The man in the baseball cap stood near the judges’ booth. He held a pen and a notebook. From time to time, he looked suspiciously around the crowded tent. Then he wrote something down in his notebook.
“Now’s our chance to follow him, Benny,” Henry said.
“Good luck,” Jessie said. “We’ll be in the art tent. Meet us there as soon as you can.”
“Okay,” Benny said. The boys moved quickly through the crowd toward the man in the baseball cap. They were only a few feet from him when he turned to leave the tent.
“I hope they can keep up with him,” Violet said.
“We’d better hurry,” Jessie said. “The arts competition will be starting soon.”
As the girls headed toward the art tent, Jessie spotted Susie Martinilli.
“Hi, Susie,” Jessie called. “Wait for us.”
“Hello,” Susie said, smiling. “Are you going to the art tent?”
“Yes,” Violet said. “Are you?”
“I am in just a minute,” Susie said. “By the way, how did things go at the crafts exhibit yesterday?”
“It was pretty exciting there for a while,” Jessie said. “Someone took the prize money, the trophy, and the blue ribbon.”
“Really?” Susie said. “How awful! What happened?”
“It appears someone took the prizes while the judges were gone,” Violet said. “Luckily, we found them in a bag behind the crafts tent.”
“Goodness,” Susie said. “There’s been one problem after another at this fair.”
“There sure has,” Jessie agreed.
“Oh, Susie,” Violet said. “There’s a yellow stain on your pretty pink blouse.”
“Oh, no,” Susie said. She rubbed at the spot for a moment. “I was in such a hurry I didn’t even notice it.”
“It’s still damp,” Violet said. “That looks like Shimmery Yellow No. 7. Is it?”
“Why, yes,” Susie said. “I just touched up my painting with it. I must have gotten some of it on my blouse.”
“I’ve spilled that paint on my clothes before,” Violet said. “All you have to do is rinse it out with water to remove the stain.”
“Well, I don’t have time to worry about it now,” Susie said. “The art competition starts in a few minutes, and I’ve got something I need to do first. I’ll see you later.”
“Good-bye,” Violet said as Susie hurried away.
“That’s odd,” Jessie said. “I thought the only colors in Susie’s painting of the horse were browns and greens.”
“Maybe she mixed blue with yellow to make green,” Violet said. “But her painting looked finished to me.”
“Let’s take a look at it when we get inside,” Jessie said.
The art tent was rapidly getting more and more crowded. The girls looked around for Henry and Benny.
“I guess they’re still following that man in the baseball cap,” Jessie said. “Maybe they’ll be here later.”
“Let’s look at Susie’s painting while we’re waiting,” Violet said.
The two girls carefully examined Susie’s painting.
“This painting is perfectly dry,” Violet said. “She didn’t add any yellow paint to it at all.”
“Why did she tell us she did?” Jessie said.
“I don’t know,” Violet said. “But I’m sure going to find out.”
“Where is Kristie’s painting?” Jessie said as she looked at the display. “It was on that easel over there yesterday.”
“There’s Mrs. Stephens,” Violet said. “Let’s ask her.”
“Hello, Mrs. Stephens,” Violet said as the woman approached them.
“Girls,” Mrs. Stephens said worriedly. “Have either one of you seen Kristie?”
“No, we haven’t seen her today,” Violet said.
“What’s wrong?” Jessie asked.
“Kristie sent me a note,” Mrs. Stephens said. “It said that she didn’t feel well and that she wanted me to meet her at the registration tent. But when I went to the tent she wasn’t there and no one had seen her.”
“Was her painting withdrawn from the competition?” Violet asked.
“Of course not,” Mrs. Stephens said.
“Mrs. Stephens,” Violet said. “Kristie’s painting isn’t here.”
“Oh, no,” Mrs. Stephens said as she stared at the empty easel. “Someone must have moved it while I was looking for Kristie. I have to find Kristie right away! The contest is getting ready to start.”
“We’ll help you look for her,” Jessie said. “I’m sure she’s not far away.”
“She worked so hard on her painting,” Mrs. Stephens said. “I don’t know why she’d take it off the easel.”
“Maybe she didn’t,” Jessie said. “May I see the note Kristie wrote to you?”
“Of course,” Mrs. Stephens said. She looked puzzled but she handed the note to Jessie. Jessie slowly read the note. Then something caught her eye.
“Mrs. Stephens,” Jessie said. “Is this Kris-tie’s handwriting?”
“Why, no,” Mrs. Stephens said as she read the note again. “It’s not her handwriting! I was so upset when I got it that I didn’t even notice.”
“I’m going to ask the judges if they can delay the contest for a few moments,” Jessie said. “Something’s not right here.” Jessie walked over to the contest table. She whispered softly to the judges for a moment. They nodded their heads.
“They’ll give us ten minutes,” Jessie said.
“We’ll go with you to see if we can find Kristie,” Violet said.
“Thank you very much, girls,” Mrs. Stephens said.
Jessie and Violet followed Mrs. Stephens out of the art tent. Suddenly, Violet saw something sticking up out of a garbage can near the entrance. It sparkled in the sunlight.
“Look!” Violet said. She pulled the canvas out of the trash can. “It’s Kristie’s painting. There are yellow streaks all over it! It’s ruined!”
“Oh, no!” cried Mrs. Stephens.
Violet touched the paint. It was still wet.
“We may be able to remove most of the paint streaks if we rinse it under cold water right away,” Violet said.
“I’ll take care of that,” Jessie said. “Go with Mrs. Stephens and see if you can find Kristie. I’ll clean this up and put it back on the easel at the art tent.”
“Thank you,” Mrs. Stephens said. “I appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome,” Jessie said. “I’m sure everything will be just fine.”
“I hope so,” Mrs. Stephens said nervously. “I certainly hope so.”
Violet and Mrs. Stephens searched the fairgrounds for severatminutes but there was no sign of Kristie.
“Do you think she might be waiting for you at your car?” Violet said. “Maybe someone gave her a phony note, too.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mrs. Stephens said. “We’ve checked every where except the parking lot.”
As they neared the parking lot, Violet saw Kristie.
“Kristie,” Violet said as she ran toward her friend. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m just fine,” Kristie said. She looked puzzled. “I was in the art tent when I got a note that said for me to meet my mother at the parking lot immediately.”
“What?” Mrs. Stephens said. “I never sent you a note. I got a note a few minutes ago that said you were ill.”
“I’m fine, Mother,” Kristie said. “Someone must be playing some kind of awful joke on us.”
“Do you still have that note, Kristie?” Violet asked.
“Yes,” Kristie said. She pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket. Violet compared the two notes.
“These notes were written by the same person,” Violet said. “Come on. Let’s go back to the art tent.”
“What happened to your painting, Kristie?” Violet asked, as they hurried back to the competition. “Someone painted yellow streaks all over it.”
“It was on the display easel when I left the tent thi
s morning,” Kristie said. “I can’t believe all this is happening. I never wanted to enter this contest in the first place.”
“I’m sorry, dear,” Mrs. Stephens said. “I never should have made you do it.”
“That’s all right, Mother,” Kristie said. “The next time I paint something, it will be because I really want to.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Mrs. Stephens said as she hugged her daughter.
The contest had already begun by the time they returned to the tent. Jessie waved when she saw them. She had saved seats for them.
“I got most of that paint off,” Jessie said to Kristie. “I put it back on the easel for you.”
Kristie’s painting still had a few streaks of yellow paint on it. The judges were examining it carefully.
“I hate to admit it,” Kristie whispered to Violet. “But my painting looks even better! Those shiny yellow streaks look just like sunlight.”
“You’re right,” Violet said. “It looks beautiful.”
Violet pulled the notes out of her pocket and handed them to Jessie. “Someone sent these notes to Kristie and her mother,” she whispered to her sister.
Jessie looked at both notes carefully. “I’ve seen this handwriting somewhere before. But I can’t remember where.”
Before Violet could ask her anything else, Kristie tapped her on the arm.
“The judges are getting ready to announce their decision,” Kristie said.
“Good luck,” Violet whispered.
“Good luck to you, too,” Kristie whispered back.
“Ladies, gentlemen, boys, and girls,” the judge said. “It is time to announce the winner of the Greenfield County Fair Art Competition.”
Kristie and Violet held hands tightly.
“The winner is contestant Miss Susie Martinilli!”
Susie stepped forward to receive the trophy and prize money.
“That’s the girl that was in the tent the day my book bag was taken!” Kristie said.
Before the judge could hand Susie the prize money and the trophy, Jessie stood up.
“Just a minute, please,” Jessie said. “I think that there has been a violation of the rules.”
“I think so, too,” said another voice. Jessie looked around. It was the man in the baseball cap. Henry and Benny were standing next to him.
CHAPTER 9
The Mystery Is Solved
The judge asked the crowd to please be patient for ten minutes while the rules violation was examined. Then he asked the Alden children, Susie, Mrs. Stephens, Kristie, and the man in the baseball cap to follow him. Everyone crowded inside the judge’s small office.
“Now,” the judge said after he closed the door. “What’s going on here?”
Jessie gave the notes to the judge. He laid the notes side by side on a small table.
“These are notes which were given to Mrs. Stephens and her daughter, Kristie,” Jessie said. “I think that whoever wrote these notes did it so that Kristie and her mother would be away from the tent when Kristie’s painting was removed and damaged. The handwriting on the notes is the same.”
“Who do you think did this?” the judge asked.
“I think Susie wrote those notes,” Jessie said.
“That’s ridiculous,” Susie cried, “you can’t prove anything.”
“When you borrowed my pen at registration tent, I noticed that you dot your i’s with little hearts,” Jessie said.
“Lots of people sign their names like that,” Susie said. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
“How did you get that yellow paint on your blouse, Susie?” Violet asked. “The yellow paint that made the stain on your blouse is made to reflect the light. None of the paint on your artwork does that.”
“Also, you asked me how the necklace was held together. You knew that cutting the wire would ruin our necklace,” Jessie said.
“And what about Kristie’s book bag?” Henry said. “Did you take it to make it look like Kristie was the one who was causing all the trouble at the fair?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Susie said. She looked scared.
“I think they do,” the man with the baseball cap said. “Judge, I’m Steven Pearson. The fair officials hired me to investigate the problems which have been happening since the fair was announced.”
“So that’s why we kept seeing you everywhere,” Jessie said.
“But why were you always hurrying away when something bad happened?” Violet asked.
“I didn’t want anyone to notice me,” Mr. Pearson answered. “But you children were too clever for me.”
“When we finally got a chance to talk with Mr. Pearson, he told us that he was curious about the same things we are,” Henry said.
“At first we were following him,” Benny chimed in. “Now we’re working together.”
“You children have done most of my job for me,” Mr. Pearson said. “Susie, I think you have a lot of explaining to do.”
“I don’t know why I’ve been so mean,” Susie said. “My family and I are moving away in a few weeks, and I felt like this was my last chance to win a trophy. I’m really sorry for the way I’ve ruined things for everyone. I know I don’t deserve to win anything.” Then she burst into tears.
“Susie, we decided on the first day of the contest that your artwork was one of the best,” the judge said. “You could have won a trophy this year if only you had competed honestly.”
“I’m sorry,” Susie said sadly, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I really am.”
“The Alden children will be receiving a $50 reward for solving this mystery,” the judge said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Henry said.
“We’re glad we were able to help,” Jessie said.
“Thank you, children, for making my job much easier,” Mr. Pearson said, smiling.
“But what about the posters?” Benny asked. “Who tore up all the posters?”
“I’m afraid I did that too,” Susie replied. “I thought if there weren’t as many entries this year, I’d have a better chance of winning.”
“I’m sure the contest officials would like to speak with you, Susie,” Mr. Pearson said. “Please come with me.”
Susie followed Mr. Pearson out of the office.
“I didn’t want to say anything,” Kristie said. “But I saw Susie ruining the pies the first day of the fair.”
“So that’s why you were so upset that day,” Violet said.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Henry asked.
“I was going to,” Kristie said, “but then you found those prizes in my book bag. I didn’t think anyone would believe me if I told them what I’d seen in the pie tent.”
“That’s probably why Susie put the prizes in your book bag in the first place,” Jessie said. “She must have known that you’d seen her ruining the pies. I’ll bet she was hoping everyone would think you were the guilty one.”
“I guess so,” Kristie said. “I’m glad this whole thing is finally over.”
“Not yet,” the judge said. “Your beautiful painting of a sunset received the second largest number of votes. You are now the winner!”
“Congratulations, Kristie,” Violet said.
“Thank you,” Kristie said.
“Let’s make the announcement to the crowd,” the judge said, smiling. “They’ve waited long enough to meet the real winner of the Greenfield County Fair Art Competition!”
After the fair was over, the Boxcar Children went shopping. Their first stop was the Greenfield Bookshop.
“Hello there! Nice to see you again,” Mr. Owens said when the children entered the shop.
“Hello, Mr. Owens,” Jessie said. “We’re back to buy that book for our grandfather.”
“I have it right here,” Mr. Owens said. He handed the beautiful book to Jessie. “I’m glad you were able to earn enough money to buy it.”
“So are we,” Henry said as he paid for
the book.
“Grandfather will be so surprised,” Benny said.
“He sure will,” Violet said. “Thank you for holding it for us, Mr. Owens.”
“It was my pleasure,” Mr. Owens said.
“Let’s go buy some balloons and party hats,” Henry said. “Good-bye, Mr. Owens.”
“Good-bye, children,” the shopkeeper said. “Have fun.”
The children bought everything they needed for the party.
CHAPTER 10
The Surprise
The next morning, Jessie got up early to wrap Grandfather’s birthday present. Violet made a special birthday card for their grandfather and a get-well card for Michael. Benny blew up balloons. And Henry hung beautifully colored crepe paper streamers all over the dining room. By lunchtime, everything was finished.
“The place looks lovely, children,” Mrs. McGregor said as she placed the birthday cake in the center of the table.
“Grandfather should be home soon,” Violet said. “Everyone needs to sign his card before he arrives.”
“I can’t wait to see his face when he opens our present,” Jessie said. “He’s going to be so surprised.”
The children heard the key turning in the lock.
“Hide everyone!” Jessie said. “Grandfather’s home.”
Grandfather came into the dining room.
“Surprise! Surprise!” the children shouted. “Happy Birthday, Grandfather.”
“My, my, my,” Grandfather said. “I am surprised. What lovely decorations.”
“I blew up all the balloons,” Benny said.
“Good job, Benny,” Grandfather said. “Now I have a surprise for you!”
Michael and Courtney ran into the room.
“Michael! Courtney!” the children shouted.
“We’re so glad you could come to the party,” Jessie said.
“So are we,” Courtney said. “We got here the same time your Grandfather did.”
“We made a get-well card for Michael,” Violet said. She handed the brightly decorated card to the little boy.
“Thank you!” Michael said.
“How are you feeling, Michael?” Henry asked.
“I’d feel even better if I had some birthday cake,” Michael said.
Everyone laughed. Mrs. McGregor lit the candles on the cake and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Mr. Alden. He cut slices of the cake and passed them around to everyone. Then he opened his card.