The Election Day Dilemma

  “It was in the kitchen at the bakery on top of a pile of flour someone spilled. Do you know anything about that?” Jessie asked.

  Birdie looked down at the ground and didn’t say anything.

  “Did you take my hats and buttons, Birdie? And then dump flour in Mr. Eggleston’s kitchen?” Alice asked the woman.

  For a long time Birdie kept looking at the floor. Finally she raised her head and nodded. “I did. I’m sorry. The flour was an accident. I came in through the back door to see if I could hear any plans you had for campaigning. I heard a noise that startled me and bumped into the flour canister. It spilled everywhere, but I was afraid someone would come investigate so I left before I could clean it up,” Birdie said.

  “I don’t understand, Birdie. Why did you do it?” Alice asked.

  “It has something to do with all the birds out there, doesn’t it?” Henry said.

  Birdie nodded her head. “Yes, I didn’t want you to win the election. I don’t want that land developed. All the birds would be driven away. I’ve been saving up money for years to buy some of the land, but I don’t have enough yet. I need a few more months,” Birdie told them. Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t think Albert would win, but if I could convince people not to vote for you then Charlie Ford would win and the land would be safe until I could buy it.”

  “Are you sure the town will sell it to you?” Jessie asked. “Does anyone know you want to buy it?”

  Birdie wiped her eyes. “Not yet. I thought they would sell it to me once they found out who I really am,” Birdie answered. She paused and everyone waited to hear what she would say. “My grandfather was Jim Eggleston.”

  “Jim Eggleston? The man who put the curse on the town?” Jessie asked.

  “Yes,” Birdie said. “He was not a good man, but he was my grandfather. I’m an Eggleston too, though I grew up a long way from here. When I was a little girl I heard all about the Eggleston farm and all the wonderful birds. I wished I could live there. After my husband passed away, I finally came to see the farm and it was just as I imagined. I’ve been saving up money ever since.”

  “I can’t believe I hadn’t thought about how important the swamp is for the birds,” Alice said. “Their habitat should be preserved. If I win the election and the plan goes forward, we can specify the swamp must stay like it is. The Eggleston land is big enough to build the historic village without that section.”

  “Oh thank you!” Birdie cried. “That’s wonderful.”

  “You’ve done some bad things to try to get what you want,” Joe said to Birdie.

  “I know. I’m very sorry,” she said. Birdie’s face was so sad they knew she meant it.

  “We’ll have to tell Mrs. Draper about Albert,” Alice said. “I know where to find her. She’s busy setting up the polling place.”

  “What kind of place is that?” Benny asked. “Some place to get poles?”

  Alice smiled. “No, it is spelled POLL and it’s where people go to vote,” she explained.

  “You’ll have to come with us, Birdie, so you can explain what you’ve done,” Joe said. “And you will have to tell the sheriff you painted the town sign. You’ll be expected to pay for the damage.”

  “I know,” Birdie said. “I want to make everything right.”

  When the Aldens found Mrs. Draper, it took some time for her to understand Henry’s explanation. She grew very upset. “It will be such an embarrassment if a dog gets elected,” she said. “Newspapers and television stations all over the country will get hold of the story. Everyone will laugh at our town.”

  “Can a dog even run for mayor?” Violet asked.

  Mrs. Draper wrung her hands together. “I don’t know if we have anything in the rules that a candidate has to be human. We never thought we’d need a rule like that,” she said.

  Jessie had been quiet, busy thinking. She had a question of her own. “Are there rules about how old a candidate has to be?” she asked. “If you have to be eighteen to vote, do you have to be eighteen to run for mayor?”

  “Albert is only four!” Benny said. “Dr. Mendoza told us.”

  Mrs. Draper’s face lit up. “That is actually a rule. All candidates must be at least eighteen years old. Albert Hund is disqualified. We can’t get new ballots this close to the election, but we’ll put up some signs in front of the polling station so people know they can’t vote for him. I’d better get busy,” Mrs. Draper said. She hurried off.

  “We have lots of things to do too,” Henry said to the others.

  “Yes,” Jessie said. “We have more cakes to bake and more signs to make.”

  “Let’s go then,” Joe said. “We want to be ready for Election Day.”

  The children worked all day to get ready. The next morning, Joe helped them load everything in the van. The children were dressed in red, white, and blue. Watch and Albert wore their own costumes. Alice had quickly made up a blue cape for Albert. The dog was a little confused by it. He kept turning his head to look at it like he wasn’t sure why it was there.

  The parade was scheduled to start at the town hall, circle around Appleville, and then end up back at the town hall where Joe had set up a table to serve the Election Day cake.

  The Aldens were happy to see so many people wanted to be in the parade. Most of the pets were dogs, but one girl brought her pony. The girl had red, white, and blue ribbons braided in her hair and the pony matched her with ribbons braided in its mane and tail. There was also a big assortment of stuffed animals, including many teddy bears.

  The Aldens handed out the signs they had made and Jessie announced, “It’s time to start.”

  While everyone was lining up, Henry noticed Logan Ford standing in front of the toy store. He had a small black dog on a leash. The dog was wearing a red and blue sweater.

  Henry walked over to him. “Hi Logan,” he said, kneeling down to pet the dog. “What’s your dog’s name?”

  “His name is Chip,” Logan replied. The dog looked up at the sound of his name and gave a little bark.

  “Are you going to help us with the parade?” Henry asked. “We could use as many people as we can get.”

  “I guess so,” Logan said. “If you really need me.”

  “We do,” Henry said. “Come on. Let’s get this parade started.”

  Some children had brought drums, so Jessie signaled them to begin to play. Everyone walked down the street, calling out to people to get out and vote. Many people came out of their houses to see what was causing the noise. Some of them thanked the children for reminding them about the election. Many people headed off to the town hall.

  The children paraded all through the town and ended up back outside the town hall. Alice and Joe had asked some of their parents to bring warm drinks, so there were thermoses full of hot apple cider to go with the Election Day cake.

  Mr. Eggleston brought cake too. “I looked over the recipe and just had to try it myself,” he told Jessie. “It’s delicious. Once I reopen my bakery, it’s going on the menu.” He shook his finger at her. “You have to promise me to keep the recipe a secret though.”

  “I will,” she said. “I promise.”

  While everyone waited to find out the election results, the Aldens talked to Logan.

  “We were wondering what you do at the Eggleston place,” Jessie asked. “Do you like to hike?”

  “I like to watch birds,” Logan said. “I keep track of all the different species I see.”

  “We like to watch birds too,” Violet said.

  “You do?” Logan sounded very surprised. “That’s terrific. I don’t know many other bird-watchers. You should come visit my grandfather’s toy store,” he said. “We can run the model trains if you like.”

  “We’d like that!” Benny said.

  Just then Mrs. Draper came out the door. “I have the election results,” she announced. “Charlie Ford, 705 votes. Alice Alden, 702 votes. Charlie Ford is our new mayor.”

  “Oh no!” Violet exclaimed.
“Alice lost!”

  “By three votes! Maybe you made a mistake in counting them,” Jessie said to Mrs. Draper.

  “No, we counted them three times to be sure,” Mrs. Draper said.

  Soo Lee threw her arms around her mother. “I can’t believe you lost!” she cried.

  Alice hugged Soo Lee. “I lost fair and square. It happens. At least we tried. Mr. Ford will make a fine mayor.” Letting go of Soo Lee, she walked over to Mr. Ford. She held out her hand to shake his. “Congratulations on your win, Mayor Ford,” Alice said.

  “Thank you, Alice,” he said. “It was a good competition and you have some good ideas. I’ve been thinking, and I’ve decided a historic village might be just what the town needs. I hope you will work with me. I’d like you to be the head of a committee to explore the idea.”

  “I’d like that,” Alice said, a big smile appearing on her face.

  “Wonderful! I’d also like to thank your cousins,” Mr. Ford said. “Mrs. Draper told me about all you children have done. Not only did you save us from having a dog elected as mayor, you have also reminded people to vote. I haven’t seen this big of a turnout in a long time.”

  “Someday I’d like to run for mayor,” Benny said. “I’d wear a conductor hat too.”

  “You’d make a terrific mayor,” Mr. Ford said. “But you don’t need to wait until you’re elected for a conductor’s hat. Logan, do you think you can give Benny yours? We have plenty more back at the store.”

  “Sure,” Logan said, taking off his hat and handing it to Benny. “Though when you run for mayor, I might just run against you!”

  Benny laughed. “Go ahead. I just might be better at running though. It will be a good race.”

  Election Day Cake

  Ask an adult to help you make this Election Day cake!

  1 stick of butter or margarine, divided in half and softened

  1 packet active dry yeast

  2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed, with 1 teaspoon set aside

  3/4 cup milk

  2 cups all-purpose flour, divided into 2 1-cup portions

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  1 egg

  3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries, or a combination of the two

  Makes 10 to 15 servings, depending on the thickness of the cake slices.

  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Use 1 half stick of butter to grease an 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pan. You may not need to use all the butter; store any leftovers in fridge. Set the greased pan aside for later.

  Heat the milk very gently in a small saucepan or in a microwave oven until it is warm but not hot. Measure out 1/4 cup of the milk and pour it into a bowl. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon brown sugar to the milk, then stir and let it stand for 5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes foamy on top.

  In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of flour with the rest of the brown sugar. Sir in the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

  Break the egg into a small bowl and beat it lightly with a whisk. Then add the beaten egg to the large mixing bowl.

  Add the remaining half stick of butter, the rest of the milk, and the yeast mixture to the large mixing bowl.

  Stir until all the dry ingredients have been moistened into a very thick batter, then add the last cup of flour. Stir again until the cake batter is blended, then fold in the raisins or cranberries.

  Pour the mixture into the loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Cover the pan lightly with a dish towel and let it sit in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the cake batter rises to the top of the pan.

  When the batter has risen, put the cake in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

  Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan. Let it cool before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

  CHAPTER 1

  Ghost Stories

  Crunch! Benny Alden took a big bite out of his crisp, red apple as he sat in the backseat of the family’s minivan. It was a late-fall Saturday, and he and his brother and sisters had helped their grandfather run errands in Silver City, the town next to Greenfield. They’d made a lot of stops, including at the farmers’ market. Benny, who was six years old and always hungry, was munching on his second apple, which he’d retrieved from one of the bags of fresh fruits and vegetables tucked near his seat. Now it was late afternoon, and the Aldens were headed home.

  Twelve-year-old Jessie put her hand on the cool glass of the minivan’s window. She watched trees with red, orange, and yellow leaves whiz by. She thought the leaves looked even prettier than usual in the setting sun. Just then, she remembered the notebook in her backpack. She pulled it out and opened it to check the list of errands they’d made that day. She liked making lists and used her organizational skills to help her family.

  “Grandfather,” Jessie called to the front seat. “I think we forgot to pick up the dry cleaning.”

  “You’re right!” her grandfather replied. He clicked on the turn signal and turned the van down a side street. “It’s a bit out of the way, but I think I know a shortcut to the cleaners.”

  Benny looked around the minivan.

  “I don’t think we have room for one more thing,” he said. “It’s crowded in here!” He was sitting next to Violet, his ten-year-old sister, who was busy doodling with her favorite purple pen in her sketch pad. They were surrounded by bags and boxes holding everything the Aldens had bought or picked up on their errands.

  “We’ll make room,” Henry told his little brother. At fourteen, Henry was the oldest of the Alden children. He sat in the front seat, tinkering with the radio. “Watch can sit on your lap!”

  Watch, the Aldens’ terrier, replied with a small yap—as if he knew everyone was talking about him. They all laughed as the dog jumped into Benny’s lap and curled into a ball.

  A few miles and a couple of turns later, the minivan drove down a narrow road that ran along the edge of town. The street was very quiet. The children didn’t see any other cars, just rows and rows of trees in the woods on either side of them.

  “What’s that?” Benny asked, pointing out his window. The Alden children turned to see an old brick building surrounded by a black iron fence. The fence had spiked posts, and overgrown vines hung from the roof. Henry looked beyond the locked gate to read the letters carved into the stone above the entrance.

  “Hawthorne School,” he said. “I’ve heard stories about it.”

  The dark shadows behind the school’s broken windows made Violet shiver in her seat.

  A few minutes later, Grandfather drove the minivan into the lot of Silver City Plaza, a shopping center with half a dozen stores. The spots in front of the dry cleaning shop were full, so he parked in front of Weaver’s Flower Shop.

  “I’ll be right back,” he told his grandchildren.

  Grandfather had been gone only a moment when Benny spoke up. “Tell us about Hawthorne School,” he said to his brother. “It looks spooky.”

  “Do you mean Haunted School?” Henry asked. “That’s what they call it.”

  “Why?” Violet asked. Although she certainly thought the school looked haunted.

  “Well, it’s been abandoned since the 1950s,” Henry said. “The gates haven’t been opened since the day it closed.”

  “That doesn’t make it haunted,” Violet pointed out.

  “Of course not,” Jessie agreed. “But now that you mention it, wasn’t the ghost story we heard last weekend about this school?”

  Last weekend, Grandfather had treated Henry, Jessie, and a few of their friends to a campfire. Violet and Benny had stayed in the house to watch a movie with Mrs. McGregor. As the group sat around the small fire pit, they roasted marshmallows and exchanged their scariest ghost stories. Jessie’s friend, Rose, had told everyone the tale of a haunted school—a school that she said was nearby. It had to be Hawthorne School.

  Henry nodded. “I
remember. The story says the ghost of the former principal still walks the halls of the school.”

  “A ghost?” Benny asked.

  “That’s right,” Jessie said, recalling the story. “She was fired from her job because a teacher reported that she was stealing money from the school. After weeks of insisting she didn’t do it, the principal was still told to leave. As she walked out of the building, she put a curse on the school!”

  “The money was later found,” Henry continued. “It turns out she didn’t steal it after all.”

  “Did she get her job back?” Benny asked.

  “No,” Jessie replied. “Nobody could find her after she was asked to leave. She seemed to just…vanish.”

  “Now,” Henry added, “if you look through the old windows, you can see her walking back and forth through the halls. Or that’s what they say, at least.”

  “Wow!” Benny exclaimed.

  “A real ghost!” Violet said.

  “We don’t really believe the story,” Henry said. “It’s probably just a local legend.”

  The Alden children looked at one another, deep in thought. They heard the clicking sound of the door being unlocked and turned their attention back to Grandfather. He had returned from the dry cleaners with an armload of plastic-covered shirts.

  “Look what I found,” he said, climbing into the minivan. He handed a yellow piece of paper to Jessie. “You might want to consider this for service work.”

  Jessie read the paper. She smiled and handed it to Henry.

  “Volunteers needed,” he read aloud. “Thanks, Grandfather!”

  Henry and Jessie’s middle school required them to work ten hours of community service every year. In return, they received extra credit. They both enjoyed helping in the neighborhood and meeting new people, and they were looking for new places to volunteer.

  “I was thinking about helping the teachers at Greenfield Day Care Center,” Jessie said as Grandfather started the car on the journey home. “They can always use an extra pair of hands.”