“Okay,” Finch said. He opened the door and let Max jump in. The dog scurried to the back and jumped right into Benny’s lap. Finch shut the door and put on his seatbelt.
“If we hurry, we should make it just in time for our talk,” Van Buren said.
“Sounds good,” Finch replied, then said, “Wait a minute. Our talk? What does that mean?”
“Uh, we’ll have to explain that, too,” Mr. Van Buren replied, smiling.
Mr. Finch looked back at the Aldens helplessly. They just shrugged.
As they got moving, Henry whispered, “This should be a very interesting trip.”
The two authors argued all the way down to Greenfield—whose books were better and why, whose books would still be famous in a hundred years, whose books had spelling mistakes, and so on. But through it all, the Aldens could tell that Finch and Van Buren were old friends.
Just as they reached town, Henry said, “Mr. Finch? Can I ask you something?”
Finch turned around, leaning an arm over the back of the seat. “Sure, Henry.”
“It’s about Max,” he said, nodding towards the dog. Max hadn’t moved from Benny’s lap the entire trip. “How did he get loose in the first place?”
“Ah, well, that was my fault I’m afraid.
When the train passed through the rainstorm, Max began whimpering. I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing, so I unlocked his cage, took him out, and sat him on my lap. I tried to quiet him down by stroking his fur and talking softly to him, but it didn’t seem to help. So I put him back in the cage, and I guess I didn’t lock it right, because a few moments later he was jumping off the train!”
“But how did he get out of the car in the first place?” Violet asked. “Surely he wasn’t strong enough to open that heavy metal door!”
“No, but I was,” Finch told them. “You see, one of my favorite smells in the world is the air on a rainy day. After I put Max back in his cage, I opened the door when we stopped in Allerton to take a deep breath. The rain was coming down really hard, and it smelled wonderful. So I was standing there with the door open and my eyes closed, and the train started pulling out of the station. That’s when Max scurried past me and jumped out the door!”
“Ah,” said Henry, “and you felt you had to go after him—”
“Right, because I’m the one who let him out in the first place.”
“Okay,” Henry said, nodding. “That makes sense.”
“That also explains why you left your bag on the train,” Jessie said. “You didn’t have time to get it.”
“I wasn’t even thinking about it,” Finch told her. “By the time I realized I’d left it on the train, I’d already caught our little friend over there.” Then he asked, “And how did you know I was in the fourth car on the train? No one was supposed to be there.”
“The granola-bar wrapper,” Jessie said. “We found one there, then another one in the parking lot, and in your briefcase.”
“You used one to try to get Max out from under that red truck, right?” Violet asked.
“That’s correct.”
“And what about that note in your notepad?” Violet went on. “The one about Mr. Van Buren? You wrote, ‘What should I do about Van Buren?’”
Finch laughed and looked at Van Buren. “Just a reminder to myself. I was trying to figure out whether or not I should stop in and visit him on the way back from Greenfield.”
“No need to worry about that now,” Van Buren said.
“Nope.”
“And your cell phone? It stopped working?”
“Right, it got all wet. I managed to make that one call to your house before it died. I had no charger, either, and none of the phones in Allerton worked.” He laughed and shook his head. “Can you believe it? With all the technology we have today, I couldn’t get a message through just a few towns away.”
They pulled into the library parking lot and were shocked to find the entire crowd standing outside on the lawn, waiting. Jessie had called Ms. Connally during the trip to let her know what was happening. Ms. Connally was thrilled that they would have not one but two great authors appearing that evening. Grandfather was there, too, looking very proud. So was Mrs. Blake, holding copies of all her Finch books, ready for him to sign.
The Taylors had made it as well. The moment Finch opened the door of Van Buren’s car, Max jumped out and raced over to them. The two children were so happy to see their dog again! Max jumped on them and licked their faces, his tail whirling around like a propeller.
As everyone got out of the car, the crowd began clapping and cheering. Finch and Van Buren waved and smiled. The Aldens stepped aside, but then Ms. Connally told them the crowd was applauding for them, too.
“If it wasn’t for the four of you, this wonderful night would never have happened!” she said.
The children grinned. When the applause finally died down, everyone began walking inside.
Mr. Finch turned to Mr. Van Buren and said, “You know what, Danny Boy?”
“What’s that?”
“I suddenly have a fantastic idea for a story. It’s about these four smart youngsters who have to find a crazy old man who foolishly got lost on his way to see them.”
He turned around and smiled at the Aldens, who were too startled to say anything.
“Sounds like a winner to me,” Van Buren said, patting his old friend on the shoulder. “I wonder what our faithful readers will think?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll like it!” Benny said, grinning.
THE END
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
THE 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
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 PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
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 © 2006 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2896-8
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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EBOOKS BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
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