“What are archives?” asked Violet.
“Archives are very old things—historical records like diaries and letters or even the old Stampede posters you saw at the museum,” said Aunt Judy.
Henry nudged Jessie and nodded toward the float and the man with the large hat. “I think that’s the man we saw at the museum yesterday!”
Jessie squinted. “He does have a beard… and that big hat sure looks familiar!”
The man looked up from the boxes to wave to the parade spectators, and Henry was sure he was the man from the museum!
When the last float had gone by, the Aldens, Aunt Judy, and Daisy joined the river of parade-goers heading toward the fair. The streets were packed and hot, but the crowd seemed friendly as if everyone knew one another.
Benny grabbed Daisy’s hand, and she smiled at him. “Welcome to the Calgary Stampede,” she said. “The celebration has now officially begun!”
Aunt Judy, Daisy, and the Aldens headed to Stampede Park, where the grandstand, rodeo arena, and many of the other Stampede attractions were taking place. Daisy had rehearsal with the Young Canadians before the show that night, so Judy dropped her off at the south gate to the park.
“We’ll be back in time for the show,” Aunt Judy told Daisy. “Break a leg!” The Aldens knew that meant “good luck.”
“I have my pin,” said Daisy. “That’s all the luck I need.” She touched the pin on her collar. “I really do feel lucky.”
Aunt Judy watched her niece disappear through the gate. “She doesn’t really need the pin for luck, you know,” she told the children. “She has a full chuckwagon’s worth of talent.”
“I can’t wait to see her tonight!” Jessie said.
“I have a busy afternoon planned for us,” said Aunt Judy. “First, we’ll take a drive along the Bow River.”
“What about dinner?” asked Benny.
Aunt Judy chuckled. “I thought we could go back to the food section of the midway, and fill up on deep-fried pickled beans!”
Benny looked uncertain. He liked to think he could try any sort of food, but deep-fried pickled beans just did not sound good!
“I told you we had some very strange food here,” Aunt Judy said. “How about we have homemade macaroni and cheese with bacon at my place instead?”
Benny nodded and grinned.
After an afternoon drive and dinner at Aunt Judy’s, it was time to go back to Stampede Park. Aunt Judy and the Aldens made their way to the grandstand.
Jessie noticed the grandstand was starting to fill with spectators as she and the others followed Aunt Judy to the Young Canadians’ dressing rooms.
“This is one of the biggest mobile stages in the world,” Aunt Judy explained. “During the day, it’s parked just outside the rodeo arena. The rodeo events and the chuckwagon races are in the arena throughout the day, and then at night the entire stage is pulled by a huge tractor right into the middle of the arena.”
Henry and his siblings thought a stage that could be pulled by a tractor sounded amazing. “I can’t wait to see it,” he said.
They had reached the dressing room entrance. “Good evening, Ms. Simon,” the security guard said as he waved Aunt Judy and the Aldens through. It seemed to Jessie that Aunt Judy could go wherever she wanted.
The dressing room was loud and bright. A group of girls was warming up with singing exercises, and their warbly bird sounds made Benny and Violet giggle. Another group of teenagers were on their toes dancing in circles.
“Look,” said Jessie, pointing toward the mirrors. “There’s Daisy’s friend Clay from the parade.”
Clay was sitting in front of a mirror, putting gel in his hair, which was thick and kept falling across his face. The gel didn’t seem to be helping, and he got up to look for something.
His little sister was sitting next to him. “I told you to let Mom cut it,” she said to Clay.
“Daisy was right,” Henry told Jessie. “His little sister does seem to follow him around all the time.” They watched as the little girl, who looked to be about five, stood up and followed her big brother as he looked around the dressing room.
Clay came to a stop in front of them. “You haven’t seen a cowboy hat around here, have you by any chance? I’ve got to cover this up.” He pushed his fingers through his messy hair.
“I’ve seen a lot of cowboy hats.” Jessie laughed. After all, in this city, cowboy hats were everywhere!
A look came over Clay’s face. Jessie thought maybe he’d suddenly remembered where his hat was. He ran out of the room, bumping into people in his rush. His little sister stayed behind, looking confused.
“I wonder what that was about,” Violet remarked.
Clay came running back a few moments later, his hat on his head. “Whoa! Sorry,” he said to the Aldens. “I didn’t mean to be rude. I just remembered where I left my hat.” He grinned and shook their hands. “I’m Clay.”
“And I’m Little Clay,” his little sister said.
“Do you have your own name?” asked Jessie, smiling at the little girl.
“Yes,” she said. “But I like to be Little Clay. I’m going to be a Young Canadian too someday.”
At that moment a woman called to the little girl from the doorway. “Honey!” she said. “We need to go.”
“Oh, that’s my mom. Got to go!” Little Clay danced over to her mom and they left.
Jessie turned back to Clay. She was going to ask him where he’d found his hat.
But suddenly they heard a cry from the lockers by the doorway. Everyone turned to look.
“My pin!” shrieked Daisy. “Has anyone seen my aunt’s pin? It’s gone!”
CHAPTER 3
A Pin for Good Luck
Jessie could tell that everyone in the dressing room knew what Daisy was talking about. She must have shown them all the pin.
“Don’t panic,” called out Aunt Judy. But Daisy was already in tears.
Some of the other Young Canadians tried to reassure her.
“I’m sure it will turn up,” one boy said.
“It has to be somewhere around here,” said a girl in a bright blue sundress. She looked close to tears herself.
A few more Young Canadians searched the dressing tables, looked under costumes, and checked the floor.
“Where did you last see it?” Henry asked.
Daisy wiped her eyes. “It was in my…”
Suddenly a voice boomed over the PA system. “Young Canadians! Places in three minutes!”
“Oh no,” whispered Daisy. “How can I go onstage without my pin?”
Violet grabbed her hand and held it tight. “You can do it,” she said. “Your aunt said you have a whole chuckwagon full of talent. And I believe her. Don’t you believe your aunt?”
Aunt Judy spoke up. “You have the talent, Daisy! You know it!”
Daisy looked at Aunt Judy and then at Violet, and after a moment she nodded. She sniffed and shook her head. “I need to get ready to go on,” she said. “I’ll look later, when the show is over.”
“We’ll find your pin for you,” said Jessie.
“We’re good at finding things,” added Benny.
Daisy dried her eyes and put on the last touches to her makeup. Aunt Judy looked on sadly. Jessie wondered if losing the pin bothered her. Was she worried for Daisy?
The Aldens and Aunt Judy watched the show from the wings of the stage. It began with a burst of music as performers in country costumes, glittering with sequins and stars and bright fringe, filled the stage.
“How many Young Canadians are there?” Jessie whispered. Onstage, rows of teenagers were performing a musical routine with sticks and wagon wheels. They circled the wheels in the air over their heads as though they were feather light. It seemed magical. Benny’s eyes were huge, and Jessie had a feeling he was going to try something with their old hula-hoop when they got back home.
The next act was a dance number, with the Young Canadians tap-dancing in a circle formati
on. Daisy danced in the middle by herself as other dancers stepped back. Violet remembered how anxious Daisy had been about the pin and wondered if she would be all right.
Daisy held up her microphone, and Jessie could see that her face had gone pale. She touched the collar of her shirt—the place where the pin should be—and looked over at Aunt Judy. Then she began to sing.
Her first note was too soft as if she was scared. Henry could see Aunt Judy bite her lip and whisper something under her breath. But the audience burst into excited applause. Daisy became even paler. She sang a song about wagon wheels moving through long prairie grass. “We keep rolling, looking for home…” But after a moment, her voice faltered again.
“Oh no,” said Aunt Judy, and she reached for Violet’s and Benny’s hands.
From where they were standing, the Aldens could see Daisy trembling. But just then Clay and another girl in the troupe stepped forward and stood beside Daisy. Clay sang the melody with Daisy and the other girl sang harmony, and together they sounded good. Daisy smiled at Clay and then at the girl, and she looked so relieved.
“They saved the day,” Aunt Judy whispered. “The show must always go on!”
The show did go on. Even after Daisy’s stumble, the show was amazing. Jessie shook off her worries and enjoyed every minute. She hoped Daisy could do the same.
When the Young Canadians finished their performance, a fireworks show began in the night sky over the grandstand.
Suddenly Henry had an idea. The Young Canadians were still onstage throughout the fireworks show. That meant the dressing room was still empty! He realized it would be a good time to search for Daisy’s pin. He tugged on Jessie’s sleeve and told her his plan.
A few minutes later, the two of them were pulling open drawers and looking under chairs in the empty dressing room.
Henry was peering into cabinet when he heard a squeak from behind a closet door nearby. He pulled it open, and out popped one of the teens he had seen in the dressing room before the show—the girl in the bright blue sundress. She had a flashlight in her hand.
“What are you doing here?” asked Henry. “I remember you. You were here before.”
“I work here,” she said, turning a deep shade of red. “I’m Marian.”
Jessie abandoned her side of the room and joined them. “I’m Jessie and this is my brother, Henry. We’re looking for the pin that went missing. Maybe you’ve seen it.” “No, I don’t think so,” said Marian quickly, looking flustered. Then she pulled herself together. “I was here earlier.” She stood straighter. “I hope you don’t think that means I took it!” She waved the flashlight under Henry’s nose. “I’ve been looking for it myself.”
Jessie remembered seeing Marian close to tears before the show. But she waited for Marian to explain herself further.
“Look, I work with the Young Canadians,” Marian said. “I help with wardrobe and props. You don’t really think I took it, do you?”
“Nobody seems to know what happened to it,” Henry said.
“Well, I didn’t take it.” Marian’s voice grew firmer as she spoke.
A shadow moved across the doorway just then. A man walked in—the man with the beard and the huge cowboy hat.
“Poppa!” said Marian, and she ran across the room to hug him.
Jessie and Henry looked at each other. Poppa? They’d seen this man at the museum and on the parade float—and now he was related to Marian?
Marian turned to the Aldens. “This is my grandfather,” she said.
“We’ve met,” Henry said to the man, “at the Glenbow Museum. Though you didn’t tell us your name.”
Marian’s grandfather peered at them from under the hat. “I’m Darryl Sutton. I remember seeing you. You’re friends of Judy Simon.”
“Yes, we are,” Jessie spoke up. “We’re looking for…”
Marian interrupted. “Poppa, Daisy Simon’s pin has gone missing!”
“Really.” Mr. Sutton frowned slightly. “What could possibly have happened to it?” He pushed his hat back on his head and peered around the room. “That pin would be so valuable in the museum collection,” he said. “I was hoping that young Daisy would give some thought to donating it. Maybe she’ll do that when it turns up.” He fiddled with a buckle on the big leather bag over his shoulder, undoing it and doing it up again.
Henry and Jessie could hear voices from outside and the bustling noise of people coming down the hallway. They knew the show must have ended, which meant the opportunity to look around the empty dressing room was gone. The Young Canadians streamed in and filled every corner of the dressing room. Violet and Benny arrived with Aunt Judy.
Daisy was one of the last performers to come in. “Oh,” she said when she saw the Aldens. “Have you been looking for my pin? Have you found it? I really do need that pin for luck!”
She looked close to tears again, and Jessie hated to tell her that they hadn’t found the pin yet.
“Where could it have gone? It was right here in my locker.” Daisy pulled open the door to her locker to show them. “What am I going to do without it? How am I going to perform tomorrow night? Did you see what happened onstage tonight?”
Aunt Judy spoke up. “Yes, I heard a lovely trio! And that was just tonight. Tomorrow night you’ll be fine.”
“You sound so sure of that,” said Daisy.
Violet was looking around the lockers carefully. Then she surveyed the whole dressing room too. “Who can come in to this room?” she asked. “All the Young Canadians, and who else?”
“Some of us have visitors—family members, mostly.” Daisy said. “Really, a lot of people have been through here. Crew people, electricians, newspaper and TV reporters.” Her voice grew discouraged. “Maybe it’s just…lost. I hate to think that someone took it!”
“Should we call the police?” asked Henry.
“I don’t think we need to do that yet,” said Aunt Judy briskly. “I think it will turn up. I have a better idea! Let’s go home and have some cheesecake to celebrate a wonderful performance tonight!”
“How can you think of cheesecake now?” Daisy asked.
“I can always think of cheesecake,” said Aunt Judy.
“Me too,” chimed in Benny.
Aunt Judy laughed and reached for his hand, and they headed out the door. Daisy followed behind them, her head down. Violet hurried after her, and reached for her hand too.
“Maybe cheesecake will help give us some ideas for solving this mystery,” Jessie said to her brother as they followed the others.
“I hope so,” said Henry.
CHAPTER 4
A Cow in My Soup
GGrandfather was waiting for the children when they returned to Aunt Judy’s. They all sat around the large dining table while Grandfather cut slices of cheesecake.
As Henry served the slices, Jessie looked around Aunt Judy’s house. There was a vase of bright summer flowers in the middle of the table that made Jessie think about how Aunt Judy made everything a celebration, whether it was her niece’s accomplishment, the Aldens coming to town, or even horse-poop bingo. Everything felt like an adventure. Jessie wished the Young Canadians show could feel like that for Daisy too.
Then Jessie noticed a large framed photograph on the dining room wall. It seemed to be of a lake—but a familiar-looking building was right in the middle of the water. Jessie realized it was the grandstand at Stampede Park, and the photo must have been taken during the Calgary Flood. A second photo hung on the wall nearby, showing the entrance gate to Stampede Park with trees and people and sunshine all around—just as the Aldens had seen it.
Aunt Judy noticed Jessie looking at the photos. “I put those pictures there to remind me of what people can do when they have to,” she said. She pointed to the photograph of the flood. “Rain means so many different things here in the prairies. Sometimes it means we have enough moisture for crops, and rain is a good thing. But sometimes, we get too much and too quickly. That’s what happened a few
years ago. It rained and then it rained some more, a record-breaking amount. The Bow River and the Elbow River ran high and washed out the bridges and walks along the riverbanks. Stampede Park was filled with water just two weeks before the Stampede began.”
“It looks like a lake in the photo,” said Jessie.
“What did everyone do?” Benny asked.
“People here in Calgary did what they had to do to keep the Stampede going. We all rallied together and helped clean up just in time. That meant mopping up a lot of mud!”
“Look,” said Daisy, and she pulled out a dog-eared magazine from under the vase of bright flowers to show the Aldens. “Here are more pictures. There’s even one of Aunt Judy helping, covered in mud and cleaning somebody’s flooded house.”
“Wow,” Violet murmured as she and her siblings looked through the magazine photographs showing flooded houses and roadways and Stampede Park. It was amazing to think the place they had visited today had been covered in deep water.
“Here’s a picture of some old musical instruments that were rescued.” Henry pointed to one of the pages. “And some old books and photos too. It’s good that people save these things from being destroyed. That’s what Marian’s grandfather, Mr. Sutton, does, right?”
“We should ask him about that,” said Daisy. “I thought he was just a strange old man at the museum.”
“Speaking of the museum,” Violet said, “there’s a lot of old stuff about the Stampede there. All those posters and souvenirs. Where did they all come from?”
“Many people donate their old historical things to the museum. They want to share them with the world and make sure they’re taken care of. Museums know how to preserve special items.”
At those words, an unhappy look passed over Daisy’s face.
“What’s wrong?” asked Benny, peering at her.
Daisy gave a rueful smile. “Well, when Aunt Judy gave me the pin, I thought about donating it to the museum one day. If only I’d done it right away, the pin wouldn’t be missing. The museum would have kept it safe for other people to enjoy.” She looked miserable. “But I also wanted to wear the pin myself. I needed it.” She shook her head. “What am I going to do tomorrow?”
The Mystery at the Calgary Stampede Page 2