want to tell you what I was looking for. So I came at night, with my lantern.”
“I thought you were a ghost!” said Benny.
“I knew you’d seen me,” said Amelia. “I heard the door of your house open and I ran. I’m sorry, I think I knocked some things over.”
“That’s okay,” said Jessie.
“You came back another time, too,” said Henry.
“Yes, I did,” Amelia admitted. “I parked my car at the Murrays’ house and then sneaked over.”
“Why didn’t you just tell us the story?” Violet asked. “We would have helped you look for the doll.”
Amelia shrugged. “I didn’t know you, and I was afraid you might keep the doll and the diary for yourself.”
Violet shook her head. “We would never do that. Those belong to you.”
“We have something else for you,” Jessie said. She handed Amelia the pages they’d copied from the old newspapers. Amelia’s eyes opened wide as she looked at them.
“We think your great grandfather worked for that factory,” Jessie explained.
Amelia nodded. “I think you’re right.”
“Did you find these pages at the library?” Professor Murray asked.
“Yes,” said Henry.
Professor Murray smiled. “You are excellent historians.”
Henry turned to Professor Murray. “We thought it might be you going in the boxcar in the middle of the night,” he admitted.
“Me?” Professor Murray said. “But why?”
“We thought you wanted us to think it was haunted,” said Benny.
“Haunted?” said Professor Murray, looking surprised.
“We thought maybe you were trying to scare us into giving up our boxcar,” said Jessie.
Professor Murray smiled. “I would never do something like that. In fact, I’ve been rethinking what I said about your boxcar. I think you kids should keep it.”
“You do?” they all said at once.
“You take very good care of that boxcar,” Professor Murray said. “I’ve seen what a special place it is to you.”
“Hooray!” shouted the Aldens.
Violet turned to Amelia. “You can come visit anytime. That boxcar is part of your family history, too.”
Just then, the doorbell rang. Florence Murray went to answer it, and a moment later Mr. Alden walked into the living room.
“Grandfather!” the children shouted, running to him and nearly knocking him over with their hugs.
“When did you get home?” Jessie asked.
“Just now,” Mr. Alden said. “I figured I might find you here.”
“I’m so glad you’re back,” said Violet, hugging her grandfather again.
Mr. Alden grinned. “Did anything interesting happen while I was gone?”
“Anything interesting?” said Benny. “Just wait until you hear!”
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
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<
br />
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 Black Raven
The Mystery of the Pirate’s Map
The Mystery in the Mall
The Mystery in New York
The Gymnastics Mystery
The Poison Frog Mystery
The Mystery of the Empty Safe
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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 © 2004 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2890-6
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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