The Mystery of the Orphan Train

  Violet had an answer. “Nobody smiled in those old photographs, Benny. You see, it wasn’t easy getting your picture taken in the olden days. People had to hold the same pose for almost half an hour.”

  Henry, who kept looking from the photo to a corner of the room and back again, said, “Isn’t that the same table?”

  They all followed his gaze to a table in a shadowy corner. Beside it was a straight-backed chair with padded arms.

  “What sharp eyes, Henry!” exclaimed Kate. “Yes, that’s the very spot where the photograph was taken. That half-moon table has always been in that corner, close to the oval window with the frosted glass. I’ve been trying to find the same wallpaper they had back then,” she added, pointing to the photograph again. “See the big roses all over it?”

  Just then, the professor’s shoes squeaked, making them look up. As he left the room, Kate lowered her voice. “I’m looking forward to a peaceful day tomorrow. The professor’s going away on some kind of outing.” She let out a sigh. “Even Josh and Vanessa will be gone before breakfast.”

  “Where’s everybody going?” Benny wanted to know.

  Jessie gave her little brother a warning look. “That’s not really any of our business, Benny.”

  Kate laughed a little. “I imagine they’re going sightseeing, Benny.” She stood up and yawned. “Well, it’s been a long day. Time to hit the sack.” With that, she said good-night and went upstairs.

  “It’s been a long day for us, too,” Henry reminded them. “Why don’t we call it a night?”

  As they started for the door, Violet noticed that Jessie was still bent over the photograph album. “What is it, Jessie?”

  “It’s the strangest thing …” Jessie lifted her head. “I think Sally’s reading a book about leopards. In the photo, I mean.”

  “Leopards …?” repeated Henry, his eyes wide with surprise.

  Violet sat down beside her older sister. “Are you sure, Jessie?”

  “I can’t be certain,” said Jessie. “It’s hard to make out the title.”

  The youngest Alden raced out of the room. When he returned, he was holding a magnifying glass. “I told you we’d need it,” he said, handing it to Jessie.

  “What would we do without you, Benny?” Henry said with a smile.

  After studying the photograph through the magnifying glass, Jessie said, “Guess what? The title of Sally’s book is How the Leopard Got Its Spots.”

  “Wow!” cried Violet, a look of astonishment on her face.

  Henry said, “I’ve read that story in school. Rudyard Kipling wrote it.”

  “What’s it about, Henry?” Benny wanted to know.

  Henry perched on the arm of a chair. “Well, at the beginning of the story the leopard’s just a plain color—kind of brownish yellow. When he goes hunting in the desert, the other animals can’t see him.”

  Benny was curious. “Why can’t they see him?”

  “Because he blends in with the desert,” explained Henry. “But then the other animals decide to live in the jungle. Of course, then the leopard’s got a real problem. He doesn’t blend in with the background and the other animals can see him coming. So the leopard goes to his friend for help, and the man dips his fingers into black ink and—”

  “Gives the leopard spots!” finished Benny.

  “You guessed it.” Henry smiled at his little brother. “After that, the leopard blends in with the jungle background, and becomes a great hunter again.”

  “Is that a true story?” Benny asked, after a moment’s thought.

  Jessie shook her head firmly. “Rudyard Kipling made it up, Benny.”

  “So, do you think the rhyme’s leading us to Sally’s book?” Violet wondered.

  “Got to be.” Henry sounded very sure.

  “That means we have to find it,” Jessie realized. “Sally’s book, I mean.”

  “Come on!” Benny was already halfway to the door. “Let’s try the reading room first.”

  The others knew there was no stopping Benny. “We’re right behind you, Sherlock,” said Henry as they followed their little brother along the hallway.

  Inside the reading room, Jessie flipped on a light switch and glanced around at all the shelves crowded with books. Even the tables were piled high. “It won’t take as long if we split up,” she suggested in her practical way.

  Henry and Benny set to work checking out the books stacked on the tables. Jessie and Violet searched the shelves, looking for anything by Rudyard Kipling.

  After some time had passed, Jessie walked over to her sister and said, “I haven’t had any luck, have you, Violet?”

  Just then Violet’s jaw dropped. “Here it is!” she whispered. It was all she could do to keep from shouting.

  Henry and Benny rushed over. “Did you find it?” said Henry.

  Violet pulled a faded orange-colored book down from the shelf and opened it. “Oh, there’s an inscription!” she exclaimed. Then she read it aloud. “To our Sally, from Mother and Father.”

  Benny rubbed his hands together. “Now we’re getting somewhere!”

  It was late, but the Aldens were determined to search for the hidden clue. As they stood together in a circle of yellow light from the table lamp, Jessie began to turn the pages slowly … slowly … slowly.

  “I bet there’s a note stuck inside the book,” said Benny, sounding excited.

  Henry added, “Or maybe a message scribbled on a page.”

  They checked out every word and every illustration. But they didn’t find any note stuck inside or any scribbled messages. Their only small discovery was a page with the corner turned down.

  “I guess Sally wanted to mark her spot,” suggested Violet.

  But Jessie wasn’t so sure. “Unless …” A sudden thought came to her.

  “Unless what, Jessie?” Benny wanted to know.

  “Unless Thane marked the spot.”

  The others looked at Jessie in surprise. “You think there’s a clue hidden on this page?” Violet asked.

  “But it’s just an illustration,” Benny pointed out.

  “That’s true, Benny,” said Jessie. “But remember how the rhyme goes?” She recited the last few lines. “Just take a look under/ The little dog’s ear. Maybe there’s a dog in the illustration.”

  The Aldens examined the glossy page carefully. They found zebras and giraffes, lions and tigers, elephants and hippos, monkeys and leopards. But no dogs.

  “What now?” Benny wanted to know, his shoulders slumped with disappointment.

  None of them had an answer to that question.

  CHAPTER 7

  The Little Dog’s Ear

  The Aldens got up early the next morning. They wanted to surprise Kate with a special breakfast. While they worked, they talked about Thane’s rhyme.

  “Maybe it really was just a parlor game," Jessie was saying as she sliced a cantalope into wedges.

  Henry, who was keeping an eye on the sizzling sausages, looked over. “Or maybe Thane left Wiggin Place before he had a chance to hide any clues.”

  “Anything’s possible,” admitted Violet, scrambling eggs in a large bowl. “Still, it wouldn’t hurt to take another look at Sally’s book.”

  “It’s worth a shot,” declared Benny. He didn’t like to give up. As he placed a dish of strawberry jam on the table, he added, “We will solve the mystery, won’t we?”

  “Sure we will,” said Henry. Then he added honestly, “At least, we’ll do our best.”

  “Well, what’s all this?” Kate asked, her eyes wide as she walked into the kitchen. Lindsay was close behind.

  “We made breakfast,” Jessie said with a smile. “You’re just in time.”

  “Everything smells wonderful!” said Kate, pulling up a chair.

  “It sure does.” Lindsay slipped into the empty seat beside Kate. “I feel like one of the guests.”

  Over breakfast, the children noticed that Kate seemed unusually quiet. Violet couldn’t help asking if a
nything was wrong.

  Kate smiled, but it wasn’t much of a smile. “Nothing for you to worry about, Violet. Everything will work out.”

  The Aldens looked at one another with concern. Why wasn’t Kate her usual cheery self?

  “If there’s a problem, maybe we can help,” offered Henry. He passed the platter of sausages to Benny.

  Kate let out a sigh. “Well, this is going to sound a little odd, but—”

  “The bluebird necklace has disappeared,” Lindsay blurted out.

  “What …?” Benny almost choked on his toast.

  Jessie stared over at Kate in surprise. “You can’t mean … the necklace that belonged to your grandmother?”

  Nodding, Kate said, “I left it out on my dresser. At least, that’s where I thought I’d left it. You see, the clasp was a bit loose, and I was going to take it into town to have it fixed.” A frown crossed her kind face. “It’s the strangest thing. When I got up this morning, it was gone,” she went on. “The necklace has vanished.”

  “I can’t believe it!” said Violet.

  Henry was baffled. “But it couldn’t just … vanish.”

  “Apparently it did, Henry,” put in Lindsay.

  “I don’t understand it,” said Jessie. “What could’ve happened?”

  Benny spoke up. “I know what happened.”

  All eyes turned to the youngest Alden. “What, Benny?” Kate asked.

  “Somebody stole it!”

  Kate held up a hand. “Now, now, Benny,” she cautioned him. “No need to think that. I refuse to believe anyone in this house would steal my grandmother’s necklace. I’ve simply misplaced it, that’s all. We mustn’t jump to any conclusions.”

  Jessie agreed. “I guess we shouldn’t suspect people until we’re certain it was actually stolen.”

  Lindsay reached out and placed a hand gently on Kate’s arm. “After I run a few errands in town, I’ll help you look for it. We’ll turn this place inside out if we have to!”

  “We’ll help, too,” Jessie volunteered, and the others nodded.

  Kate brushed some crumbs from the front of her dress. “I appreciate the offers,” she told them. “But I’ll give my bedroom a thorough going-over. I’m sure that’ll do the trick. The necklace must be in my room somewhere.”

  After breakfast, the children discussed the strange disappearance while they cleaned the kitchen. “That necklace means so much to Kate,” said Violet, handing Jessie the sausage platter to wash. “I sure hope she finds it.”

  “She won’t,” said Benny.

  Jessie looked at her little brother. “Why do you say that, Benny?”

  “Because Vanessa stole it.”

  “Benny!” Jessie exclaimed. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

  “But I’m pretty sure she did, Jessie,” Benny said, carefully drying his cracked pink cup. “Vanessa wants everything she sees, remember? Even that painting of the Emerald Isle.”

  Violet carried the empty glasses over to the sink. “I know Vanessa seems a bit spoiled, Benny,” she said, “but that doesn’t make her a thief.”

  “It is weird, though, about the necklace suddenly disappearing,” said Henry.

  Jessie turned to face her older brother. “Even if it was stolen, Henry, Vanessa isn’t the only suspect.”

  Henry looked at her, puzzled. So did Violet and Benny.

  “I think we should include the professor on our list.”

  Violet gave her sister a questioning glance. “The professor?”

  Nodding, Jessie told them how she’d caught the professor staring up at the photograph above the fireplace. “He had the strangest smile on his face—as if he knew something no one else did.” She paused for a moment. “Vanessa might not be the only one interested in the bluebird necklace.”

  The others thought about this for a moment. Sally was wearing the necklace in that photograph over the fireplace. Was it the family heirloom that held the professor’s attention? Nobody knew. But they had to admit it was possible. Hadn’t the professor tried to convince Kate to sell her family heirloom? Didn’t he say she’d be better off with a little money tucked away for her old age?

  “There’s somebody else we should consider,” Henry told them.

  “Who’s that?” Benny wanted to know.

  “Lindsay” Henry said.

  “Oh, Henry!” cried Jessie. “I don’t think Lindsay has the heart to be a thief.”

  “We have to consider everybody,” insisted Henry. “And remember what she said on the phone?”

  Jessie nodded. “She said, ‘I just don’t think I can pull it off.’”

  “And that’s not all,” Benny recalled. “She was talking about something old and blue.” He looked around at the others. “Kate’s necklace is old and blue!”

  “That does sound suspicious,” admitted Jessie.

  “But why would she want to hurt Kate like that, Henry?” Violet couldn’t believe Lindsay would do something so awful.

  “I’m not sure, Violet,” Henry said. “But maybe we should keep an eye on all of them for a while—Vanessa, Lindsay, and the professor.”

  After finishing the dishes, the Aldens headed for the reading room. Sitting cross-legged on the rug, they searched carefully through Sally’s book for clues. But once again they were disappointed.

  Benny drew his eyebrows together in a frown. “It doesn’t make sense,” he said. “The clue should be here.”

  “But … where?” asked Violet.

  Henry shrugged. “That’s a good question.”

  Just then, Kate walked into the room. “Oh, I didn’t know you were in here,” she said, looking surprised when she saw the Aldens. “I’m trying to tidy up a bit while I’m searching,” she told them, glancing down at her armful of old novels. “My night table was buried under books.”

  “You sure have a lot,” Benny remarked, as Kate added to the stack of books on the coffee table. “Almost as many as the Greenfield Public Library.”

  Kate laughed at this. “Well, most of my books are old and dog-eared, Benny. But I still treasure them.”

  As Kate turned to go, Violet said, “No luck yet?”

  Kate shook her head. “No, but it’ll turn up by the end of the day,” she said, trying to sound upbeat. “Just wait and see, Violet.” Then she closed the door behind her.

  The Aldens soon turned their attention back to Sally’s book. They were more determined than ever to solve the mystery for Kate.

  “There must be something we’re not seeing,” Jessie said. “Don’t you think, Henry?”

  Henry didn’t answer. As he looked down at Sally’s book, an idea began to form in his mind. Then he suddenly slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Of course!” he exclaimed, laughing a little.

  “Don’t keep us in the dark, Henry,” Benny said. “What’s up?”

  “Remember what Kate said about her books?” Henry sounded excited.

  The others stared at their older brother. They looked totally confused.

  Seeing their puzzled faces, Henry explained, “She said they were old and—”

  Jessie’s eyes widened as she caught Henry’s drift. She finished her brother’s sentence for him. “Dog-eared!”

  “Oh, I can’t believe we didn’t think of that!” Violet clapped her hands.

  “Dog-eared?” Benny repeated, not understanding.

  “They say a book’s dog-eared, Benny,” Jessie was quick to explain, “when some of the pages have been turned down at the corners. You know, from people marking their spot.”

  “Oh, I get it!” Benny said in sudden understanding. “The turned-down part looks like a dog’s ear, right?”

  “Right,” said Henry.

  “No wonder we weren’t getting anywhere,” Jessie realized, flipping to the end of the book. “Thane must’ve hidden the clue under a corner of the page.”

  They all held their breath, as Jessie lifted the flap. Sure enough, a message had been scribbled under the little dog??
?s ear.

  The Aldens let out a cheer. Figuring out clues was always fun.

  “What does it say, Jessie?” Benny gave his sister a nudge.

  With a puzzled frown, Jessie read the message out loud:

  Blue and yellow,

  yellow and blue,

  two make one,

  a gem of a clue!

  “What do you think it means?” wondered Violet.

  Jessie shrugged. So did Henry.

  “It’s a mystery,” Benny said with a grin. “I love mysteries!”

  CHAPTER 8

  Two Make One

  “It’s not much to go on,” Jessie remarked as she made a copy of the rhyme.

  Benny was scratching his head. “What I don’t understand,” he said, “is how two can make one.”

  Henry shrugged. “Beats me.”

  “I can’t understand it, either,” admitted Violet. “Thane’s clues are tough to figure out.”

  The children puzzled over the strange rhyme all morning. They thought and thought, but they couldn’t come up with any answers. Everyone was stumped.

  “I have an idea,” Violet said when she caught a whiff of flowers coming through the opened window. “Let’s pack a picnic lunch and go for a bike ride.”

  The others were quick to agree. “We could use a break,” said Henry.

  After telling Kate about their plans, the Aldens loaded sandwiches, apples, and a large thermos of lemonade into Henry’s backpack, then set off on the bikes Kate kept for her guests. Putting all thoughts of the mystery aside for a while, they pedaled happily through the countryside.

  By the time they returned to Wiggin Place, the afternoon sun was getting hot, the rhyme was still a big question mark, and the necklace was still missing.

  “Kate’s been tearing her room apart all day,” Violet remarked. “I think she’s beginning to give up hope.” The children were sitting at the umbrella table on the stone patio, sipping ice-cold cranberry juice from tall glasses.

  Jessie tugged her notebook from her back pocket. “One mystery at a time, remember?”

  Henry agreed. “Let’s take another look at that rhyme.”

  Nodding, Jessie read it aloud. “Blue and yellow/ yellow and blue/ two make one/ a gem of a clue!”